One of the most entertaining things to do as a Formula One fan is to try and predict the driver lineup for the following seasons.
With the 2026 lineup being complete, it’s time to look even further ahead and try to predict the 2027 silly season lineup!
We update our predictions at regular intervals, although not after every race. If a driver is marked in bold, it means he has already been confirmed by the team for that particular seat.
Last updated: 4 December 2025
McLaren
Lando Norris – Oscar Piastri
This is the best long-term lineup in F1. McLaren shouldn’t change it unless the two drivers can’t get along under the pressure of competing for titles. The car is currently strong, so it should also be in the interest of both Norris and Piastri to stay. Of course, if either of the two feels unfairly treated by the team, they may try their luck elsewhere.
Piastri is already signed to the end of 2027. Norris extended his “multi-year contract” and is believed to be under contract for 2027 as well.
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc – Oliver Bearman
Hamilton will likely retire after two seasons in red. Especially if Leclerc continues beating him. The Monégasque will obviously stay long-term, rumours say he has a contract until 2029 (!), but who will his teammate be?
Three options seem likely: A return to Sainz, a promotion of Bearman, or bringing in a solid number two driver like Gasly.
Sainz is a very solid option, he left Ferrari on good terms, and he is close to Leclerc’s level. The only problem is that his driving style is very different, so the team will have to build a car that suits just one of their two drivers if Sainz joins.
Bearman is the natural choice as he is a Ferrari junior and currently performing well at Haas. This is really a no-brainer, as long as Bearman keeps developing. He already beat Ocon at just 20 years old, so we assume he’s first in line for a promotion.
Mercedes
Max Verstappen – Kimi Antonelli
It’s very telling that Russell and Antonelli only received one year extensions. Russell’s deal is a 1+1 where he gets a 2027 extension if he “reaches a performance target” in 2026. We believe that target is very high, e.g. leading the championship at the summer break.
Toto Wolff desperately wants Verstappen. If Red Bull disappoints in 2026, as expected, Wolff will put a massive offer on the table for Max. The 4-time champion could also move to Aston Martin, but he doesn’t want a reputation of only being able to win with Adrian Newey and Honda, so he’ll have to choose a different option to prove himself.
Russell probably fails to reach his target and the team prefers keeping an improving Antonelli who gets along well with Max.
With this lineup, Mercedes will be ultra-competitive for the rest of the 2020s and Antonelli gets to learn from the best driver in the sport, before eventually taking over as the lead driver.
Red Bull
Isack Hadjar – Arvid Lindblad
Max Verstappen actually has a contract stretching until 2028, but he probably won’t fulfill it. Especially if Red Bull drop in performance in 2026 as expected. With the star leaving, Red Bull could do a full reset. The problem is that the team is no longer that attractive to drive for.
The best driver available, George Russell, would likely prefer Aston Martin. They could bring back either Alex Albon or Carlos Sainz to the family, and either of those two will probably accept, but Red Bull probably prefer the upside of bringing in some young talents within their own ranks.
Hadjar has looked good so far in his rookie season, and he gets a shot with Red Bull already in 2026. Lindblad is an esteemed talent, he’ll probably beat Lawson in his first year and get the promotion. They may have a rough time at Red Bull at first, but the team could try to build for the future with this lineup, as they truly seem to think Lindblad is the driver of the future.
Aston Martin
George Russell – Lance Stroll
Fernando Alonso will turn 46 during the 2027 season. The Spaniard seems to bank on Newey designing a great 2026 car for a final title attempt. If Alonso wins in 2026, he will quit, and if he comes short, the team will likely replace him anyway.
With all the investments and ambitions of the team, Aston Martin will always need a star driver. Verstappen is the top priority, but he will sign for Mercedes, as he doesn’t want to tie his reputation completely to Newey and Honda.
Russell is an excellent alternate option. He’s an established, ultra-fast driver. And he fits into the brand of Aston Martin as a stylish English gentleman. If Verstappen takes Russell’s seat at Mercedes, it’s quite likely that Russell will move to Aston Martin.
As for Lance Stroll, who are we kidding? The guy is already confirmed as his father owns the team. Pathetic.
Williams
Carlos Sainz – Alex Albon
Albon and Sainz are sadly stuck at Williams as there are no better prospects for them, except maybe an opening at Ferrari or Red Bull. But those teams could prefer other drivers with more upside.
Alpine
Pierre Gasly – Leonardo Fornaroli
Gasly is a good driver, but fairly average on today’s extremely competitive grid. He is a good benchmark for the team, though. Colapinto brings sponsors but lacks upside, so he has to be replaced eventually.
Flavio Briatore is looking for the next big star. But can he find one?
Alpine’s academy is entirely void of talent, so there’s no obvious candidate for 2027. Briatore will have to snatch a youngster from some other academy. Ideally, he will convince Rafael Câmara to change sides, or give Freddie Slater a very premature opportunity. But those drivers are more interested in other teams, so Alpine’s best option is to bring in Leonardo Fornaroli, or whoever wins F2 in 2026.
Haas
Esteban Ocon – Rafael Câmara
Ocon is an okay fit for Haas; he’s a decent midfield driver and a solid benchmark, similar to the role Kevin Magnussen played for years.
Obviously, Haas would love to keep Oliver Bearman around, but Bearman is bound for a Ferrari promotion in 2027.
The next Haas driver could be one of the young Ferrari talents, Rafael Câmara or Tuukka Taponen. After winning F3 with a huge margin, Câmara must be considered the favourite.
Racing Bulls
Alex Dunne – Nikola Tsolov
With Hadjar promoted to Red Bull, and Lindblad likely to take over from Verstappen, Racing Bulls will have to bring in some new drivers. It’s really anybody’s guess, but Alex Dunne has talent and could win F2 in 2026. That makes the young Irishman a natural candidate for a seat here.
Tsolov and Tramnitz are both RB Juniors who did reasonably well in F3 this year. Tsolov is likely the preferred choice among the two. Alternatively, Red Bull could bring in another young driver who is not yet affiliated with their programme.
Audi
Nico Hülkenberg – Gabriel Bortoleto
Hülkenberg will essentially become the Audi ambassador and help the team develop in its early years. 2027 could be his final year, and Audi would then look to bring in a young talent in 2028.
Bortoleto looks decent and probably won’t get replaced any time soon. He is a reasonably fast racer, but more suited for a number two role.
Audi are already setting up their driver academy where Freddie Slater is rumoured to be first in line. 2027 is too early for his debut though, so for now, the Audi lineup remains the same.
Cadillac
Valtteri Bottas – Sergio Pérez
Both of these old men are likely on multi-year contracts. Cadillac seem to lack ambition, as they could bring in one young talent, but instead we are stuck with a lineup of old, demoted second drivers. At least Pérez has some inspired midfield performances at times.
Cadillac are putting Colton Herta into F2 in 2026, hoping for the American to secure enough superlicense points to reach F1. But Herta could easily disappoint in F2, so a 2027 promotion is far from a guarantee.
Out of F1
Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Franco Colapinto, Liam Lawson
(This 2027 prediction builds on our 2026 silly season article.)