There’s a long time until the 2028 Formula One season, but that doesn’t stop us from trying to predict the driver lineup. This article builds on the 2027 Silly Season article.
Last updated: 6 April 2026
McLaren
Lando Norris – Oscar Piastri
A very solid lineup. Piastri does seem a little unsatisfied with the treatment he is getting at McLaren, but as long as they have a top car, it would be foolish to move away. If McLaren finish fourth in 2026 and don’t improve in 2027, there could be an argument for Piastri moving away, but we’re not quite there yet. McLaren still have time to get back to the front.
Mercedes
Max Verstappen – Kimi Antonelli
We all know that this is Toto Wolff’s dream team. George Russell is on a 1+1 deal that covers 2026 and potentially 2027, but after that, there will be room for Verstappen who is desperate to leave the declining Red Bull team.
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc – Oliver Bearman
Leclerc is on a long-term contract. He probably should move away from Ferrari if they continue to disappoint in terms of car performance and operational decisions, but he does seem loyal to the team.
Bearman is a top-rated talent and will likely replace Hamilton in 2027. If he performs well next to Leclerc, he easily continues for the Scuderia.
Red Bull
Isack Hadjar – Arvid Lindblad
With Verstappen moving away, Red Bull could prioritise youth as they’ve done before.
Hadjar is already there, while Lindblad is first in line for a promotion if Verstappen leaves. So he likely moves up to the big team in 2028.
Unless there is some major surprise among the projected Racing Bulls drivers in 2027, Hadjar simply continues while Lindblad moves up. They are currently the best drivers that Red Bull have (not counting Verstappen).
Aston Martin
Lewis Hamilton – Lance Stroll
Lewis probably leaves Ferrari after 2026 and his most likely destination is Aston Martin, to fulfill the dream of driving a Newey car and potentially getting another title shot with an easy teammate next to him.
Sadly, Stroll stays. Not because he’s a good driver but simply because daddy owns the team. What an absolute joke and it’s a disgrace for F1 that this arrangement continues.
Williams
Carlos Sainz – Alex Albon
Both drivers are stuck in purgatory yet another year. Sainz is easily good enough for a top seat, and perhaps Albon is as well. But the top teams all have their own stars and prospects. Sainz was foolish not to sign with Sauber/Audi when he had the chance.
Fortunately for Sainz and Albon, there is always a chance that Williams could improve. If they are lucky, the team could have a McLaren-style revival at some point under the new regulations. But it’s a longshot, to be honest.
Audi
George Russell – Freddie Slater
The aging Hülkenberg is still doing fine, but 2027 could be his final season. George Russell needs a new high-upside seat after being dispatched from Mercedes to make room for Verstappen, so he takes Hulk’s seat at Audi.
Audi management will likely realise that Bortoleto, while being a solid driver, has a limited ceiling. So they could bring in the top talent in their academy, Freddie Slater, for a surprising all-English lineup.
Alpine
Gabriel Bortoleto – Alex Dunne
The most difficult lineup to predict and most likely, my guess will turn out incorrect. Alpine don’t have a strong youth academy at the moment, but they will have to bring in some new drivers eventually.
Gasly could easily get fed up with the team after so many unsuccessful years. And Colapinto is not a top talent so Alpine could bring in Dunne for 2027 (or whoever wins F2 in 2026).
An experienced driver is also needed, and with Bortoleto hitting the open market in 2028, Briatore could be tempted to bring him in – especially considering that the Brazilian is managed by Fernando Alonso.
Haas
Rafael Câmara – Kean Nakamura-Berta
Câmara is certainly bound for F1, and I see him debuting for Haas in 2027. Esteban Ocon is on a 3-year contract that runs until the end of 2027. But Ocon has no upside and is a below-average developer, so Haas could replace him with another young driver when his contract expires.
Kean Nakamura-Berta is one of the biggest talents around. It’s possible that Ayao Komatsu would like to bring in a driver with Japanese heritage, and perhaps it would please Toyota as well, who are considering a re-entry into F1 in 2029, likely by purchasing the Haas team.
Racing Bulls
Nikola Tsolov – Mattia Colnaghi
Tsolov is already predicted for 2027. Unless he seriously disappoints next to Lindblad, he is likely given another year.
Regarding the other seat, anything could happen at Racing Bulls. Their academy is surprisingly weak at the moment, so they will certainly sign some new drivers over the next few years. As it looks now, Colnaghi is their best option to partner Tsolov, but this could easily change if the Italian-Argentine driver underperforms in F3.
Cadillac
Pierre Gasly – Ugo Ugochukwu
Bottas and Pérez are most likely out at this point. Cadillac will realise, after two years, how underwhelming that lineup is.
Gasly might eventually want to move away from Alpine considering how badly managed that team is. A move to Cadillac could be a good option for the future, considering that the American team at least has some level of ambition. Gasly would also be a fairly attractive pilot for them. He’s an upgrade over both Bottas and Pérez, and at this point, he would be one of F1’s most experienced drivers. Feels crazy to realise that.
It also seems like Cadillac are eager to bring in an American talent. Colton Herta doesn’t quite make it, but Ugo Ugochukwu might. He was once touted as the next Lewis Hamilton. After a disappointing first F3 campaign, we know that Ugo is not at that level, but he is the best American talent around, and he looks way better this year. So Cadillac might give him a shot, unless somebody better appears.
Out of F1
Esteban Ocon, Nico Hülkenberg, Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Pérez
In this driver lineup prediction, I expect four new drivers to enter F1 in 2028.
This also means that four must leave – unless a new team enters the series. But that probably won’t happen until 2029.
Ocon might run out of motivation by 2028, especially if he continues losing to Bearman in 26 and Câmara in 27. The team would have no reason to keep him in that scenario.
Hülkenberg’s age means that he is probably out by this time as well – retiring on his own terms.
Bottas and Pérez would also be too old (and too slow) at this point in time. Hamilton, however, would continue for a little longer and hope for a car capable of winning races to finish his career on a high.
