There’s a long time until the 2028 Formula One season, but that doesn’t stop us from trying to predict the lineup of drivers. This article builds on our 2027 Silly Season article.
Last updated: 4 December 2025
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 the best car, it would be foolish to move away.
Mercedes
Max Verstappen – Kimi Antonelli
We predict that Verstappen will move to Mercedes in 2027 and team up with Kimi Antonelli. With this being Kimi’s third year, he will have more experience, and that means Mercedes now have the strongest lineup in F1, surpassing McLaren.
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
Arvid Lindblad – Isack Hadjar
With Verstappen moving away, Red Bull could prioritise youth. Hadjar is already confirmed for 2026, while Lindblad is first in line for a promotion if Verstappen leaves.
Unless there is some surprise performance among the Racing Bulls rookies in 2027, Hadjar and Lindblad likely continues, with Lindblad developing into the lead driver.
Aston Martin
George Russell – Lance Stroll
Russell would be wise to move to Aston Martin if Verstappen moves to Mercedes.
Sadly, Stroll stays. Not because he’s a good driver (he actually sucks) but simply because daddy owns the team. What an absolute joke.
Williams
Carlos Sainz – Alex Albon
Both driver stuck in purgatory. 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.
Fortunately for Sainz and Albon, Williams are slowly improving, so they should just stay and hope for the best. If they are lucky, the team could have a McLaren-style revival under the new regulations.
Audi
Gabriel Bortoleto – Freddie Slater
The aging Hülkenberg is doing just fine, but 2027 could be his final season. Bortoleto probably stays, and the departure of the German makes room for Slater, one of racing’s finest talents.
Alpine
Leonardo Fornaroli – René Lammers
The most difficult lineup to predict. Alpine don’t have a strong youth academy, but they will have to bring in new drivers eventually.
Gasly could easily get fed up with the team after so many unsuccessful years. Colapinto is not a top talent. Alpine could bring in Fornaroli (or whoever wins F2 in 2026) along with another young talent, in this case we could see Briatore bringing in René Lammers, who performed very well in karting and would be 19 at the start of the 2028 season. But this is the most difficult one to predict.
Haas
Rafael Câmara – Kean Nakamura-Berta
Câmara is certainly bound for F1, and we have him debuting in 2027 already. Ocon is on a contract until the end of 2026, but Ocon has no upside, so Haas could replace him with another young driver when his contract expires.
Kean Nakamura-Berta is one of the biggest talents around. Perhaps 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.
Racing Bulls
Alex Dunne – Nikola Tsolov
These two drivers are already predicted for 2027. Unless one of them seriously disappoints, they will likely stay for 2028. Of course, it’s uncertain if they even get the chance in the first place. Anything could happen at Racing Bulls.
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, considering that the American team at least has some level of ambition. Gasly would also be a fairly attractive pilot for them.
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 F3 campaign, we know that Ugo is not at that level, but he is the best American talent around. So Cadillac might give him a shot, unless somebody else appears.
Out of F1
Esteban Ocon, Nico Hülkenberg, Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Pérez
In this prediction, we expect four new drivers to enter F1. This also means that four must leave, unless a new team enters the series.
Ocon might run out of motivation by 2028, especially if he continues to lose to Bearman in 26 and Câmara in 27.
Hülkenberg’s advanced age means that he is probably out by this time as well. Bottas and Pérez would also be too old (and too slow) at this point in time.