Aside from the drivers competing in various junior series, there are some respectable older drivers outside Formula One that could potentially perform well if given the chance.
Here is a ranking of the best available drivers (outside ladder series such as F2 and F3) who could be worth bringing into F1. Some of them are already affiliated with F1 teams as test drivers, but not currently as permanent race drivers.
To keep things simple, I’m only mentioning pilots who already have enough superlicense points and expressed the interest to participate in F1.
1. Yuki Tsunoda
The Japanese pilot had a tough year driving the oversteery Red Bull in 2025, and he received little support from the team. But he had a few decent seasons before that, and we know he can score points in a stable midfield car.
After all, he gained some ground on Pierre Gasly in his second season, then dominated Nyck de Vries, and he was slightly faster than both Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson in 2024.
Yuki is never going to be a top driver, but he could be a solid midfielder, and he deserves another chance in a different environment. If some of the older drivers (Alonso, Hamilton, Hülkenberg, Bottas) decide to retire in the near future, it’s possible that a seat could open up somewhere for Tsunoda.
2. Frederik Vesti
Vesti looked great in F2, and it’s a shame he hasn’t gotten the opportunity in F1 yet. There were talks of him joining Williams back in late 2023, but it ultimately didn’t happen.
The Dane maintains a good relationship with Mercedes and is officially their main reserve driver for 2026.
Being in this position makes him a more realistic option than other drivers currently outside F1: If anything happens to Russell or Antonelli, Vesti will be first in line to fill in. Given the opportunity of driving the 2026 Mercedes, he could realistically finish on the podium, and this could trigger some interest from other teams.
Mercedes could also loan him out if one of their customer teams have a temporary vacancy.
3. Jack Doohan
Doohan made too many mistakes in his few races driving for Alpine.
But his pace wasn’t terrible: He had qualifying sessions where he was close to Gasly in terms of lap times, and that’s pretty impressive, considering how strong Gasly is on Saturdays.
If Doohan had the full support of the team, had time to cut down on his blunders, and got the opportunity to learn for an entire year, he might have developed into a solid F1 driver. But Alpine didn’t have enough patience with him, so now he’s out.
Doohan, however, is the reserve driver of Haas. It’s not out of the question that he could be promoted eventually. Bearman might be up for a better seat in 2027, and Ocon has underperformed for quite some time.
4. Leonardo Fornaroli
He’s perhaps not the most flashy talent, but Fornaroli had plenty of strong performances in F2 and F3, so it’s strange to see that he didn’t obtain a seat. He could easily be a Bortoleto-level driver in F1.
Cadillac probably should have hired the Italian instead of Bottas. Alpine could have chosen him over Colapinto for this year. But ultimately, he didn’t get a seat.
Fornaroli is definitely a candidate to enter the grid in 2027. Currently, Fornaroli is the reserve driver of McLaren, but that’s probably a ticket to nowhere considering how stable McLaren’s lineup is. Fornaroli’s management should do everything possible to get into the Red Bull Junior Team since it’s currently void of talent.
5. Stoffel Vandoorne
The Belgian racer wasn’t bad in F1 and should have been given another chance. He was handed the worst possible cards by driving for McLaren in the team’s worst era, with the dominant Alonso as his teammate.
I believe Vandoorne’s potential would be around that of Gasly/Albon/Ocon; in other words, he would certainly be good enough for a midfield drive in F1. Had he been allowed to continue for McLaren in 2019, he might have had a Sainz-style revival. At this point, it’s probably too late to return, so his career will always be a what-if. Still, a lot of fans would still like to see him back, and he’s been affiliated with several teams as a reserve driver over the years, so the interest is there.
6. Felipe Drugovich
The Brazilian had an incredible campaign in his final F2 season. Drugovich should have been given a shot in F1. It’s unlikely to happen now, considering how many years have passed.
Previously, there was a chance that he could have filled in for Alonso or Stroll in a one-off, but that possibility seems gone now that Aston Martin have appointed Jak Crawford to the reserve role.
Still, Drugovich should talk to some teams and try to get a new reserve role somewhere.
7. Theo Pourchaire
Yet another driver who won F2 but did not obtain an F1 seat. He definitely had the potential to get a shot, but he wrongly signed up for the dead-end Sauber academy.
Pourchaire has been a bit of a disappointment in his other performances since then. However, based on some analytics, his potential could be close to that of Oscar Piastri’s 2023 level, so it would be interesting to see the Frenchman try his luck in F1. Sadly, like Drugovich, it’s probably too late now.
8. Antonio Giovinazzi
He beat Kimi Raikkonen in his final year driving for Alfa Romeo. And he’s still involved in F1 as the reserve and simulator driver for Ferrari.
Giovinazzi is great in the sim and could be a huge asset for any team entering the sport. He’s not a top-class driver, but he could be a solid stop-gap if the junior market looks unexciting. I believe he is a bit faster than Zhou, who is trying to get back into F1 with Cadillac. Giovinazzi would be a better option than Zhou in my opinion, although both are underwhelming.
Sadly, despite being the Ferrari reserve driver, he will likely not be called up in case of a driver absence – Oliver Bearman would be the preferred choice.
9. Kevin Magnussen
K-Mag is not too old to return, but he took a significant step back in performance during his final season with Haas. It’s possible that a team like Cadillac could use his experience, but they decided to go with Bottas and Pérez.
Magnussen has these rare, occasional highs where he achieves top performances out of nowhere – but on most occasions, he’s a below-average driver. That skill set can be acceptable for a backmarker team because it’s all about the upside for them. Plus the fact that Magnussen is a team player who will help out a teammate when asked to, and sometimes even on his own initiative.
10. Paul Aron
Third in the 2024 F2 season after F1 graduates Bortoleto and Hadjar. He has decent pace and is currently reserve driver for Alpine. If Alpine find him better than Colapinto and Dunne in the simulator, he could get a chance eventually. It’s unlikely to happen, but the Enstone team could do worse.
11. Mick Schumacher
He was roughly equal to Kevin Magnussen in terms of pace, but that’s not good enough to re-ignite an F1 career at this point. He was perhaps treated a bit unfairly at Haas, as he’s actually an okay driver – his management team unsuccessfully tried to get him back by testing for Alpine, but the team ultimately believed Doohan and Colapinto were better options. That doesn’t bode well for his future chances, but he should still be mentioned on this list.
12. Zhou Guanyu
He showed absolutely zero upside in his years in F1.
And the situation was just about perfect: Years of stability, a friendly experienced teammate to learn from, and a low-pressure environment. Yet, Zhou had almost nothing to show for it. He was average in F2, so calling his F1 performance “disappointing” is probably inaccurate, considering that there weren’t high expectations to begin with.
Zhou is desperately trying to get back into F1. His best hope is a one-off for Cadillac if something happens to Bottas or Perez, since he is the backup driver there. But even then, he won’t be able to show much in a backmarker car.
Other notes
Colton Herta was previously featured on the list, but he’s been removed since he is participating in the 2026 F2 season (and junior drivers are not mentioned here).
To learn more about the best young drivers trying to get into F1 in the future, check out this article!
