One of the most entertaining things to do as an F1 fan is to predict the driver lineup for the next season.
We update our predictions at regular intervals, although not after every race.
Last updated: 28 February 2025
McLaren
Lando Norris – Oscar Piastri
Unless there is infighting at McLaren in 2025, the Woking squad has no reason to change its strong driver lineup.
Red Bull
Max Verstappen – Yuki Tsunoda
Verstappen has a contract but could still change to another team if he so desires. But he’ll likely stay at Red Bull. Who will be the teammate? Tsunoda has not impressed so far, but replacing him with another second-tier driver would not make any difference either.
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc – Lewis Hamilton
These two top drivers are both contracted for 2026 and should stay.
Mercedes
George Russell – Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Unless Verstappen decides to drive for Brackley, Toto Wolff has no reason to change his lineup. Russell is already a proven top driver, and Antonelli could be the star of the future.
Williams
Carlos Sainz – Alex Albon
Sadly, neither of these two drivers will be able to find a spot at a better team, so Williams will probably retain its lineup. Great news for the team as it projects to be the strongest midfield driver pairing in terms of racepace.
Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso – Lance Stroll
Aston Martin could be a top team in 2026 with Honda engines and Newey’s input, so this is a lineup to watch out for. We think they will keep Alonso and Stroll. Only signing Verstappen would change that, and in that case, the question would be which of its two current drivers would be replaced.
Alpine
Pierre Gasly – Sergio Pérez
A bit of an uninspired lineup, but Gasly is very solid. Doohan and Colapinto have both been disappointments, so Alpine could go for Pérez who doesn’t seem like a bad choice anymore, given how other drivers have struggled even more in that second Red Bull car.
Haas
Esteban Ocon – Oliver Bearman
Haas likes to keep stability in its lineup. Ocon is a great choice for the American team. Bearman has performed very well given his age, plus he seems to have a fairly long leash due to his Ferrari connection.
Racing Bulls
Isack Hadjar – Arvid Lindblad
Hadjar has put in some strong performances and definitely belongs in F1. The question is whether he will be promoted to the main team, which could actually destroy his career, or if they let him continue to develop at Racing Bulls. We believe Helmut Marko is wise enough to keep Hadjar in his current spot. It’s also obvious that Lindblad will be the next big Red Bull talent, so he’ll get a seat in 2026 for sure.
Audi
Nico Hülkenberg – Gabriel Bortoleto
Hülkenberg will almost certainly be retained as he is under contract. We believe Bortoleto could be snatched by a stronger team if he improves throughout the year, but it’s more likely he will stay as Sauber turns into Audi.
Cadillac
Valtteri Bottas – Alex Dunne
This one is difficult to project. Cadillac prefers Sergio Pérez, but the Mexican may find a better seat elsewhere. They could end up going for an experienced driver and a young one. Bottas wants to return to F1, while Dunne is the current F2 leader. This would be an interesting lineup for the new team.
Out of F1: Liam Lawson, Jack Doohan, Franco Colapinto
Check out our 2027 silly season article next!