2026 F1 drivers and teams
The 2025 Formula 1 season has barely even got going yet, and we’re already talking about 2026. Makes sense really, when you consider we have two new teams preparing to line up on the grid, one of which will see the F1 grid expanded to 11 teams and 22 cars for the first time since 2016.
Cadillac’s confirmation as the 11th team in F1 is of course a huge development for the sport. Not only does it herald the arrival of a huge American manufacturer into the paddock, but it opens the door for two more drivers to break into F1. As to who those drivers will be, we have no idea just yet, but the rumour mill is already turning.
The Andretti link remains strong within this new Cadillac team, and Andretti Global’s IndyCar star Colton Herta has been linked with a move to F1 for 2026, while several names who have recently fallen off the grid, the likes of Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Pérez, Zhou Guanyu and Mick Schumacher, have all been touted as potential suitors.
Engine headlines: Renault out, Audi in
Next season will also see the long-awaited arrival of Audi as it completes its takeover of Sauber. We know the manufacturer has been busy developing its own engine since this purchase was announced back in 2022, so it will be interesting to see how quickly Audi can get up to speed at the beginning of a brand new set of regulations.
Despite a turbulent couple of years with several changes of personnel at the top of the team, Audi does at least have its driver line-up confirmed for 2026, with Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoletto confirmed to continue their current contracts next season.
In other engine news, Aston Martin will begin its own new partnership with Honda, becoming a works outfit for the first time with the Japanese engine supplier that was instrumental in Red Bull’s recent Championship success. Two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso and team-mate Lance Stroll are both contracted to remain with the team in 2026.
It’s almost as though engines are going to be the big talking point at the beginning of a brand-new set of regulations, a season that will see Renault leave the sport in all capacities for the first time since 1988. Having spent the 1990s as a Championship-winning engine supplier for Williams and Benetton, Renault bought the latter in the early 2000s and became a World Champion manufacturer in 2005 and 2006.
More success came with Red Bull in the early 2010s before a major decline has seen the brand fade out of the sport entirely since the introduction of the current hybrid powertrains, with Renault pulling the plug on its involvement entirely for 2026, leaving only the Alpine-branded team to fly the French flag.
Last bit of engine chat, promise, but Red Bull’s long-awaited collaboration with Ford begins in earnest in 2026, when the outcomes of a partnership that began in 2023 will become clear. Red Bull has endured its fair share of engine drama since the beginning of the hybrid era, that 2014 season was a dramatic fall from grace after four seasons of domination. Max Verstappen, himself now a four-time World Champion, will be hoping to avoid a repeat.
Which teams still have seats to fill?
It is of course extremely early to start talking about potential driver changes this soon into the 2025 season, but with eight spots currently left to be filled for 2026 there’s plenty of room for manoeuvre for current incumbents and hopefuls on the fringes.
Spots at Alpine, Cadillac, Mercedes, Racing Bulls and Red Bull are all yet to be confirmed, with the likes of Jack Doohan and Liam Lawson needing to prove their qualities to convince respective bosses to nail down their contracts for another season. Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar at Racing Bulls will remain under the spotlight in seats that are never truly safe under the watchful eye of Helmut Marko. Hadjar suffered the worst possible start to his F1 career, while Tsunoda must be wondering what he has to do to earn his chance at Red Bull.
Cadillac will of course be considering options from a whole host of potential suitors, while Mercedes seems most likely to stick with its current line-up of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, who both put in decent performances at the opening race in Melbourne.
The 2026 F1 grid
|
Team |
Engine |
Drivers |
|
Alpine |
Mercedes |
10. Pierre Gasly
|
|
Aston Martin |
Honda |
14. Fernando Alonso
|
|
Audi |
Audi |
5. Gabriel Bortoletto
|
|
Cadillac |
Ferrari |
TBC. TBC
|
|
Ferrari |
Ferrari |
16. Charles Leclerc
|
|
Haas |
Ferrari |
31. Esteban Ocon
|
|
McLaren |
Mercedes |
4. Lando Norris
|
|
Mercedes |
Mercedes |
TBC. TBC
|
|
Racing Bulls |
Red Bull Ford |
TBC. TBC
|
|
Red Bull |
Red Bull Ford |
33. Max Verstappen
|
|
Williams |
Mercedes |
23. Alex Albon
|
Images courtesy of Getty Images.
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