My 2027 Formula 1 Driver Lineup Predictions

With a bit of a lull period in Formula 1 due to the cancellations of both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix’s, we all need something to talk about! Luckily for you, the start of the season was so chaotic that I never got to make my 2027 F1 Driver Lineup Predictions, so what better time is there to release them than now?! If you’ve been here for a while, you’ll know that this list is always ordered from most to least confident, meaning my worst prediction is usually saved for last! Let’s get cracking!

Credit: F1

McLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

No matter what happens, I always tend to start this list by saying that McLaren will retain both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for another season! There’s literally no reason for McLaren to change their lineup, with both Lando and Oscar proving themselves to be great racing drivers over recent seasons! Also, I can’t see where either driver would go if they were to leave McLaren; there are no seats available at the other top teams, so Norris and Piastri look set to remain in Papaya for a while to come!

Mercedes: George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Mercedes are most likely going to enter 2027 as both the reigning Drivers’ and Constructors' World Champions, meaning that there is absolutely no reason as to why either George Russell or Andrea Kimi Antonelli would leave them! We know Kimi Antonelli is not just the future of Mercedes, but potentially the now, whilst George Russell’s consistency has made him one of the best drivers on the entire grid over the past couple of seasons! The talk of Max Verstappen switching to the Silver Arrows seems to have also quietened down, so Russell and Antonelli will remain for at least 2027!

Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton

I know that there are always rumours when it comes to Charles Leclerc, as to whether this is finally going to be the year when he leaves Ferrari! However, let’s be honest, Charles is far too loyal to the Scuderia, and also, where would he go anyway? The seat that’s more likely to be at risk is the one currently occupied by Lewis Hamilton, a seat I very much could’ve seen him losing had 2026 been the same story as 2025! However, by the looks of it, Lewis seems to be much happier with this generation of cars, to the point where I think he could stick around for a couple more years yet!

Cadillac: Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez

Cadillac is the first team where I could potentially see a change happening, with Colton Herta firmly being built up to take a full-time Formula 1 seat in the future! However, right now, Colton is competing in Formula 2 in order to earn enough super license points to compete in Formula 1, a task that may take him a bit of time! Also, I see no harm in Herta having a second season in F2, or at the very least a full-time Reserve Driver Role! Cadillac are trying to grow, and I don’t see how having either Valtteri Bottas or Sergio Perez for just one season benefits either the team or the drivers themselves! Cadillac should stick with Bottas and Checo until they’re truly ready to take the next step!

Audi: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto

I’ve done a lot of thinking when it comes to Audi’s 2027 lineup, mostly because there are good arguments in both directions as to whether both Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto remain at the team for a third season. See, on one side, Nico and Gabby are a really good teammate pairing, two drivers that will push each other forward, whilst helping the team progress also. However, on the other hand, if other seats become available, there’s no reason why one of these two couldn’t jump ship to another team, especially Bortoleto! For now, I will say that Audi will stick with Hulkenberg and Bortoleto, but I think that’s more of a decision of the drivers than the team itself!

Alpine: Pierre Gasly and Liam Lawson

The first driver change that I am confident about regards Alpine and Franco Colapinto! Franco Colapinto’s performances last season probably weren’t enough for him to merit a spot on the 2026 Grid, but a healthy financial backing meant it made more sense for Alpine to stick with Franco for another season! However, with Alpine seemingly having a far better package than in 2025, Colapinto has nowhere to hide in comparison to his teammate, Pierre Gasly, which is why I see Alpine having no choice but to look elsewhere for the future! In fairness, both Paul Aron and Alex Dunne are decent shouts to earn a promotion to a full-time seat, but even then, I feel like there are better options elsewhere, which is why I’m going to say that Liam Lawson will make the switch to pink and blue! I firmly expect Liam Lawson to continue his strong start to the new season throughout 2026, and yet, I still don’t think that will be enough for him to return to the main Red Bull team! As a result, Liam will probably look elsewhere, and just like Pierre Gasly, I could see that spot being at Alpine! There’s obviously a very strong chance that this doesn’t happen, but it’s the move that makes the most sense to me!

Haas: Oliver Bearman and Rafael Camara

Now this would be one heck of an exciting lineup! Firstly, I’ve got Oliver Bearman to stay at Haas for a third season, but that’s only because I don’t see a seat becoming available at Ferrari! In a similar way to George Russell’s time at Williams, Ollie is just going to have to stay patient for a little while longer! As for his teammate, there’s no doubt that Esteban Ocon has been second best in the Haas teammate head-to-head battle, but I don’t feel like that means that Esteban is a poor driver; it just means that Bearman is damn good! The problem for Ocon is the fact that both Toyota and Ferrari are big influences in the Haas team, and I could see one of those parties pushing for one of their drivers to replace Estie Bestie! Out of all of the options, Rafael Camara feels like the most logical choice, especially if he wins F3 and F2 back-to-back! I do feel like Ferrari want a second team, and given the former Kick Sauber have parted ways during their full Audi rebrand, Haas feels like the only option for Ferrari to put their two young stars in a competitive car!

Williams: Alex Albon and Luke Browning

One of the biggest challenges this year with predicting next season’s driver lineups is that you also have to try and predict where each team is going to be at the end of this season! Williams are a great example of a team having a bit of a shocker right now, but it’s unclear as to just how long that’s going to last! Either way, I think something will come up that is just too good for Carlos Sainz to turn down, especially if Williams continue to underdeliver! Now, I do expect Alex Albon to remain with the team due to him being with them for so long, whilst their second driver option feels perfect! Luke Browning has had one heck of a Junior Formula Career; that kid has talent, and there’s definitely a reason as to why Williams sent him to Super Formula this year (just look at Pierre Gasly and Liam Lawson in the past)! Whilst Williams definitely don’t want to lose Carlos, at least Browning is an exciting prospect!

Racing Bulls: Arvid Lindblad and Ayumu Iwasa

I would be surprised if Red Bull were to promote Arvid Lindblad to the main team after one season; he’s very young, and I can’t see him being as amazing as Isack Hadjar was last year! However, Arvid should still have a positive Rookie Year, and he’ll definitely slot into Racing Bulls’ lead driver role if Liam Lawson departs at season’s end! Now, as for the second VCARB seat, Nikola Tsolov will get it if he wins Formula 2, but I don’t expect that to happen! I also don’t expect Yuki Tsunoda to return; that wouldn’t make sense for his career! So, I’ve gone back to what I said in 2025 and picked Ayumu Iwasa! Why? Because I’d very much like to see this! On a serious note, Ayumu is one of those drivers who were unfortunate not to get a shot in Formula 1, but he’s coming off the back of winning the 2025 Super Formula Title! If Iwasa was to win that again, I can’t see how Red Bull could ignore him anymore, especially as he currently stands as Racing Bulls’ Reserve Driver! Make it happen VCARB!

Red Bull: Isack Hadjar and Carlos Sainz

Yes, your eyes do not deceive you; I am predicting that Max Verstappen won’t be at Red Bull in 2027! In fact, I’ll do you one better and say that Max won’t be on the grid at all! It’s pretty simple, really; Verstappen is not enjoying these cars in the slightest, whilst Red Bull also aren’t competitive enough (right now) to keep him interested! Now, whatever happens with Max, I do expect Isack Hadjar to remain at the main team moving forward; he’s started 2026 on a decent note, and I think he’s got more than enough going for him for Red Bull to want to keep him for years to come! But yes, I know you’re wondering about why I’ve put Carlos Sainz as his teammate, but that simply comes down to two things. Firstly, Williams are not good enough right now, and there’s no way that someone of Sainz’s ability should be as low down the order as he is! Secondly, if Verstappen was to leave Formula 1 at the end of the season, Carlos Sainz is the best driver on the grid that isn’t contracted to a Top 3 team, meaning he’s the best choice for Red Bull. And finally, losing Max Verstappen would be a seismic blow for RBR, but at least Sainz’s marketability is top-tier!

Aston Martin: Esteban Ocon and Yuki Tsunoda

Yep, I’ve decided to end this article with absolute chaos! Right now, Aston Martin are the worst team on the entire grid, even behind Cadillac, so why would anyone want to go to them? On top of that, why would either of their current drivers want to stay with them? Fernando Alonso’s time in the sport is coming to an end, and I don’t envision Aston sorting out their issues for a while, to the point where there’s no reason for Alonso to stick around, as sad as that would be! Then there’s Lance Stroll, who is clearly not enjoying driving in Formula 1 right now, with his debut in GT Racing this weekend being quite telling! I actually think that Lance will do quite well in other categories; I feel like the talented driver inside of him is very much waiting to come out again! So, if two seats become available, the question is who is going to take them! The one that makes the most sense to me is Yuki Tsunoda, simply because of the Honda connection! If no top-level drivers have any interest in going to Aston Martin, then Honda putting Yuki in one of their seats feels pretty straightforward! As for the second seat, Jak Crawford is definitely a viable option; I’d honestly quite like to see that, but I’ve seen this story before with Felipe Drugovich! Then there’s Leonardo Fornaroli, the current back-to-back F2 and F3 Champion, who also deserves a seat on the grid. However, just like with Crawford, I can’t see Fornaroli getting the seat, as I think Aston Martin will continue to go down the experienced route! Now, whilst he isn’t a former World Champion, Esteban Ocon is a former Race Winner, which means he fits with Aston’s mentality of wanting a driver that’s tasted success before! Esteban would also still only be 30, so it’s not like he’s an old driver, and I’d say that Ocon is a better driver than Tsunoda! All of this could be totally wrong; Aston could start being competitive again with both Alonso and Stroll, but colour me surprised if that was to happen!