New regulations, an eleventh team, and thrilling driver shuffles redefine the 2026 grid. Discover who's in, who's out, and the predictions shaping the season.
The 2026 season is bringing big changes, with new regulations and new teams. 2026 will be an interesting season as we see the drivers and the teams adjust and become accustomed to the changes that the new regulations are bringing. Along with that, there is also an 11th team coming to the grid in Cadillac, and with that comes space for two more drivers on track. For regulation changes go to How the FIA 2026 Regulation changes reshape the entire grid by Michelle Avalos.
Many teams are keeping their driver lineup the same going into the 2026 season. McLaren and Ferrari have both of their drivers on multi year deals with end dates around 2026 or 2027 though that is unconfirmed. Mercedes recently resigned both of their drivers on deals that run through 2026 and the first season of new regulations. Other teams that are staying with their current duo is Williams, Aston Martin, Haas, and Sauber (becoming Audi next season).
The sister teams of Redbull and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls (VCARB) are the biggest unknown when it comes to who their drivers will be. Max Verstappen is the only confirmed driver between the two teams with a contract that runs through 2028 and recent confirmation from Max himself. The other three seats are up in the air with four options being tossed around. Isack Hadjar, currently on a one year deal with VCARB, has performed incredibly this year in his rookie season and is predicted to be the one to line up next to Max in the second Redbull seat next season. This would leave Yuki Tsnoda without a seat after he was called up to Redbull after the second race of the season. Where he would go if this was the case is unknown. Liam Lawson is the other VCARB driver, and is also on a one year deal. He originally started the season in Redbull but was sent back down to VCARB after 2 races. Though since the demotion, his performance has been much better, likely securing him another season with VCARB. The person talked about the most for the second VCARB seat is Arvid Lindblad, an 18 year old currently racing in F2 and a part of the Redbull Junior Team.
Alpine is another team that hasn’t released much of their plans for their drivers next season. Pierre Gasly is confirmed and his contract runs through at least 2028, but the second seat is still up for grabs. Franco Colapinto is the current second driver and is on a race by race contract. Colapinto is currently 20th in the World Driver’s Championship with zero points. The only person below him is his predecessor, Jack Doohan, who Colapinto replaced earlier this season. If Colapinto does not keep his seat, the next most likely choice is Paul Aron who is currently one of their reserve drivers.
Cadillac is joining the grid next season as the 11th team. They have brought on two familiar faces to be their drivers for their first season in F1; Sergio Perez, who last drove for Redbull but was dropped ahead of the 2025 season, and Valtteri Bottas, who last drove for Sauber. Bringing on experienced drivers is definitely a smart decision while the team adjusts to the world of Formula One.