By Luke Barras
A Look At The 22 Drivers and 11 Teams Taking Part In The 2026 Formula One Season
2026 will see a lot of change in Formula One, with Audi becoming the latest team to take to the grid whilst new cars and the scraping of the Drag Reduction System (DRS) is due to come into affect.
Meanwhile, the introduction of Audi to the list of teams in Formula One means an extra two spots are available to potential drivers, taking the number of drivers up to 22, up two from 2025’s figures.
With this in mind, and with the full roster now complete for next year’s season, this article aims to give a summary of each driver.
McLaren
McLaren are the 2024 and 2025 Formula One Constructors Champions with the team winning the latter with six races of the season still to go. Going into the 2026 campaign, the side will have Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri as their two drivers.
But, as is the case for all sides, the new car regulations could pose trouble to a back-to-back-to-back challenge in the Constructors race. However, we will not find the possibility of McLaren winning another Constructors title until the start of the season.
Lando Norris
Currently sitting top of the Formula One World Championship by 12 points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi, Lando Norris will be entering his eighth year as a McLaren Formula One Team driver, having been with the team since the start of the 2019 season.
Having previously finished as a runner-up to Max Verstappen in the 2024 Championship and, with the possibility of winning this year’s Championship, Norris could be one of the main names in the sport coming into next season.
Oscar Piastri
As Norris’ teammate, Oscar Piastri has challenged for the 2025 Drivers’ Championship although now looks unlikely to win the Championship going into the final race of the season. But, even with this, Piastri looks certain to finish inside the top three of the Drivers’ Championship this season.
The Australian will be entering his fourth season as a McLaren driver, having started with the team in the 2023 season. As with Norris, Piastri could be one of the main faces in the sport heading into the next season.
Mercedes
Currently sitting second in the Constructors Championship as the 2025 season concludes, Mercedes will line-up with the same two drivers as the current season with both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli due to drive for the team next season.
As previous Constructors Championship winners, the team could look to reclaim their title in the 2026 campaign.
George Russell
George Russell will be entering his fifth season as a driver for Mercedes following his time at Williams, which spanned three seasons.
With previous finishes of fourth, eighth, sixth, and fourth (pending the results of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix), Russell could enter the 2026 Championship with aims of finishing in the top three of the Drivers Championship. But, this is dependent on the strength that Mercedes bring to the new campaign.
Kimi Antonelli
Entering his second season as a Mercedes driver, Kimi Antonelli may look to improve on his seventh place finish in the 2025 Drivers Championship heading into the 2026 Championship.
The Italian, who has achieved pole positions and podium finishes during his rookie season, will be vital if Mercedes are to reclaim their crown in the Constructor’s Championship.
Furthermore, with new regulations, Antonelli could look at 2026 as a new challenge and as an opportunity to climb the Drivers Championship.
Red Bull Racing
Red Bull are third in the Constructor’s Championship heading into the final race at Abu Dhabi and could look to climb to second with a good performance in the upcoming season.
But, with new regulations and changes in the team occurring during the 2025 season with Christan Horner departing as Team Principal, the 2026 season could also be seen as a fresh start and an opportunity to climb to the top of the Constructor’s Championship.
For the 2026 season, Red Bull Racing will line-up with the duo of Max Verstappen and Issac Hadjar.
Max Verstappen
Entering the season as a guaranteed four-time Formula One World Champion, and potentially a five-time Formula One World Champion, Max Verstappen has rose to the top of the world of Formula One in the last decade.
Furthermore, with challenges throughout, Verstappen has proved himself at the very top of the sport and will be entering his tenth full year as a Formula One driver for the team.
Issac Hadjar
Unlike Verstappen, Issac Hadjar has not won any Formula One World Championships. However, as a partner to the four-time world champion, Hadjar will have the opportunity to learn from one of the very best in the sport.
Meanwhile, he will be entering a new full season with the team and could be essential if the team are to climb to the very top of the Constructor’s Championship again.
But, with experience only with Racing Bulls, questions could arise about the driver’s ability to challenge with Verstappen at the top of the Drivers Championship.
Ferrari
Ferrari currently sit fourth in the Constructor’s Championship ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc sitting in the two driver’s spots for the race.
Furthermore, for the 2026 season, the team will line-up with the same two drivers as, with new car regulations, the team strive to improve on their current Constructor’s position.
Charles Leclerc
Entering Formula One as a Sauber driver for one year before becoming a Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc has remained at the team since and will be entering his eighth season as a driver for the Italian team and currently sits fifth in the Drivers Championship for the 2025 campaign.
With a higher position in mind, Leclerc could use the upcoming 2026 season to challenge higher in the Championship and move closer to a first World Championship as a Formula One driver having previously won the Formula Two Championship prior to moving up to highest level of the sport.
Lewis Hamilton
As potentially the Greatest of All Time in Formula One, Lewis Hamilton will be entering his second season at Ferrari following his debut year at the side in 2025.
Hamilton, who has won the Formula One World Championship seven times, could be looking to add an eighth in the upcoming campaign.
But, with drivers such as Leclerc, Verstappen, and Norris challenging alongside him for the title, the British driver will have to put in hard work and will have to show determination to win the Championship.
Williams
Williams sit sixth in the Constructors Championship currently and likely will finish in this position at the end of the season. But, for the team, attention is likely to be heavily focused on the 2026 campaign as the winter period approaches.
For the 2026 Formula One World Championship, Williams will line-up with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, the same two drivers who took part in this season’s races for the team.
Alex Albon
Entering his fifth season as a Williams driver, Alex Albon could have his eyes on finishing even higher in the Drivers’ Championship than he is currently sat.
Having previously been at Red Bull and Torro Rosso, Albon has achieved many top five finishes this season and may look to add more points to his total next year through doing the same thing.
Carlos Sainz
As a previous Ferrari driver, Carlos Sainz will be entering his second year at Williams. But, with this year the final one in his current two year contract with the team, the 2026 season could be one where the Spaniard is fighting for his future seat.
However, with race victories with Ferrari under his belt previously, Sainz may look to emulate the form of the past and progress in the team throughout the course of the next season.
Racing Bulls
Racing Bulls is the sister team of Red Bull Racing, where drivers such as Max Verstappen have developed before moving up to the main Red Bull team.
Furthermore, with new regulations, the team could look to improve on their current sixth place finish in the Constructor’s Championship in the coming season.
Ahead of the campaign, the team have named Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, who will be entering Formula One for the first time, as the two drivers who will race for the team.
Liam Lawson
Having previously been at Racing Bulls during the 2025 season, Liam Lawson will be part of a fifth Formula One season in his career.
But, as he is racing at Racing Bulls, Lawson will have the opportunity to prove himself to the Red Bull Racing team whilst also climbing further up the Drivers’ Championship.
However, with a shaky 2025 Championship, the driver could also look for stability in the 2026 season.
Arvid Lindblad
Entering Formula One as the youngest-ever Briton to race at the top level of motorsport, Arvid Lindblad was in Formula Two for 2025 and even won the Sprint race in April.
For Lindblad, racing for Racing Bulls could provide him with both an opportunity to prove himself and to also, potentially, progress to the Red Bulls Racing team in the future should he progress well in Formula One next season.
Aston Martin
For the 2026 season, Aston Martin will be working with Honda. This, combined with new car regulations and a potential want to improve, 2026 could offer the opportunity to improve as a team and to power themselves further up the Constructor’s Championship.
Ahead of the season, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll have been confirmed as the two drivers who will race in the newly refined Aston Martin cars for the campaign.
Fernando Alonso
As one of the more experienced drivers in the Formula One roster, Fernando Alonso (now aged 44), will enter his fourth year as an Aston Martin Formula One driver.
Furthermore, having been with Stroll for each of these four years, the driver partnership is now arguably more experienced and could be beneficial to each other throughout the course of next season.
Lance Stroll
Lance Stroll, son of Lawrence Stroll (who has a significant stake in the company), will be in his eighth year at the team in 2026 and may look to improve once again in the season.
His efforts will be essential if Aston Martin are to improve on their Constructor’s Championship position from the 2025 campaign.
Haas
As the side currently sitting eighth in the Constructor’s Championship, 2026 is arguably an opportunity to improve and push themselves into the heart of the midfield battle.
In their efforts to do this, the team have appointed Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon as the two drivers who will drive for the team.
Oliver Bearman
Since making his debut in the 2025 Formula One season, Oliver Bearman has scored his first points whilst establishing himself in the roster.
But, for Bearman, 2026 could offer the opportunity to prove himself to the rest of the Formula One world and to also, potentially, prove himself to other interested teams in Formula One for the future.
Esteban Ocon
Esteban Ocon has had spells at several teams including Alpine and now Haas.
For Ocon, 2026 will be the second year in his multi-year contract with the team and, as with Bearman, could offer another opportunity for improvement and proving himself to others.
Alpine
Alpine are currently last in the Constructor’s Championship following a largely unsuccessful 2025 Championship.
In a bid to improve this in the 2026 campaign, Alpine have put Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto as the team’s two drivers for the season.
Pierre Gasly
Pierre Gasly’s time at Alpine will be entering its fourth season in 2026 with him extending his contract until the end of the 2028 season.
Therefore, for Gasly, the 2026 Championship could be impressing under his new contract whilst also improving Alpine’s position as well as his own in the Championship rankings.
Franco Colapinto
As a former Williams driver, Franco Colapinto will be entering his third season in Formula One and second with Alpine during the 2026 campaign.
The Argentine, who went through Formula Three and Formula Two before entering Formula One, may look to improve on the zero points that he has scored in 2025 so far in the 2026 season.
But, to do this, Alpine will need to provide the driver with the right amount of support.
Cadillac
As one of two new names in Formula One for 2026, Cadillac will look to prove themselves in the top level of motorsport as a constructor.
Furthermore, for Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, racing for the team in 2026 offers the chance to race for a new team and the chance to put Cadillac in a competitive position for their first season in Formula One.
Valtteri Bottas
Formerly at Mercedes, Valtteri Bottas will be re-entering Formula One for the first time since 2024 having taken a year out of the driving aspect of the sport and becoming a reserve driver for Mercedes.
For Bottas, driving for Cadillac could be a chance to establish himself on the main stage of Formula One again as he enters, arguably, the final years of his career.
As well as this, his efforts could be vital to Cadillac succeeding in their first Formula One season.
Sergio Perez
Most well-known for his time at Red Bull Racing, Sergio Perez will occupy the second driving position at Cadillac.
For Perez, as with Bottas, the driving opportunity could be another chance to establish himself at the top level of motorsport once again and to bring Cadillac more success in their first year in the sport.
Audi
Audi are the second new name to enter Formula One for the 2026 season, with the team set to takeover from the existing
Sauber team in the top level of motorsport.
For the 2026 season, the team will have Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto racing for the side and may look to establish themselves in the Constructor’s Championship.
Nico Hulkenberg
Having spent 2025 with Sauber, Nico Hulkenberg will drive for Audi in 2026 in the team’s first season in the sport.
For Hulkenberg, improvement and stability could be key aims. But, in order to achieve these goals, Audi will need to provide the driver with the correct things.
Gabriel Bortoleto
Gabriel Bortoleto is the second driver who will drive for Audi in the 2026 season.
The Brazilian has been unable to pick up any points during the 2025 campaign and points could be a key aim for driver during the 2026 campaign.
@Joe Murphy
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