Red Bull: Arvid Lindblad and Isack Hadjar
As Max Verstappen has committed to staying at Red Bull next season, rumors will once again start to swirl about his departure after 2026. Considering the fact that the team have been falling steadily over the last season, the Dutchman may look to depart for a contender after assessing which teams are strong in the next era.
Isack Hadjar has already been deemed a future Red Bull driver, and he is the next one in the pipeline. As things stand, the French driver should get promoted heading into next season, as it looks unlikely that Yuki Tsunoda will be retained. Given the fact that Laurent Mekies and Hadjar have a good working relationship, it could be a partnership that lasts well into the next few seasons.
Arvid Lindblad is someone who has been in the spotlight since last season and is seen as a very talented driver, the same way Mercedes saw Kimi Antonelli over the last few years. The British driver has been excellent in Formula 2 and is due for a promotion to Racing Bulls next season. Further promotion for the 17-year-old appears to be contingent on the eventual departure of Verstappen, which has grown increasingly likely.
Williams: Alex Albon and Lewis Hamilton
Alex Albon has been the standout driver for Williams since he returned to Formula 1 in 2022. The Thai-British driver has been creating some miracles over the past few seasons in a rather inferior car and has handily outperformed Carlos Sainz Jr. this year. With the next era of regulations giving Williams a lot of upside, Albon should again be at the forefront of the team’s success.
Lewis Hamilton’s tenure at Ferrari has not gone to plan, and a repeat in 2026 could find the seven-time world champion wanting out. Hamilton could opt to return to a team powered by Mercedes, something with which he is very familiar, given the fact that he spent 18 seasons in a car powered by his former team. Additionally, Hamilton may be persuaded by James Vowles, a pairing that worked out very well at Mercedes until Vowles departed to take the team principal role at Williams.
Sainz has been underwhelming over the first 14 races this season and has been consistently outperformed by Albon. If the disparity between the two drivers continues into next season, it could just mean that the partnership between Sainz and Williams is not a great fit, and the Spanish driver could look elsewhere once his contract expires next season (and is ironically replaced by Hamilton again).