Alpine: Pierre Gasly and Alex Dunne
Flavio Briatore looked to bring this team back to its former glory and took a major step by dropping its in-house engine manufacturer in favor of Mercedes. With that being said, Alpine still view Pierre Gasly as vital to the team’s success. With the French driver’s contract set to end after next season, he may sign one more extension if the team recover well in 2026.
Alex Dunne is another future star to watch out for. A very strong contender for this season’s Formula 2 championship, the Irish driver has shown a lot of pace and aggression. Dunne was stunning in FP1 for the Austrian Grand Prix not long ago, finishing less than a tenth of a second behind Oscar Piastri.
Though the 19-year-old is still a McLaren junior driver, Zak Brown may approve his release if they do not change their lineup in any way, similarly to how Gabriel Bortoleto joined Sauber this season.
Cadillac: Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez
While reports have been conflicting over which direction Cadillac want their driver lineup to go in terms of experience or youth, it appears that Valtteri Bottas is set to drive for the grid’s newest team next season.
Having missed out on a seat this season, the Finnish driver boasts a strong record with lots of experience during his time at Williams and Mercedes, and that could lead to one more opportunity for the 35-year-old.
Sergio Perez is someone who also missed out on a seat this season and is looking for a way back. After a troublesome final season at Red Bull, Perez found himself dropped over the offseason. The Mexican driver has proven he can do very well in a decent car and has the experience Cadillac may value. Along with that, he brings plenty of sponsors, which could turn out to be an eye-catcher for the new team.