P1 with Matt and Tommy - Predicting the 2026 F1 Driver Line-Ups

Episode Date: April 9, 2023

How different will the F1 grid look when the new regulations hit in 2026? We go through all ten teams and predict what their driver line-ups will be in three years time.Follow us on socials! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and TikTok.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello everybody and welcome back to the P-1 podcast with Matt and Tommy. We are here for a look into the future where we try and decide what on earth the 2026 grid will look like. Now, of course, huge regulation changes going into that year. So I also think there's going to be a lot of changes in the driver lineups by then. Tom Bellingham, you're here. you're not feeling very well so we might be doing this podcast in about 12 to 13 different takes

but hopefully you will survive. Hopefully I will survive. Yeah, this is going to be an interesting prediction because when I was going through my drivers, I feel like a lot, sometimes you can quite easily do too many kind of crazy changes but I do genuinely think there will be so many changes even that's only three years away

because of you're going to have some big players retiring. There's going to be a regulation change. You're going to have a new team as well. Yeah, it's going to be big. Yeah, and maybe even teams being sold, for example, like Alfatari, maybe, who knows? This is three years from now. When I was putting my predictions together,

I was like, are there actually going to be any team that's going to be the same? And I don't think I've actually done that. So it's going to be fascinating to see what we've both gone for. Before we get into it, though, we have our five-star review if you want to get involved and have your review read out. All you've got to do is go give us five stars and tell us why you love this podcast. This one is from CalmV. Your passion is contagious. I am an American who started watching F1 from Drive to Survive.

I root for Hass because at one time they were the only American team on the grid. I will say it's tough being a Haas fan. A Haas fan. I do love your knowledge of the rules and I look forward to your breakdowns. Being a rookie to the sport, it's nice to get some context as to why things happen. Keep it up, guys. I will keep listening. Thank you very much, Kambi.

I appreciate it from the United States of America. Love to have you here. Now, let's get into Williams. My line up for Williams in 2026 is Alex Albin and Frederick Vestey. Or Frederick Bestie, as he may well be known as. Of course, we've got Esty Besty, Esty Vestey, whatever. it's going to be great if he's on the grid as well. Of course, Frederick Vestey, he's currently racing in Formula 2.

He has the ties with Mercedes. And I genuinely feel, unless we have some absolute rocket ships coming through in Formula 3 and even more junior formula than that, we could have a Formula 1 driver currently that's not on our radar in F2 or F3, because we've got three years before this actually comes to fruition. But I think Frederick Vesciproven. he's kind of been slightly in the wings for a little while, especially with Mercedes. And of course, with Williams having a Mercedes engine, there are some small ties there. So I think alongside Alex Albon, who as much as I think he is a great driver and he has got great potential to deliver in a underperforming car,

I just don't know whether that stint at Red Bull will actually stop him from ever getting that big moment again. not to say that Williams can't take steps forward themselves. Maybe being the number one driver at Williams is actually what he wants to be. So no disrespect to Alvin, but I feel like he might still be there in three years. Interesting. I have gone for Logan Sargent and Frederick Vestey. No way. I know.

I mean, I think the thing is there's obviously something in our brains that Mercedes tie in with, you know, they like to stick like Mercedes Jr. in there. do I think that Vestie is going to be the next George Russell? No. I don't think he's going to like absolutely fly through the rankings and make his way to the big team at Mercedes quickly like a George. But I'll be perfectly honest. I was going through the grid and I needed to promote someone from F2

and he seemed like the kind of person that would jump up. Yeah. I think there's going to be a lot of if you watch Formula 2, there's going to be a lot of names cropping into. this Formula One grid because there is a very aging Formula One driver lineup from some of some of these big names, of course, that may well have hung up their boots come 2026. So yeah, interesting. We both have Vestey.

Let's see if that comes true. I can't wait for this prediction for both of us to be so far wrong. I reckon there's a chance that we get none of these right. Even the drivers that are staying at their team may well have moved on just purely to make sure our predictions are washed. We now move on to Alpha Tauri, where I have gone for, Yuma Ouasa and Gabriel Bortoletto.

Now, I will be completely honest and say that I had no idea who Gabriel was until I went on to Google and checked what Formula 3 were doing. I can be completely honest and say, I haven't been checking what Formula 3 have been up to. But he's doing very well, and has had a couple of feature race wins already.

And I think very quickly, if you start to have those kind of performances, you get onto a Formula One team's radar. So potentially he's a Brazilian and he's doing incredibly well. So if he can keep that up, he'll very quickly move up to Formula 2 and then potentially Formula 1 if he keeps up that kind of form. And Iwasa, he's got ties with Red Bull.

Weather 20, 26, he might even be in the top team. We'll have to wait and see. But he's starting to perform in Formula 2. It's not his debut year, but he's still very much not a veteran of Formula 2. he's not in his 10th season or something. He's still learning, but it's, yeah, it's one that I can also see if he keeps up this decent streak

because he won the last four and two feature race. Yeah, so my Al-Fatari lineup is an all-Japanese lineup of Iwasa and Sonoda. And, yeah, I can see Awasa. I think he's the most exciting Red Bull prospect at the moment coming through. I can see him getting promoted. And I'll just add an extra little prediction into this and say that I reckon Alpha Tauri at this point might not to be Alpha Tauri and potentially even maybe some kind of like Honda, not a works team, but a kind of Japanese team to help

with Honda and because they've obviously they're going to supply engines in this new era, but currently they didn't have anyone to supply because Red Bull had gone off to Ford. So I'm going for an all Japanese team with Iwasa and San Francisco. I think that particular lineup could even be next year at this rate if Iwasa does keep performing. And if the rate doesn't. Yeah, and that's the difficulty as well is, so will they have the same line up for three years? Like this is this is 2026 we're talking about here, which is quite a few years down the line. So you still reckon Sonoda locked in Alphotauri forever?

I think what I'm going with here is it's the fact that it's a. team change and is not necessarily, I don't feel like it's going to be quite so much of a, this is the team that you have to go to before you get Red Bull. And it's all about going to Red Bull. So I think he will be an experience sort of driver for that team. So I don't think it's an insult to sort of say that he's going to still be there on that team. Well, it might be an insult if they continue to be as slow as they currently are with that car.

Alpha Taur used to be decent. But yes, they've gone backwards. this year. We now go to Audi, of course, the new team for 2026, kind of. And I've gone for Lando Norris and Teo Porcere, as my two drivers that will be racing for Audi. I feel as though, again, Porcay is kind of one of those top Formula 2 drivers that I could see getting into Formula 1 at some point.

again, he might well dip into another team to begin with, but I feel as though maybe Audi might be an opportunity for a young driver to hone their skills. Lando Norris will have a few more years under his belt, and you can't really see him as a young talent at that stage. So yeah, I think those two could be quite an interesting pairing if they get him together, but this is literally, as you might well know and can hear from our voices, an absolute punt.

So yeah, we'll see. But poor chair, I can see him being in Formula One at some point. And I think 2026, he'll definitely be in somewhere. And he is with that junior team as such, even if it's a different name. So for Audi, I've gone completely different, which people will be happy to hear. And gone for Carlos Sites and Mick Schumacher. Now, yes, it's quite a left-field prediction. particularly Mick Schumacher, who I've not been particularly kind to about his driving abilities.

And I do think there's something to be said about how Magnuson is performing now at Hath, maybe question that he wasn't ready. But maybe it was just a fact that he wasn't ready. And I do think Audi will want maybe a German headline name in there. And then Carlos Sainz, I just feel like that could happen at Audi. we've gone for the different sidal reunion. You've gone for Orlando. I've gone for Carlos.

So yeah, this is this kind of lineup here, Audi is fascinating. We've both gone for them essentially getting rid of Bottas and Joe when they move in, whether Bottas will retire and Joe move on. But yeah, it's going to be, will Audi be a big enough draw by 2026 that they can get a big name in. That's, I think, the thing that's going to be fascinating. Yeah, and I'm not convinced, obviously,

as you can tell, obviously, Lando is the big name, and there is clearly some foundations being laid down there with Seidel moving over early, and I can see that that link would definitely appeal to Lando. That second driver, I just don't, I think they will go for a younger talent to nurture in that spot. So we shall see. We now go to HASS.

I have gone for, and I had to remind myself this man wasn't too old. Kevin Magnerson and Arthur LeCler as my Hasse line-up for 2026. K-Mag is 30 years old, and I keep thinking he's 35 at the least. I think it's the facial hair. I don't know. But I had to remind myself that he would not be retiring. So I still think as though, and I'm not convinced Hasse will even be on the grid in 20, 26. That's another question that you just don't know because they always seem to be,

maybe this year, next year, they're always kind of scraping by. But out of LeClaire, of course, there's that Ferrari link with the engine. So I thought, look, maybe he'll come into Formula One and join Hass and then KMAG. Yeah, I've just realized that, hmm, no, I've just realized on the spot that I've retired. Yeah, no, to be fair, Nika Holkenberg, I think he would have come up his boots by then. Yeah, be 37, 38, yeah. I think he's, I think he's 35 now. So yeah, 38 maybe.

Yeah. Yeah, I've just realized that on the spot, but I'm now convinced that that's still going to happen and Nico will have a few years and then bin it off. Even though it's weird to think the Magnuson is that much younger than Niko because it doesn't feel like that's the case. It feels the other way around. Yeah.

Yeah. Let it, video listeners, let it sink in that I am four years older than Kevin Magnuson. And I'm the same age. Yeah. But then I look older than you. so I don't know what that says. So for Hasse, I've gone very left field and gone for Sergio Perez

and Andrea Kimmy Antelotti, Antonetti, Antonelli. Let's try that again. What was that? Let me turn this here off. I'm getting warm now. No, go on. What was that?

What was the name? This is all staying in, by the phone. Andrea, I know, it should stay in. Andrea Kimmy Antonelli. Sorry. Okay. Do you want to give some some background? Yeah, so he's currently doing the junior formulas in like the regional series.

He's got a lot of hype around him. He's a Mercedes young driver. And yeah, I feel like he could make his way up. And again, I feel like they need, they're going to need a young driver in there. So he'll be about 20 at this point. And Sergio Perez, I just see them having a kind of experienced driver. And obviously I believe that Sergio won't be at Red Bull at this point. And Hass will take him on board and I feel like Sergio might want to have a stay in Formula One a little bit longer.

But won't be the best of cars. But you never know. Maybe Hass are absolute gods by 2026 or don't even exist. We will find out. One or the other. I don't think, yeah, it's going to be a strange, strange time to see if they're able to actually build. Because obviously, they've got quite a bit of money now with Moneygram. and the sponsorships that they've been able to secure.

If they can keep going in this direction, they should be staying in Formula One. But let's see, that was left field. I'm enjoying this, Tommy. This is good fun. We're going to be so wrong, but I love it. I'm glad we've gone a bit different. I was a little bit worried after the first couple

that we were going to be like, people are the same drivers. But nope, you'll be pleased to note. One of us is definitely washed. That's for certain. We now go to Alpine. I am going to lock in Estaban Ocon, And Zhou Guanyu as the Alpine lineup.

Of course, Joe has some previous with the Renaud Academy and so on. And I feel as though he'll move on from Alpha Romeo slash Audi, go to a place like Alpine. And I can absolutely see it. Yeah, it wasn't probably the most opportunity-giving environment previously for Joe Guanyu at Alpine. But a few years under his belt smashes. botas gets a bit of a track record so we go to alpine and have a great time the reunion yeah uh yes i have also done it uh alpine i have gone for joe guan yu and teo porcere oh i'm not quite the same i thought i thought you said both i was like oh my god wow after i just talked about how we're going to

do different imagine um no uh yeah gone for neither ocon and galsley stay at alpine don't feel like It's a team many people stay out for long from history. And I see them both moving on. Joe Guan Yu, yeah, same as you think he'll come back to that team. And Teopo Chere is the kind of French driver that I think they will have to tick off that for the manufacturer to be happy. Interesting. I can see it. I can absolutely see it.

They do love a French lineup at Alpine. So let's see. We'll now go to McLaren. You tell me yours, Tommy. Okay. I have gone for Oscar Piastri and Colton Herter. Ooh. I've gone even more Leffield.

And I am banking on that Herter will finally get those super license points. And I think McLaren will be desperate to get an American in their team. and yeah, Lando's out. And I can see someone like Zach Brown, desperate for someone like Colton Herta, in the team for some good old publicity and have like an American driver in a perhaps a better car than a Williams,

but saying that it's not exactly true this year, is it? So you envisioning Piaastri very much a team leader is actually racing really, really well, sort of Lando Norris levels? Yeah, I just think in three years time, Piastri, yeah, will have matched, maybe not matched, but being solid enough. I see it going the way Lando leaves like Sites did. That's not a spoiler for where he's going.

But yeah, Lando leaves like Sainz did, and then Oscar Piazzi picks up the mantle and, yeah, carries on. Okay. My McLaren line up is Sergio Perez and Oscar Piestri? Yeah, I feel as though Perez will have a few more years and then, I say a few more, maybe one or two more years, then Red Bull look to replace him with someone perhaps younger, a younger talent.

So I feel as though Perez will not be done. I think he's still got a few years left in him in 20, in 2026. And McLaren might want that experience. Of course, Sergio, if not forgetting, was at McLaren for a very short stint in his career. so it's not as if he's never been there and I still envisaged McLaren not doing very well at this point

so I think they'll just take whoever's happy to come along and I think Perez will be you're going for the wholesome reunions all around I do like a wholesome reunion yeah nice we now go to Ferrari where are Ferrari in your eyes Tommy Ferrari have a completely

different lineup I actually found this one quite difficult to pick but I have gone for Pierre Gassley and Alex Albin, the Red Bull reject team off to Ferrari. They can't beat Max Osteppen alongside him. Alex Albin in a Ferrari? Yeah, I just think.

That does not in my brain compute at all. He's a big Ferrari fan. I can see, I mean, he's skipped around different teams, change driver programs and things. And I just see that in three years time, Alex will be one of those experienced drivers. it was difficult to find sort of veteran drivers

that I thought could fill these slots and yeah, I've just gone for Gazley and I'm reading your sheet Gasley and Albin you saw it were like, I didn't go for signs I didn't say that

spoiler alert so my Ferrari line up is Carlos Signs and Pierre Gazley again kind of a Red Bull a Red Bull Leavers group but I think I think signs will, well, I think the big thing is, of course,

Shaula Clare's gone. He's had enough. He can't be bothered with blowing up anymore, and he wants to go find happiness elsewhere. That's how I envisage it. I think Ferrari won't be a terrible team by any stretch, but Charlotte Clare will give it enough time. He'll see it to the end of his contract,

which is the end of 2025, I believe. And then it would be time for change, time for something new, the Casper's slide point two. And, yeah, I think that, I feel like, I said that's so casually. And Tommy, your face just did not move. My face is, I'm literally trying so hard not to throw up right now. I'm literally like just thinking about DaveyCet.

Our live show is tomorrow. Get a grip, Tommy. Anyway, when I say jokes, you're supposed to at least pretend that you find them funny. Ha ha, ha, ha. Yeah, there you go. Perfect. But yes, Ferrari, signs and Ghazly, it'll be a strong pairing. But yeah, yeah, Charlotte, Clair gone.

Luckler gone. Yes, absolutely. Now, Mercedes is up next. Tommy, who have you decided? I have gone for George Russell and Esteban Ocon. It's another little kind of sort of reunion in the fact that Ocon was a Mercedes young driver. Toto Wolf allowed him to sort of cut ties

so he could go elsewhere and get a race seat. A lot of Pee was very much the Russell of his day. A lot of people thinking that he should have kicked Bottas out and been the Mercedes teammate to Hamilton when he was looking very good in 2017 in that Falls India. So yeah, I'm going for Esty Besty, jumps ship to Mercedes and I think that's a solid lineup of Russell a knock on. Wow. Okay.

For Mercedes, I have Russell and LeCleur. I feel as though Charlie Boy just sees the track record of Mercedes and goes, I can trust these people and I think that would be one of the tastiest lineups in quite some time to see those two go at it and I could fully well see

them becoming potentially enemies as well not because they necessarily dislike each other but because they're both incredibly good Russell especially his will to wheel combat is actually unbelievable. I genuinely think he's one of the best will to wheel races in Formula One when you look at those moments in time

where he has gone will to will. Yes, there has been moments as well where he crashed and for whatever reason he had like two or three bad races and everyone's like, oh, he's so crash happy, he's such a terrible wheel to wheel racer. But if you remember like Hungary, for example, when he was fighting Vastappen there and it was like unbelievable racing.

So I feel as though those two, could have quite hard racing. Sometimes it would spill over and potentially get a little bit salty as well. God, that would be spicy. Yeah, Lecler going to Mercedes to have a clean break and trust someone new and then going up against Russell is a big, big old claim. But yeah, I could see it. I did nearly go for LeClau and Russell at Mercedes actually myself.

Did you? Wow, interesting. We now go to Aston Martin, our penultimate team. Is Fernando Alonzo still in? your team, Tommy? He is not. Charles Leclair is. Wow. Yes.

Just Charlotte, on his own. Yeah. Lawrence has decided that, yeah, it doesn't want his son in F1 anymore, so he's just left the seat empty. No. Yeah, LeCler and Stroll together

and feel like when Alonzo does go, have much on him to stay forever. I think, or it's borderline. This is borderline. orderline. But I think they'll want a high profile name and they will get Charles away from the nightmare of Ferrari. Interesting. So for my Aston Martin lineup, I've gone for Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonzo. I feel as though this man will have one year to see the new regulations. And if he's, I mean, he would be what, 44 at that point. But there's, I have had absolutely zero.

reason to believe that right now, as a 41-year-old, he doesn't have what it takes. So in three years time, is he going to be ailing so much more than he is right now? I don't think so. Yes, he's going to get older and potentially a few percent off of what he is now. But Alonzo and the team, look what he's doing for the team as well right now. People are lauding Aston Martin as this incredible team that's moved forward. and that's thanks to Alonzo. It's not so much thanks to Stroll.

He's not been producing the podiums. So, yeah, I think that if Alonzo wants to carry on, that's the key thing, then I think he will. See 2026, see if the new regs are unbelievable for Aston. And if they are, he'll be going till he's 60. And if they're not, it'll bin it off after the 26th season.

Yeah, and if he's got a good car and he's feeling like he's just about there that he might get that championship winner next year, he's going to just want to keep staying and staying and staying. It's a very close call. It would be amazing, wouldn't it? Alonzo re-signs a contract to hit 50 years old.

But you literally can see that happening. The final team, Red Bull. I'm going for Max Astappen and Lando Norris. Wow. Yeah. I feel like Lando goes over there, joins his mate, and we've got a half Belgian super team. That would be actually,

those two get on very, very well. Whether they would get on very, very well, Tommy's off to the toilet whilst I finish my point. But my two drivers, as I've literally watched Tommy fly out the door, blessing, we literally are doing our live show tomorrow, is Vestappan and Sonoda.

Now, the reasons I've done that, not that I have anyone to talk to, this is P1 with just Matt now. I've gone for Vestappen and Sonoda, because I think Sonoda will continue to move forward as he has done. I think he's doing very well against DeVries, for example, this year.

And I have no reason to believe that he won't continue taking that step up. Red Bull will want to have a new younger talent, which obviously Tommy has gone for with Lando. But I think Sonoda deserves a shot, 2026. It's his year. UK World Champ. Right, that is it.

Thank you so much for watching this, 2026 F1 grid predictions. I don't know when Tommy's actually going to come back, so I wish him the best of luck in potentially being very unwell right now. So I'm going to do an outro just in case he never comes back. But let us know your 2026 grid predictions

in the comments below. If you're watching on YouTube and if you're listening on podcasts, wherever they are, then please do send in yours via social media. I'd love to see them. I'd love to know if you think our thoughts are terrible, washed,

actually good in some places. And we'll see you very soon for another podcast. Bye! Hope you get better way. soon Tommy. Bye. Bye Tommy. Hope you're not being on well. P1 is a Stack production and part of the Acast's creator network.