Predicting every team’s next driver: Norris to Red Bull? Albon to Ferrari?

We have dug out our crystal ball to predict which F1 drivers will move where in the future.

We have taken all 10 teams and predicted the most likely candidate to be racing in their colours in the near future.

From established stars to rookie picks, here are our predictions for every team’s next driver.

Red Bull

Daniel Ricciardo in 2024 or Lando Norris in 2025

Picking the next Red Bull driver gives you one of two answers depending on how you see 2024 playing out.

Say Sergio Perez continues in the mixed form we saw in 2023, it would come as no surprise to see Red Bull pull the trigger, especially if they have more competition next season.

Provided he does adequately at AlphaTauri, Ricciardo would then be the most obvious candidate for that seat but should Perez stay until the end of the season then another name emerges as the lead contender.

Lando Norris to Red Bull rumours are nothing new and despite denials from both parties, there is enough smoke to suggest there is a fire. The 24-year-old’s current deal runs until 2025 and should McLaren not be challenging next season, then he may be tempted to move over to Red Bull.

McLaren too may opt to cut their losses and get some kind of renumeration rather than losing their star man for free.

Mercedes

Andrea Kimi Antonelli

The next driver in at Mercedes is likely to have the daunting task of replacing Lewis Hamilton which are some of the biggest shoes in F1 history to fill.

With George Russell the perceived youth in the team, the Silver Arrows may look for an already established star to lead them but then the question is who is that going to be?

Charles Leclerc would be the obvious name but following reports of a new Ferrari deal on the way and Monégasque’s stated love of the Italian team, he may be unattainable.

Norris would be another candidate but if he does leave, it looks likely to be to Red Bull at this stage.

So if there is no obvious choice, why not be bold? Andrea Kimi Antonelli is a highly thought of prospect having won the FRECA championship and faces a big challenge in 2024 as he bypasses Formula 3 completely to go straight into F2, but if Hamilton finishes at the end of his contract in 2025, Antonelli will be 19 and as Verstappen showed, age is no barrier to success.

Ferrari

Alex Albon

With rumours that Charles Leclerc is set to commit his long-term future to Ferrari, the next driver in at the team will most likely be replacing Carlos Sainz who himself is also in negotiations with the team.

Reports suggest Ferrari are unwilling to give Sainz the two-year deal he is after so clearly they are looking at the 2025 driver market and may even have a name in mind.

The Ferrari duo are two of 14 drivers currently out of contract at the end of next season but a name that has been linked of late is Alex Albon.

After a tumultuous time at Red Bull, Albon has rebuilt his reputation at Williams and has emerged as one of best drivers on the grid.

Ferrari may opt to give the Thai-British driver another chance at a championship hopeful.

McLaren

Carlos Sainz

With Oscar Piastri tied down until 2026, this driver would more than likely replace Lando Norris who has a number of suitors after his signature.

The Woking outfit are in a similar boat where they would be looking for an experienced driver and while they have a healthy academy, there is no standout candidate who would be able to move up.

So how about the return of a former driver? With Ferrari seemingly unwilling to give Sainz more than a one-year deal, could McLaren be tempted to offer him one and bring back a driver who many within the MTC have a lot of affection for.

Depending on when Norris is most likely to go, Sainz is going to be just over the age of 30 and arguably at the peak of his powers.

Aston Martin

Felipe Drugovich

With Lance Stroll presumably sticking around for the foreseeable future, the next driver in at Aston Martin will most likely be Fernando Alonso’s replacement and as to who they can get will depend on how 2024 goes.

If Aston prove to have another one of the quickest cars on the grid then they may be able to tempt one of the better drivers away from their established setup – but to do that would be to ignore a talent already waiting in their wings.

Felipe Drugovich has been patient since winning the 2022 F2 title and after a year as reserve driver at Aston Martin, he will no doubt be itching to get into the seat.

Aston have made it clear they want to keep Alonso beyond the end of the year but if he does leave at the end of 2024, Drugovich seems the obvious choice for Aston Martin.

Alpine

Jack Doohan

Of all the teams on the grid, this pair looks one of the most solid for the future with both drivers in their late 20s.

The pair are both contracted until the end of 2024 but barring any major catastrophe, they are good money to be extended, meaning this signing will likely be one for the future.

Alpine could be another team to put their faith in their academy with Jack Doohan impressing in the 2023 F2 championship. He finished third and if he were to better that, he would put himself very much in contention for that seat.

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Williams

Liam Lawson in 2024 or Luke Browning in the future

Williams were the last team to confirm their line-up for 2024, with Logan Sargeant surviving for the time being.

However, if he does not improve in 2024, Williams may choose to cut their losses which would then make Liam Lawson an ideal candidate on a loan basis from Red Bull.

But Williams have been keen not to develop other teams’ drivers so if it does reach the end of the season and Sargeant has done enough then it may open the door to someone like Williams Academy member Luke Browning in the future.

AlphaTauri

Liam Lawson

An easy one with Liam Lawson all but certain to be the next driver in the seat. The only question is when?

A Sergio Perez domino situation could leave a seat open midway through 2024 but if not, Lawson will likely be in the seat for 2025.

Sauber

Théo Pourchaire

This is a move that, if reports are to be believed, came very close to happening for 2024.

Having won the F2 championship, the Sauber Academy member has been itching for a seat in F1 and with Zhou Guanyu hardly pulling up trees since his arrival, he was rumoured to be on his way out.

But Zhou kept his seat for 2024 with Pourchaire off to Super Formula, but do not be surprised to see this move take place at the end of the year.

Haas

Oliver Bearman

As we saw with Daniel Ricciardo in 2022, attracting drivers to Haas can be a difficult task at times.

For this reason, it makes them one of the harder teams to predict but they have been known to give driving time to the young candidates in Ferrari’s academy.

Of those, Oliver Bearman looks the most likely to make it to F1 so could be an option for Haas for 2025.

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