My 2026 Formula 1 Driver Transfer Predictions

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Let's look ahead to 2026 and try predicting what the F1 grid will look like for the first year of the upcoming new regulations.
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Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. There are certain scenes from the Formula 1 calendar where race footage is used. All those rights are property of FOM. Other photos and news elements are used solely for the purpose of assisting the original content illuminate a more in depth story.
#TommoF1

[@selder_7]

I think you’ve underestimated how much Komatsu believes in Bearman. I think Haas will try to hold onto him against all but Ferrari promoting him

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Perhaps. Ollie is different gravy, but Toyota are definitely planning something.

[@Zeverinsen]

​@@TommoMcCluskey I think you're underestimating the sheer PR disaster it would be to kick out Bearman after one season. Haas has been rebuilding their image, and just like with Colapinto, a popular young driver brings in new fans and more revenue. I don't think Toyota would want to sour potential fans on their driver before he even gets the chance to drive, which means that Ocon is the most expendable one here. I also think Ocon knows this.

[@MoptopTofer]

Ollie will stay at Haas for as long as Hamilton stays at Ferrari so he won't go 'til 2027 at the earliest.

[@jgyuri]

@@TommoMcCluskey They will sooner get rid of Ocon than Bearman

[@thbemabu]

@@TommoMcCluskeyhorrendous opinion

[@ashlieivy4763]

“And I just don’t see Max driving for a team that won’t let Valterri Bottas put his bum on a calendar.” Is my new motto

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Rightly so

[@FirearmofMutiny]

Rookie "how long is your leash" tier list: "As long as you're not worse than Stroll": Bearman, Antonelli, Bortoleto, Colapinto "At least try to keep up with your teammate": Lawson, Hadjar "If you're not already Max Verstappen, you're gone after Jeddah": Doohan

[@thechroniknerd]

Dear Minton Shall I compare thee to a sausage dog? Thou art more stumpy, yet more full of glee. Short legs may trip o’er roots and fallen log, But none doth trot so merrily as thee. The summer’s heat may tire the beasts that run, Yet thou, with eager heart, dost brave the way. Thy wagging tail outshines the noonday sun, And warms my soul more than the brightest ray. Rough winds may toss the leaves where squirrels hide, Yet still thou giv’st them chase with fearless might. And though the seasons turn, and time doth glide, Thy boundless love remains a constant light. So long as dogs do bark and hearts be smitten, So lives this verse-and so lives thee, dear Minton.

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Majestic. 5 points to Gryffindor.

[@AndThenThereWasBeanus]

This is the greatest thing I've seen all week. And I'm not sure that it'll be switched.

[@thomassf3]

Damn, that was beautiful 😢

[@s4rest123]

This is delightful. Nice tribute to both Minton and the Bard.

[@antonellogiannuzzi6609]

Tsunoda to Aston martin is one of these things the f1 community pushes but usually doesn't happen. I can see Tsunoda being out for 1 season and then coming back after a year. I think the 2026 grid will be similar to this year's one (but cadillac), teams would want to focus on the new regs without changing drivers and the many rookies this year blocked some seats. Then 2027 would be a silly season, with teams losing patience in this year rookies (someone out of 7 is gonna fail surely) and potentially alonso/hamilton/hulkenberg retiring after trying the new regs

[@thebateman761]

Lawerence wants a world class driver, or atleast a really good one to replace Alonso... not Tsunoda lmao

[@TommoMcCluskey]

It really does come down to how much pressure and influence Honda can exert in that team. I hope for Yuki's sake, it's a lot.

[@joehynes2964]

Tsunoda is more likely to wind up at Haas because of Toyota than drive at Aston Martin. Lance is going to be 63 years old before he finally goes away...

[@evandrochaves9596]

I'm seeing Tsunoda in Indycar driving for Ganassi in 2026

[@evonne_o]

​@@joehynes2964Stroll is getting sacked THIS YEAR

[@fprosk]

I think you're jumping the gun on Hirakawa, I think it'll be longer before Toyota is exerting that much influence on Haas.

[@LuminalSpoon]

Agreed, they would also put Miyata in first even if that was the case.

[@FCB001]

Agree, i also don't see that happening.

[@Wizzkidwas]

Miyata is the one currently getting the test days and being pushed as the junior, he's the way more likely choice (and I'd love to see it)

[@nathangaspacio6128]

Especially the kind of influence needed to kick out Bearman. If Bearman lives up to his potential then there's no way they can justify getting rid of him unless he's signed to another team.

[@sava-lakicevic]

I expect no, or very little changes on the grid. The only teams I expect changes in are Alpine and the Red Bull teams.

[@Ajohnson125]

I see Doohan getting that alpine WEC seat alongside Schumacher, it’ll be a good spot for him and his later career

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Could well be where they end up putting him. Unless of course he makes a top tier impression on the grid.

[@usedtoexistonce]

talk about having two of perhaps the greatest family names in motorsport schumacher and doohan

[@matekiraly46]

Schumacher getting the sauber seat after they fire Bortoleto and then Doohan replaces him.

[@MichaelEilers]

@@matekiraly46dude that is a toxic amount of cope

[@AndrewinAus]

Probably, I really am not on the Colapinto hype train like it seems 99% of people are. Much the same as Antonelli. Franco has speed yes perhaps but he also caused a struggling Williams a lot of headaches and cost them a lot of money they could have done with in their pockets still. Honestly WEC is a bit of a dead-end where drivers go at the end of their careers or when there is no other option, Webber and Hartley instantly come to mind.

[@lord_scorpey5165]

I am so sad that bottass is not permitted to continue his calendar :/ how am I supposed to count the days till f1 start now :(

[@TommoMcCluskey]

😭😭😭

[@climberkitty6683]

WHAT NO

[@nathangaspacio6128]

Jokes aside, it really pisses me off because it harmed no one, was hilarious, and the proceeds went to charity. I didn't feel strongly towards mercedes before but now I dislike them.

[@Bigtree771]

25 seconds ago feels about as obsessive as Lawson to Alonso

[@TommoMcCluskey]

How adorable

[@selder_7]

It’s hard to know with Lance Stroll when he’ll finally decide that his career isn’t bringing him joy, but I don’t think he’d give up right before the team is due to make a big step up. And I don’t think Tsunoda is big enough (figuratively) to have Lance pushed aside for him. It would be funny if Aston end up with a Verstappen Tsunoda line up after Redbull were so adverse to it

[@Zeverinsen]

I guess the question is if he's going to go first or if the company is going to push him out. He has no passion left in his eyes, and it's just sad to watch.

[@Umar-gw6fy]

To me it looks like hes living his fathers dream not his own and hes realised that now that his father is pushing him further

[@ShaddaQueen]

I think Komatsu is turning Haas away from being a team thats affected by that sort of pressure to put a certain driver in a seat ahead of one that deserves to be there on merit. Make no mistake, Bearman is the Haas golden boy. He's their Charles Leclerc, they've finally found a quick, young, marketable and likeable driver with a big fanbase (for a rookie) and they will do whatever they can to hold onto him. I dont see them sacrificing that for a 30 year old Hirakawa and if any of those drivers were to lose his seat, based on prior history it would be Ocon. Cadillac i think Drugovich has a more than decent chance. He's an F2 champion, is already driving for them this year in IMSA, is Brazilian so will have a lot of fan backing and most importantly, has done a lot of FP1 sessions so isnt a total stranger to F1 machinery. Drugovich Herta for me in Cadillac.

[@Zeverinsen]

I wouldn't be surprised if they got Drugovich and Hauger, to get more Brazilian fans and the first Norwegian F1 driver in the history of the sport. There are so many interesting picks to choose from!

[@matekiraly46]

Herta and Schumacher.

[@FirearmofMutiny]

@@Zeverinsen Drugo would absolutely be more intriguing than a Checo or Bottas, but it could come down to who makes more money for Cadillac (Checo would win in that case)

[@juanncarrizo9508]

I​@@Zeverinsen i don't think Hauger is even on the list of possible drivers

[@Ryanvd1]

@@matekiraly46mick is done, his last chance was williams and alpine last year, and they both passed on him

[@lordhenrywotton95]

My guess is that there will be very little change. Colapinto in at Alpine, Tsunoda to replace Stroll, Lindblad to replace Tsunoda, Cadillac go with Bottas and Herta.

[@JnManuelAG]

Checo and Herta or Pato

[@vjekoslavkoledic5863]

Bottas to Cadillac sounds so fire and makes sense too

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Cadillass

[@Canes51]

I can’t see Cadillac signing a driver who will turn 36 next year and, I’m sorry, but unless they sign a clear number 1 talent driver, bottas is not number 1 material.

[@benebacher2470]

Would also make sense with him expressing an interest in IndyCar. Could be a good transition for him to work with Andretti.

[@FCB001]

@@vjekoslavkoledic5863 i‘d go for Checo instead

[@kaloyanbogoslovov497]

@Tommo the ownership percentages at 23:02 are of Aston Martin Lagonda aka the car manufacturer. The F1 team is a completely separate entity with very different ownership structure

[@thomassf3]

It wouldn't be a Tommo prediction vid without a Lance to Wec prediction

[@epsilonprotocol]

am surprised people haven't put more speculation around Frederik Vesti getting picked by Cadillac as he's currently driving for them in IMSA right now, F2 runner-up, & the Mercedes reserve driver.

[@TommoMcCluskey]

He's a shout, but would still ultimately be a rookie. I only see them gambling on someone completely fresh to F1 IF they're a Yank. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@rusheelgongulur9689]

as much as i would love vesti, i just can't see it happening

[@FCB001]

I think that ship has sailed for Vesti (same with Drugovich and Pourchaire), no shot of him getting a seat. And btw Bottas is also Mercedes reserve this year, they would definitly put Valtteri in the car if needed, not Fred.

[@thedrinkerofH2O]

they'd put drugovich into the car from their imsa team before vesti

[@joehynes2964]

This video is wildly optimistic. This would have been a good summer break topic.

[@jonhammond-r6f]

Agree. Its also a rip off from an article (and podcast) The Race ran about 5 days ago

[@NewtypeCommander]

@Tommo You're absolutely right about Cadillac's driver selection: at this moment it's impossible to predict who they'll select with any degree of certainty. Given the statements Mr. Mario Andretti has made over the past couple of months, I do agree they will go with a veteran and rookie combo. As far as F1 veterans go the best available options in my opinion are Bottas, Perez, and Tsunoda, however Tsunoda has an asterisk next to him as it will depend how much pull Honda will have. As far as rookies go, I think it will either be Herta or Jak Crawford, with the choice depending upon who can give a better barnstormer of a season in their respective series. That being said, if both Herta and Crawford do well, then I could see Herta in the second seat and Crawford as a reserve driver.

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Crawford has super potential, I hope Aston wouldn't hold him back. Good shout.

[@NewtypeCommander]

@@TommoMcCluskey Thank you, I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks highly of Jak Crawford. And since a majority of his former F2 contenders (Antonelli, Bortoleto, Bearman, Hadjar) have moved up into F1, it gives Jak Crawford a good shot at the F2 championship.

[@Canes51]

Andretti and even Red Bull have been really fighting to give Colton herta a seat in formula one. I’m will to bet that he’ll be Cadillac’s number one driver pick.

[@matekiraly46]

Going with a burn out veteran is the worst thing what they can do. It will Be Schumacher and Herta. But if sauber fires Bortoleto then might be Schumacher takes his place so then Cadillac will search for another driver.

[@saulmassey2305]

Are you going to be doing your livery designs again this year? I feel like it's a season warm up when you do

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Of course! Wish me luck. 💀

[@siddhantsinha4155]

@@TommoMcCluskey all 10 at once, you'll have quite the task ahead of you this year 😅All the best!

[@saulmassey2305]

Bonus Cadillac livery

[@SURGASURGE12]

@@TommoMcCluskey Make the Ferrari gloss please. The matte finish IRL is rubbish.

[@AlmightyWeick]

@SURGASURGE12 Tommo’s designs won’t be seen IRL to be fair haha

[@calvin1559]

always thought you were funny but it seems like you’ve been putting in the work comedically, this was the most i’ve ever laughed at one of your videos i believe

[@PraiseTheRoof]

Minton, the goodest of all the boys, reminds me of the sunset at the 24hr of Le Mans or Nürburgring

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Excellently put

[@brennan9044]

Stroll to WEC just makes sense and I’ve been saying it for years. The qualities he’s actually shown throughout his career suit WEC pretty well

[@westonisthegoat7616]

I think one of the two Cadillac drivers will be an experienced and highly marketable F1 driver like Bottas, Checo, or even Danny Ric. Agree that Herta gets the other seat.

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Bottas seems most likely of those options to me.

[@SwaggyDr1pL0rd]

Danny Ric said he’s done with F1. It’s between Bottas and Checo for the seat unless Cadillac gets Yuki since Lawerence Stroll doesn’t want to drop his son

[@Cooky94100]

2026 predictions before the 2025 season has begun is CRAZY, I want more

[@AndThenThereWasBeanus]

Oh Minton, Dear, my sausage sweet With tiny paws and bouncing feet Your floppy ears, your wagging tail A love so pure it cannot fail Through grassy fields you laugh and run Beneath the golden setting sun Your little nose, so soft and wet The best companion a guy can get You curl up close when night is near A gentle warmth Tommo holds so dear No grand romance could ever compare To love that's wrapped in dachshund flair. someone else did a poem, and I got inspired

[@seankennedy7970]

I just can’t see Laurence investing so much in Aston, factory, getting Newey and letting Lance go just as all that investment is meant to come to fruition…

[@avgr2004]

Dino Beganovic f1 driver by 2026/2027, you have my word

[@catet134]

heck yeah

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Very strong F2 performances at the end of the year, he's in with a shot for sure.

[@keiming2277]

You forgot "reserve"

[@Zeverinsen]

For his sake I hope he takes his time, otherwise he's not gonna find a spot to fill! As a Norwegian, it would be exciting to see another Nordic driver, since both Magnussen and Bottas are out this year :-(

[@sthijs0]

​@@ZeverinsenIt's a shame that Hauger could'nt continue the form he had in f3 into f2. With all the mess happening at Red Bull the past 3 years, there would've been a chance for Hauger to step in. Unfortunatly it didn't work out in f2.

[@franciscosilva4642]

Hey dude loved the video. In the future if you can pls put these type of content on Spotify as well. I really like listening to your thoughts when I’m riding my bike to work or driving. Keep smashing it

[@bigmeatyhooks]

We love the GT5 background music 🤍🤍

[@guttsu]

Bold predictions as usual but not just asspulls, you do always backup your opinions with reasoning. No one knows right, that's the fun part! Even the teams don't know what will happen, so it's exciting for sure to speculate. Should definitely revisit this idea halfway through the season, quite a few contracts will be signed by then.

[@darshanpadayachee4383]

I think Valterri bottas makes a ton of sense for cadillac. His tenure at Sauber wasnt incredible but it wasn't abysmal either. He's got a ton of experience, including at a top team. Herta and Bearman are good guesses too but I think its too risky to have such an unexperienced line up for your first season. My guess would be Bottas and Herta/Bearman. Perez is also another option because he has a large North American fan base and brings tons of money but his time at red bull was very rough.

[@SwaggyDr1pL0rd]

Checo was underrated back in the day, joining Red Bull he was good in 2021 to early 2023, but after Miami… he’s broken so if he does get the Cadillac seat, I hope it fixes him back to how he was before his 2023-2024 form

[@LawVS]

I doubt Cadillac would want two rookies, mate.

[@louisdnd934]

W opinion on Ocon, so underrated

[@Legend-bt8qt]

7:48 the beauty and the beast *beast on the track that is tommo😅

[@RashidHasanRafi-ru7fn]

Love you Tommo ❤ Wait eagerly for your videos. Best f1 youtuber currently

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Big up Rashid 🫡

[@CaptainPeanut]

I need K-Mag back on the grid. He always puts up a propper fight no mater what position he is in and makes the races entertaining to watch. He will be sorely missed in 2025.

[@paulc99]

I like the Bearman/Herta pairing for Cadillac. Young and talented. No reason they cant hire an experienced veteran as a reserve driver to help develop the car.

[@manualclover4273]

Wow, now that I’m in Spain I can see Tommos videos on time 😁

[@tiagoferreira5368]

My prediction based on vibes alone 😅 McLaren, Ferrari, Williams, Aston, Sauber, Haas, Mercedes stay the same. Alpine - Colapinto replaces Doohan Red bull - tsunoda replaces Lawson mid 25 Racing bulls - lindblad for sure then Lawson or Hadjar. Cadillac - Perez/Bottas and Colton Hertha

[@meneerl7711]

Really exciting times in F1 the upcoming years. On one hand it is a shame that we are switching regulations, because we potentially got a really competitive season coming up. But on the other hand, we are getting so many big names joining the sport. Ferarri, Mercedes, Ford, Honda, Audi, Toyota and more battling it out with some very exciting talents in the sport is going to be awesome.

[@lbowser65]

I would love that lineup for Cadillac! Here's to hoping you are right!

[@MostlyLoveOfMusic]

Webber had 12 seasons in F1, not 9, and Ralf had 11

[@mikedukker3643]

Perfect timing Tommo. Im bored and needed something to watch😂 I already think its going to be a fun video.

[@aaron_ow]

This season will be mental

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Pls

[@aalloocckk]

That Ollie/Herta prediction definitely peaks my interest.

[@MrAndy76101]

You have a lot of faith in these rookies. Watching this I realise a Williams resurgence led by Carlos is my hopium card for the next year

[@matthunwick5230]

Minton rizzing us all up all vid oh my

[@danleslie7694]

Seeing a Tommo vid posted 1min ago while in the USA means I really need to go to bed😂

[@blueredlover1060]

Also, I think that Cadillac would be best served to simply bring along 2 Indycar drivers with a veteran reserve. To me, this would be Herta and Palou with a Bottas as the reserve or something similar.

[@AdamMattoxConnelly]

Aston are competing in the full wec season in 2025 they have to they can’t just turn up at Le Mans with two cars it’s part of the new regulations imsa regulations are different they can miss races like Detroit for example but they are racing at Sebring in march and Qatar at the end of the month 22:22

[@dzsanni93]

21:38 you’re straight up delulu. Please prove me wrong 😂😂

[@michaelsanderson9562]

Before watching, mine are: McLaren - Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri Ferrari - Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton Red Bull - Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson Mercedes - George Russell and Kimi Antonelli Aston Martin - Fernando Alonso and Yuki Tsunoda (I'm pretty sure this won't happen but I can hope) Alpine - Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto (proud to say that I predicted that before Colapinto was signed as reserve) Haas - Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman Minardi - Isack Hadjar and Arvid Linblad (regardless of whether the Aston prediction is correct, I'm confident in this one) Williams - Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz Audi - Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto Cadillac - Valtteri Bottas and Colton Herta Very safe and not super exciting but I can't imagine there being much change going into new regulations. I expect some big changes for 2027 and I'm willing to bet that 2026 will be Verstappen's last season at Red Bull...

[@quirinmlg1653]

I want to see Paul Aaron in alpine next year, he had a pretty good f2 season and in my opinion hes better than franco but obviously Colapinto has more f1 experience. Maybe they will test both and put whoever is better (hopefully). Also im not that big of a franco fan anymore because of some toxic fans and all of his crashes.

[@Eldoudino]

I worry yuki will find himself without a seat next year. It feels like Red bull is a nono, and Aston won't rid themselves of stroll.. Yuki might be in trouble regardless of results..

[@sad_gamer6386]

22:47 yeah he is really good at endurance races and has experience from is outings in 24hr of Daytona

[@yahayarayyan-rq9zd]

I agree with every team except Haas who I believe will keep Ollie Bearman (I doubt Hirakawa will ever get into F1) and Cadillac I think Drugovich should get a seat in F1 he deserves it. If not him, then maybe an FDA member like Beganovic due to their Ferrari partnership and if he impresses in F2 (maybe he might replace Ocon at Haas if he does really well like say becomes the F2 champion) or an experienced driver like Bottas or Perez. Stroll will most likely stay unless his dad decides to leave with Tsunoda being reserve driver for Aston Martin.

[@Rubii]

I think Audi is going to fumble next year, with all the question marks and weird stuff over the years i don't feel confident that they'll escape last place in 26

[@selder_7]

I think this will be a very static year. Russell is the biggest name out of contract but I think that’s just in case Verstappen wanted to come over (which I think he won’t yet) and he’ll be reconfirmed for Merc. Tsunoda is the most likely to move but that’ll just be at the expense of one of the rookies or of an older driver beaten by a rookie. And Linblad will 100% take his place Drivers will want to see how 2026 goes before they jump and teams might prefer to wait and see who then becomes available before signing anything longer than a 1 year contract

[@Zeverinsen]

I hope Linblad doesn't come until 2027, because RedBull has a history of crushing their drivers by speeding them through too fast.

[@thomassf3]

Minton's as beautiful as a Hulk podium

[@waynemoulds5680]

Enjoy watching your content wanted to asked you any news on new tracks soon

[@colofsco1]

Your dog is like....Man.. I'm not a parrot, and you're no pirate. Put me the hell on the floor.

[@bonelesswatermelon420]

Not really the main topic, but I just wanna join Tommo in his Alex glazing (but for good reason) People forget that Alex and Carlos have opposite driving preferences, with Alex preferring more oversteer while Carlos preferring more understeer. Given that the ground effect Williams cars were all developed with Alex's preferences dialed in, I think Carlos will have a slight disadvantage in 2025. This could very well set up Alex to take slightly more Ws over Carlos. 2026 will be a toss up though due to the complete reset brought by the new regs.

[@calvin1559]

14:11 lmao i love this energy

[@Luca.NASCAR24fan75]

To be honest, I see the method to the madness of Bearman going to Cadillac whilst Haas getting a Toyota driver, I wouldn't say 100%, but I see it as a solid chance, probably a likely fee that Haas that would be put on Bearman if it does come to fruition, but is a interesting one for sure Also Minty is a beautiful doggo, glad Minty is doing well

[@fletch9702]

The return of the Minton Show!

[@selder_7]

That’s an excellent read on the possibility of Verstappen to Merc. Aston’s the most likely but he’s surely savvy enough and in a strong enough position to wait to see how they’re doing in 2026 first and then move over. If they’re still awful, then I think he goes to Ferrari for 2027 or 2028

[@breezyobeatz]

1- Cadillac wants a driver with YEARS of experience, not a kid. 2- Colapinto will takeover the seat. 3- In regards to Liam, mate hahaha Lawson does not have (and will not have) a Constructor's Championship nor 6 victories in F1 to be considered on top of Perez. Let's have this conversation as soon as he reaches both things. He will be replaced mid year, mark my words.

[@riccardolodi4456]

RedBull being literally out of upcoming drivers is something that I honestly never expected. Hadjar got very lucky in this aspect, because if there were any upcoming redbull juniors he would be so stressed all the time by the way the redbull academy usually works. Unless there are some new guys popping up from F3 that have gone over my radar. I'm not that hopeful in their next few years, especially if verstappen really does leave that team. Well, it'll be fun to see how this will unravel immediate edit: forgot about lindblad. But I really do not think he will do THAT well in F2. But if redbull doesnt have any other choice, then I can see him in F1. I'm still hoping for a tsunoda in redbull future, but thats rlly improbable

[@josephking4461]

I think Williams is going to be much better than expected. Possibly best of the rest.

[@d.b.cooper1]

That Aston Martin ownership structure isn't that of the F1 team btw, Daddy Stroll has kept it seperate to protect his son.The Aston brand is different to the F1 team, they're separate entities. He still has more control over F1 team.

[@timbrichau]

new graphics looking slick

[@ivy5614]

I think there's no way that Bearman is out of Haas in 2026. He'll want to stay there until a seat opens up at Ferrari. He's also a really good driver that I don't think Haas would want to replace, and yes, he didn't do too well in F2 last year, but neither did Antonelli, and that's because the Prema cars were not as competitive as the other cars following the regulation changes. There's no way that they would only keep him for one season, it would make them look really bad, and I don't think they would risk getting a new rookie in, when they've already got two drivers that they know are competitive.

[@BLEON94]

You know I have seen Miyata replace Ocon but Bearman. You got some balls

[@Eliddinn]

Love the prediction videos

[@Amemji]

Think i agree with most of the transfers but im maaking 2 driver cchanges. Bearman stays at Haas and Palou alongside Herta at Cadillac. I agree with everyone else tho. Good list

[@volatilelion657]

So, prediction for no one but me for the end of year reaction to remember: -Ferrari: Hamilton/Leclerc They're both staying in red for 2026, they're both fast and they both have their worth -Mercedes: Antonelli/Russell Unless Mercedes finds something really bad on Kimi, they're not gonna let go of their golden goose. Russell is also an easy choice -Red Bull: Verstappen/Lawson Verstappen is not going anywhere unless a big fight with the team happens. He will reject or regret Mercedes, Ferrari is set for many years and Aston might not be a possibility until they're proven (which will be at the very least in 2027 but not earlier). On the other hand Lawson is not as set in stone (I think he will deliver, but I wouldn't deny the chance that they will pin the blame on him when his car is not near the pace of the person it was made for), but who will replace him? A Hadjar who seems too rough? a thirty something year old Joey Logano who has almost no single seater experience? I wouldn't deny the chance of Tsunoda being relieved before the end of the season to let Lindblad get used to F1 before making the step to the first team in 2026, but I don't think they'll have the excuses they had with Ricciardo even if by the point he was replaced it was mostly smoke and mirrors -Haas: Bearman/Ocon While TGR might be getting a bigger place in the team, I wouldn't expect a change in their lineup unless Miyata shocks the world now that he'll drive for ART or Zak O'Sullivan or Sascha Fenestraz come and take Super Formula by storm. Bearman is a golden egg goose and Ocon is good enough to stay in the sport -Sauber: Hulkenberg/Bortoleto No chance of Hulk leaving as soon as Audi gets there, sounds like a match made in heaven. Bortoleto on the other hand is not impossible, but it would depend on him making a REALLY big impression and someone at a top team being particularly bad, otherwise he's a lock for that seat -Williams: Sainz/Albon The year 2026 is gonna have a big regulation change, so most teams wouldn't be too keen in a change in their lineups. Especially Willisms now that they don't have the chance to call Colapinto, O'Sullivan isn't part of the team and Browning is an uncertainty (this might change in a year though). The only reason that they're not higher up is that if something happens at McLaren or Mercedes, Sainz might be the first to be called for a 2026 drive -Alpine: Gasly/Colapinto While this isn't the most sure of my predictions, I don't think Alpine is about as forgiving as Williams were with their rookie, so unless Doohan can get up to speed fast, we're might even get to see this lineup in 2025 -McLaren: Norris/Piastri Here I think we might see a civil war brew. It depends on if Piastri can reach Lando's level. Now I don't think he will be too mad about not getting preferential treatment at the team but I can't say anything about his manager, or Norris himself, who as the homeboy, the lifelong McLaren guy, might feel entitled to it. Possible replacements don't fall out of Sainz and O'Ward (even though Bortoleto would be a great choice had they kept the relationship with him while he's at sauber) -Racing Bulls: Hadjar/Lindblad This one I'm not sure. I chose this because I think it's the most likely pairing, but stranger things have happened than Lindblad needing one more year to polish himself or Martí suddenly popping off and earning a seat himself. Hadjar should be fine for a couple more years, or at least until Goethe takes a step forward or someone else comes from the junior series -Aston Martin: Alonso/Stroll I honestly have no clue where that second seat could go. Maybe they want to start their serious effort in WEC with a guy with loads of F1 experience and put Stroll there, in which case the F1 seat might end up in Tsunoda's hands, but Stroll has a contract through 2026, and while I wouldn't put it past them to cut contracts before their due date for anyone else, I can't see it happening to Stroll, so if he says F1, F1 it will most likely be -Cadillac: Herta/Dennis Herta feels pretty much like a certainty. He has the conection to Gainbridge who iirc is who's putting in the big bucks in the team. The second option could go in many different ways. They could get an experienced f1 driver like Magnussen or Bottas, someone the americans will recognize, is experienced in single seaters and has driver for a GM car for a long long time, like Will Power, they could do that same thing but with a younger driver but much more well known in the states and also american, like Chase Elliot. The driver I opted for is someone from a different line, a link with Andretti, considering that even though Michael left the project, the family is still related through Mario as an advisor. I decided to pick Jake Dennis, 2022-23 Formula E champion who drives for them in the series

[@mladenbasic1]

Great music on this one.

[@Matthew_Calmert]

I think there could be a lack of changes due to regulation change and wanting some manner of consistency

[@Kira-29]

Perfect prediction video: 50% Minton + 50% Wommo-Takes :D Your Bearman-Take is wild, but you are the "Chelmsfordian", so I trust you :D I did my takes a lot earlier, so they are already looking stupid considering Franco, but anyway: AM: Alonso + Tsunoda (agree) RB2: Hadjar + Lindblad (agree) A: Gasly + Aron W: Sainz + Colapinto Caddy: K Mag + Herta Cant wait, to look back on it :D

[@Brossano22]

Imagine Ricciardo and Vettel at Cadillac/Andretti❤

[@kevin-mcgonigle]

Who do you think in F2 is most likely to impress and put themselves in amongst the mix à la Bortoleto, Colapinto etc (outside of Lindblad - totally agree that he's different gravy)? I think Luke Browning could give Williams a serious headache if he performs well & Alex Dunne might be give McLaren something to think about if their boys end up squabbling.

[@ferrarifan6960]

i truly think this is max’s last year before a sabbatical, new baby on the way and the prospect of redbull not even being competitive enough this year for a 5th. he’d be better off sitting a year or two out raising his child and doing side quests like wec while at his prime, then returning to f1 with the best team for more titles

[@XtraDavido]

Only way I see Ferrari's lineup changing is if Hamilton for some reason decides its time to retire. Which will then make room for Bearman

[@anthonysaturn]

Don't think there'll be much change going into 2026 but I think 1 big move will cause a domino effect like max leaving rb to Aston

[@jacobit49]

MERCEDES IS TOO POLITICAL FOR MAX?! I thought RedBull was the most political lol. Shows how much I know. 5:00

[@MatthewOWhitted]

The 2025 season hasn’t even started yet! Tommo: hold my beer

[@Canes51]

Colton herta will be at Cadillac. With how hard Andretti and Red Bull fought to get him a seat, I think he’s a clear choice and formality at this point. I think bearman could go to Cadillac but I wouldn’t rule a potential Ferrari promotion either.

[@Cloxxki]

Sainz didn't convince me as a rookie against the way less experienced rookie Max. He didn't get the better over Hulkenberg at Renault. Albon likely developed quite a bit since being solid at Toro Rosso. Sure can put a race together and drive to narrow margins in a DRS train.

[@spen8259]

as it stands i don’t think too much will change. the top 4 teams will all stay and stroll will stay another season at aston to experience the new regs on the chance AM absolutely nail it. lindblad in for yuki at rb, colapinto will be in alpine and we’ll see whether that happens sooner rather later anyway, i think sauber and haas both stick as their line ups are quite strong. williams of course stick too. cadillac will pick up herta and valtteri in my opinion. fanbase will go crazy but yuki will have to accept the sidelines for a year until there is another big reshuffle. drugo and aron sadly have to accept the sidelines again and that is my predictions, probably way too safe for the reality of f1 but i can’t see many changes happening

[@izz9535]

It's a bit of a crazy take but given how much Verstappen has stated he would not be around for as long as we expect, I think a retirement after the 2027 season seems very plausible. Maybe instead of an Aston Martin or a Mercedes transfer he would just want to end it with Red Bull. He would be 29 by then but remember Nico Rosberg was just 30 when he retired so it's definitely not a new thing in the sport

[@OddTomOut]

I was skipping forward and I saw the Mercedes text then Max Verstappen, I was like ’seriously Tommo?’ 🤣

[@frye-er]

Phew, for a minute there I thought you're actually going to predict that Ollie's not going to be on the grid next year 😅

[@j5ktt]

Aston Martin F1 team is sponsored by Aston Martin, it’s not owned by the car company and has a different ownership group (with some people owning stakes in both).

[@johnpatricklim4509]

Ocon with that Toyota GR on his HAAS uniform....And there is a Toyota dealership in Texas called Toyota-Haas....

[@metalnc166]

It makes more sense for Cadillac to pair Perez and Herta, Perez is a solid driver in cars that are slow and i dont expect cadi to be fighting in front for the first few years, besides the experience of Perez can bring, honestly i can see Ryo appearing on HAAS but not until 27 or 28 when Toyota probably expands the support towards HAAS.

[@geoffbettelhoffven11]

Which f3+f2 back to back champion will be the first to win an f1 wdc? And who will do all three in the shortest amount of time?

[@jamiehabjan6915]

Oh Tommo, how I’ve missed you

[@madmaxx2310lac]

Bro has tendencies to always rate & back the wrong drivers those who suck😂 albon is mid, sagreant was a disaster & so will doohan be. Come race 6 franco will take over & rightfully so. Should already be in charge!

[@Coalwasepic]

It seems to me Alpine putting Doohan in the car is fulfilling a contract obligation to Doohan, but as soon as it has been fulfilled they will boot him for colapinto