Overview of the reserve driver lineups for all Formula 1 teams in 2026. The role of third drivers in F1 teams in 2026 is held by over a dozen competitors. F1 team reserve drivers in the 2026 season are a mix of experience and youth.
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In 2026, almost all F1 teams announced the names of their reserve drivers in advance, while also specifying their duties. The only exception is Audi, which formally does not have a contracted reserve driver. Below, I analyze the situation of all F1 teams in the 2026 season and their reserve drivers. The teams are listed in the order of the general classification from the previous year. If new information about reserve drivers appears, I will add an update to the text in the future.
McLaren Mastercard F1 Team
McLaren’s reserve drivers in 2026 are Pato O’Ward and Leonardo Fornaroli. Pato O’Ward has been a driver for the McLaren team in the IndyCar series for several years, combining this with reserve driver duties after the end of the American series season, i.e., in the autumn. We can expect the Mexican to get the opportunity to drive in one or two F1 practice sessions, as well as in private tests with an older car, as his racing program is similar every year. McLaren’s new acquisition is Leonardo Fornaroli, the 2024 Formula 3 champion and the 2025 Formula 2 champion. The Italian will be a full-time F1 reserve driver in 2026. He is expected to have many private tests and participate in several practice sessions. In March, he debuted in an F1 car during private tests, fulfilling the final condition for obtaining a super license. Fornaroli is a great talent, and McLaren will be testing in 2026 whether he is suitable for Formula 1. Option B for the Italian will be racing in the WEC or IndyCar series in 2027 with McLaren teams.
Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team
Mercedes’ third driver in 2025 is Frederik Vesti, a long-time protégé of the team. The Dane was promoted because in the previous year he formally served as a reserve driver, and the third driver was Valtteri Bottas. The Finn moved to Cadillac, so Vesti took over his position. Frederik Vesti has participated in several F1 practice sessions, as well as many private tests with older cars. In previous years, he also worked extensively in the simulator. In 2026, he is expected to appear in the Mercedes garage during every round and will also have marketing duties. Vesti is simultaneously competing in the USA in the IMSA series, so he may miss selected F1 weekends.
Oracle Red Bull Racing
Red Bull’s reserve driver in 2026 is Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese driver lost his seat as a regular driver after the end of the previous season but remained with the team. Tsunoda is expected to appear at all race weekends, works in the simulator, and will also get opportunities several times a season to drive older cars during private tests or show runs. In the case of Red Bull, there is no 100% guarantee that if one of the regular drivers is unavailable, Tsunoda will take his place. Red Bull has a second team in F1, so they can always use one of the drivers from that team, and then that team would use its own reserve driver.
Scuderia Ferrari HP
Ferrari’s reserve drivers in 2026 are Robert Kubica and Antonio Giovinazzi, who will perform this role interchangeably. Kubica thus returns to F1; Ferrari appreciated his performances in the WEC series, where in 2025, behind the wheel of a hypercar, he won the Le Mans 24. Kubica will appear at half of the F1 races and will also work in the simulator. Ferrari wants to use his experience in car development in the simulator; Fred Vasseur knows him very well, having been the head of Alfa Romeo when Kubica was a reserve driver there. The second reserve driver is Antonio Giovinazzi, who has held this position for several years and combines it with competing in the WEC series for the Ferrari factory team. Giovinazzi will participate in private tests with older F1 cars in 2026.
Let’s remember that Oliver Bearman is very closely associated with Ferrari. If there were a need to replace one of the regular drivers in advance, it is highly likely they would use Bearman, and then his place at Haas would be taken by that team’s reserve driver.
Atlassian Williams F1 Team
Williams’ reserve driver in 2026 is Luke Browning. The Briton has belonged to the team’s junior program for several years and has participated in practice sessions and tests. In previous seasons, he was a test driver, and from 2026, he was promoted to the role of reserve driver because he obtained a super license in the meantime. Luke Browning is expected to receive the opportunity to drive in Friday practice sessions and tests again this year. He will not be present at all F1 weekends because in 2026 he will be racing in the Japanese Super Formula series for the Kondo Racing team.
Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula One Team
The Racing Bulls team has two reserve drivers from Japan in 2026. The main reserve is Ayumu Iwasa, and the second reserve is Yuki Tsunoda. Iwasa will compete in the Super Formula series, where he is the defending champion, so he will not always be present at the track during F1 weekends. Hence the decision for the second reserve driver to be Yuki Tsunoda, who, due to his duties at Red Bull, will always be at the track. Iwasa will likely get the opportunity to drive the team’s car during several Friday practice sessions, as he meets the requirements for sessions intended for young drivers.
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Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team
Aston Martin’s reserve drivers in 2026 are Jak Crawford and Stoffel Vandoorne. Crawford replaced Felipe Drugovich in this role, who spent many years as a reserve in this team. Jak Crawford is the 2025 Formula 2 runner-up and has participated in several F1 practice sessions and tests with Aston Martin. In 2026, he will be a full-time reserve driver and will not race in another racing series. In 2026, the American should also drive in practice sessions and private tests several times. Stoffel Vandoorne remained with the team for another year. His main occupation in 2026 will be competing in the WEC series, where he is a factory driver for Peugeot. He is also a reserve driver for Jaguar in Formula E, so he has three positions.
TGR Haas F1 Team
The Haas team’s reserve drivers in 2026 are Ryo Hirakawa and Jack Doohan. The team has not specified the division between them; I assume they will appear at the tracks interchangeably. Hirakawa remained at Haas in the role of reserve driver; a year ago, he participated in several practice sessions and private tests. In 2026, it will be similar, and besides that, he will be a driver for the Toyota factory team in the WEC series. Jack Doohan was associated with the Alpine team last year, but for the 2026 season, he moved to Haas. The Australian hopes that in the future he will manage to become a regular driver at Haas if Bearman or Ocon vacate a seat. Doohan will not be able to drive in practice sessions at Haas, but he should have the opportunity to drive their car in private tests. Haas will get its own simulator in 2026, so it needs experienced reserve drivers. Doohan will race in the ELMS series in 2026.
Audi Revolut F1 Team
Audi has not announced the name of its reserve driver in 2026. A great talent, Freddie Slater, is associated with them, but he is too young to obtain a super license. Probably, in case of the unavailability of one of the regular drivers, they will use a reserve driver from another team. Such agreements between teams occur in F1.
BWT Alpine Formula One Team
The Alpine team announced that their reserve drivers in 2026 are Paul Aron and Kush Maini, who remain with the team for another season. Paul Aron is a full-time reserve driver who should conduct private tests with older cars this year, as well as participate in practice sessions. Alpine states (as they did in 2025) that Kush Maini is also their reserve driver, but the Indian does not have a super license and cannot drive in F1 races. In 2026, he is competing in Formula 2, so he will be present at most race weekends. He should get the opportunity to drive in practice sessions and tests, but for formal reasons, he cannot start in an F1 race. Should the need arise, Paul Aron will drive.
Cadillac Formula 1 Team
The reserve driver for the new Cadillac team in 2026 is Zhou Guanyu, who moved from Ferrari, where he had identical duties in 2025. The Chinese driver is expected to appear at all race weekends this year. He will likely not have opportunities to drive the car during private tests, as Cadillac does not have an older car available. Zhou joined this team because of its head, Graeme Lowdon. The Briton has also been Zhou’s manager for many years. Cadillac’s test driver in 2026 will be Colton Herta, who does not yet have a super license. He will be able to drive during Friday practice sessions, which will allow him to obtain it.
In the case of the need to replace a regular driver in an F1 team, the timing of such a decision is key. If a team knows several days in advance that their main driver will not race, they will bring in the reserve regardless of his commitments in other series (F1 team contracts usually cover this). If, however, a regular driver, for example, gets injured during Friday practice sessions, and the reserve driver is at races in another series at that time, a significant problem arises. Logistical issues and reaching the track quickly before F1 qualifying on Saturday stand in the way. Therefore, teams may then decide on another driver who is on-site.
The most important facts about the 2026 season can be found in a special category of articles, which can be seen at this link.
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