2026 F1 reserve drivers: the hopefuls on standby for each GP team

This season will bring new teams, new rules and a new look for the 2026 F1 reserve driver line-up.

Some teams are yet to confirm their substitutes, but most have announced who they will have on standby in case one of their regular drivers is ill, injured or suspended.

While this rarely happens in modern F1, there are plenty of hopefuls willing to bide their time in the hope of being handed a career-making chance to show their talent in front of an audience of millions.

That chance can come out of the blue, as Oliver Bearman found out at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix — where Ferrari‘s Carlos Sainz was ruled out with a case of appendicitis. The-then 18-year-old, who won four times during the 2023 F2 season before becoming Ferrari reserve, impressed vastly with a seventh-place finish and was quickly snapped up by Haas, which offered him a 2025 race seat.

Being a reserve also worked for Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez. Having sat on the sidelines in 2025 after losing their seats at the end of the previous season, they are now back on the grid with Cadillac.

Yuki Tsunoda, Jack Doohan and Zhou Guanyu will be hoping for similar luck this year in their role as reserves, alongside other veteran ‘safe hands’ and a crop of promising youngsters.

2026 F1 reserve drivers

Click on a team name for more details

As well as attending races, reserve drivers will assist with simulator work — testing new components or set-up options. They are also at the front of the queue to get a taste of F1 machinery in the two free practice sessions that teams must offer to younger drivers each year

Should illness, injury or even a team dispute sideline one of the race drivers then, as with Bearman, the team’s reserve driver is suddenly thrust into the spotlight with sometimes just one race to make an impact. Nyck de Vries impressed so much for Williams at Monza in 2022 that AlphaTauri offered him a contract for the following season — although that didn’t quite work out as planned. In 2023, Liam Lawson burnished his credentials with assured drives when Daniel Ricciardo was sidelined with a broken hand, and returned to replace the Aussie in 2024 from the US Grand Prix onwards.

An F1 reserve driver’s duties can also vary from team to team: some are ‘super-subs’ from other categories such as McLaren’s IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward and Antonio Giovinazzi who races for Ferrari in the World Endurance Championship. Others travel and work with the team more frequently. Customer teams such as Haas or Williams have the option of borrowing reserve drivers from suppliers such as Ferrari and Mercedes — allowing some drivers to have more chances than others at an F1 debut.

With that in mind, below are details of all the reserve drivers confirmed for the 2026 F1 season.

McLaren

Pato O’Ward

Pato O’Ward continues as a key figure in McLaren’s reserve pool, bridging his IndyCar success with growing Formula 1 responsibilities.

A multiple race winner for Arrow McLaren in IndyCar, the Mexican has steadily built his F1 mileage through young driver tests and multiple FP1 outings, particularly in front of fervent home support in Mexico City.

His dual role gives McLaren a highly race-sharp option should Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri be sidelined.

Mercedes

Fred Vesti

A longtime member of the Mercedes junior scheme and 2023 Formula 2 runner‑up, Frederik Vesti remains the German squad’s reserve for 2026.

The Dane transitioned into a full‑time reserve role while racing sports cars in IMSA to stay race‑sharp.

His FP1 outings in Bahrain, Mexico City and Abu Dhabi in 2025, plus extensive work on the 2026 package in Brackley, mean Vesti is fully embedded with George Russell, Kimi Antonelli and the engineering group.

Red Bull/Racing Bulls

Yuki Tsunoda

Yuki Tsunoda stayed on as reserve at Red Bull and Racing Bulls for 2026 after losing his racing seat following a mid-2025 promotion to the senior team that yielded underwhelming results.

After five F1 seasons as a racer, the Japanese driver now focuses on simulator duties, testing and development for the 2026 regulations.

Ferrari

Antonio Giovinazzi

Ferrari enters 2026 with a simplified reserve structure following the departure of Zhou Guanyu to Cadillac.

Although not officially confirmed for this year, veteran Antonio Giovinazzi remains the bedrock of the programme and should be staying on, combining his duties with Ferrari’s Hypercar efforts in the WEC.

However, Ferrari is likely to call Oliver Bearman from Haas as an emergency substitute for Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton if required.

Williams

TBC

Williams has not announced an official reserve or third driver for 2026.

The team relies on Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz as its core race pairing, with no dedicated backup named in recent line-up confirmations, even though it ran Luke Browning in FP1 sessions during 2025.

Aston Martin

Jak Crawford

Jak Crawford was chosen as Aston Martin’s official third and reserve driver for 2026, succeeding Felipe Drugovich.

The 20-year-old American, second in the 2025 Formula 2 Championship with DAMS, has logged over 2000km in F1 cars including FP1 debuts in Mexico City and Abu Dhabi.

His simulator work at Silverstone’s AMR Technology Campus has aided AMR26 development and race ops for Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.

Haas

Ryo Hirakawa

Ryo Hirakawa remains Haas’ official reserve driver into 2026, building on his 2025 role where he completed multiple FP1 sessions in the VF-25 at Bahrain, Mexico, Spain, and Abu Dhabi.

The 31-year-old Japanese star, a two-time WEC Hypercar champion (2022-23) and 2022 Le Mans overall winner with Toyota alongside Sebastien Buemi and Brendon Hartley, joined Haas via their Toyota partnership after stints with Alpine and McLaren.

Audi

TBC

Audi has not yet announced an official reserve driver for its 2026 F1 debut after taking over Sauber.

The Hinwil squad used Paul Aron in some FP1 sessions last year, but the Estonian was still under contract with Alpine.

Alpine

TBC

Alpine had Paul Aron, Jack Doohan and Kush Maini as reserve drivers throughout 2025, providing FP1 coverage and simulator support for Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto .

The team is yet to announce its reserve plans for 2026, leaving their roles uncertain amid ongoing junior programme evaluation.

Cadillac

Zhou Guanyu

Zhou Guanyu has joined Cadillac as its official reserve driver for the team’s 2026 F1 debut after parting ways with Ferrari.

China’s first F1 racer spent 2025 in Ferrari’s simulator and TPC programmes after losing his racing seat with Sauber after 2024.

Reuniting with ex-team-mate Valtteri Bottas and manager Graeme Lowdon (now Cadillac team principal), Zhou will support Sergio Perez and Bottas through sim work, testing and FP1 while leveraging Ferrari power unit knowledge.