F1 teams need to be prepared to adapt to every scenario, including the possibility that one of their main drivers could fall ill or sustain an injury that rules them out of a race weekend. With every result proving crucial, their roster of reserve drivers must be ready to step in at the last second, so who has each team trusted that responsibility to?
At every round, at least one reserve driver will be on standby just in case a full-time racer is ruled out, but several squads have split that role between two individuals. Here’s an overview of both the young and vastly experienced reserves for the 2026 season…
McLaren
Leonardo Fornaroli
The most recent Formula 2 Champion, Fornaroli was signed to the McLaren Driver Development Programme after his title success, joining an exclusive group of drivers who have won the Formula 3 and F2 titles in back-to-back seasons.
The 21-year-old will fulfil the role alongside his duties as the Woking outfit’s Test and Development Driver, completing an extensive programme in the simulator to both improve his own skills and provide valuable data as they aim to defend the title.
Pato O’Ward
IndyCar’s O’Ward will act as one of McLaren’s reserve drivers for the third consecutive season after he first joined the team back in 2023. He’s previously made five appearances for the squad in FP1 sessions, including two at his home race in Mexico, and has undertaken additional testing too.
At 26, he has a wealth of experience in IndyCar, competing for Arrow McLaren since 2020 and netting multiple podiums and victories. O’Ward will once again prioritise his full-time drive in the series, working with the F1 team when the calendar allows.
Mercedes
Fred Vesti
Vesti has been a key figure at Mercedes since he signed to their Junior Team in 2021, going on to drive in several FP1 sessions and Abu Dhabi post-season tests. His strong performances have earned him a role as the team’s sole reserve driver – in previous years, he partnered Mick Schumacher and Valtteri Bottas respectively in the position.
With the Finn bound for Cadillac, Vesti – who has not been shy about his aspirations to achieve his own full-time spot on the grid – will continue his work on the sim as Mercedes target a return to the top.
Red Bull
Yuki Tsunoda
A tricky 2025 campaign saw Tsunoda net just 33 points, leading to the Japanese driver being replaced by Isack Hadjar for this season. Keen to keep him in the Red Bull family, the squad demoted him to test and reserve driver, a role which he will also serve for sister team Racing Bulls.
As one of five reserves to have had the experience of a full-time seat, Tsunoda will be ready to step up if either Hadjar or Max Verstappen are forced to miss out on a round.
Ferrari
Antonio Giovinazzi
Speaking of former drivers, Ferrari have retained the services of Giovinazzi, who raced for Alfa Romeo (now known as Audi) between 2019 and 2021. He’s been part of the Scuderia since 2017 and has also tested for Haas and Alpine, frequently acting as a more experienced driver alongside younger rookies.
The 32-year-old will balance his reserve role with competing in the World Endurance Championship, driving for Ferrari AF Corse.
Williams
Luke Browning
Williams announced that after impressing in his first full season in F2, Browning will be promoted to their reserve driver role for 2026, building on the support he gained from their Driver Academy.
In addition to providing valuable data for Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, the Briton will work on his own performance by racing in the Japanese Super Formula Championship, and will likely make further appearances in F1 practice sessions.
Racing Bulls
Yuki Tsunoda
The 25-year-old driver spent over four seasons with Racing Bulls and was instrumental in their progression through the midfield, so he’s a natural choice to once again aid in their development in 2026. Following his demotion from a full-time seat at Red Bull, Tsunoda will serve as a reserve for both teams.
Ayumu Iwasa
Iwasa has been part of the Red Bull Junior family for five years and has received his fair share of testing experience, driving in three young drivers’ tests and further private events on his way to becoming one of Racing Bulls’ official reserves.
Following a two-season stint in F2, the Japanese racer made his mark in Super Formula, sealing the championship in style in Suzuka last year. He will fight to defend his title in the series, combining this with his duties for Racing Bulls.
Aston Martin
Jak Crawford
The young American wouldn’t have been too happy about losing out to Fornaroli in last season’s F2 title battle, but Aston Martin softened the blow by offering him the opportunity of a full-time role as one of their reserves. With their long-standing third driver Felipe Drugovich heading to Formula E, Crawford was promoted to the position.
He made his maiden appearance in FP1 at the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix and went on to shine in the post-season test, where he topped the timesheets.
Stoffel Vandoorne
Vandoorne is no stranger to F1, having scored points on his debut at the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix where he stepped up as reserve driver to take Fernando Alonso’s seat at McLaren. The achievement earned him a full-time drive at the team, but after two seasons he returned to his original role.
He went on to thrive in Formula E, winning the 2021-22 championship, and has also competed in WEC for Peugeot, but has consistently remained in the F1 paddock throughout. Serving as a reserve for Mercedes, and subsequently Racing Point and McLaren, Vandoorne moved to Aston Martin in 2023.
Haas
Jack Doohan
Doohan previously served as a reserve for Alpine in 2023 and 2024 before he was handed a seat for the 2025 season, but after six rounds he was replaced by Franco Colapinto and reverted to the third driver role.
The Australian parted ways with the team ahead of this season, electing to join forces with Haas and use his pre-existing F1 experience to help them develop under the new regulations.
Ryo Hirakawa
At 31, Hirakawa has competed in the motorsport world for decades, most notably finding success in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and WEC. He has also tested for McLaren and Alpine, but his close relationship with Toyota in endurance racing meant the natural next step was a move to Haas, where Gazoo Racing recently joined as their title sponsor.
Audi
TBC
Audi are yet to confirm their reserve driver ahead of their debut as a constructor in 2026, having acquired the Sauber team. They announced 17-year-old Freddie Slater as the first member of their Driver Development Programme, with F1 ACADEMY’s Emma Felbermayr joining shortly after, but it remains to be seen who will be given the responsibility of the role.
Alpine
Paul Aron
Alpine have reduced their pool of reserve drivers from four to two this season, losing Doohan and Hirakawa to Haas. With several years under his belt as a member of the Mercedes Junior Team, Aron signed for Alpine in November 2024 and went on to appear for both Sauber and the Enstone outfit in free practice sessions last season.
The Estonian driver most recently competed for Hitech in the 2024 F2 campaign, losing out on the title to Gabriel Bortoleto and Hadjar.
Kush Maini
A member of the Alpine Academy, Maini stepped up to become a Test and Reserve Driver in 2025, making his sole appearance in an official F1 session at the post-season test. Alongside Aron, he will continue his work in the sim at Enstone to hone the team’s set-up at each race weekend.
Maini will also face the added challenge of driving his fourth season in F2, hoping to increase his tally of two victories as he joins ART Grand Prix.
Cadillac
Zhou Guanyu
Former Sauber driver Zhou – who accumulated 16 points during his three seasons on the grid – will reunite with his old team mate Bottas at Cadillac, with the Finn returning to a full-time seat at the new 11th team.
The Chinese driver left Sauber at the end of 2024 after scoring the squad’s only points of the year, and moved to a reserve role at Ferrari where he took part in their Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programmes and carried out simulator work. With the Scuderia providing the power unit and gearbox to Cadillac, it made sense for the American team to also make use of Zhou’s experience.
