Shock names tipped to join F1 - but nobody suggests Sergio Perez

F1 teams will be scouting around the vast pool of drivers who are desperate for a race seat ahead of the 2026 season.

There will inevitably be some new names in the 2026 F1 driver line-up - whether that be returning veterans or fresh-faced rookies.

We tasked our Crash.net experts to suggest a non-F1 driver who deserves a step up into the world’s top racing series next year.

Some intriguing names pop up… but nobody suggests Sergio Perez, the ex-Red Bull driver who was ditched by the team ahead of this season, only for his two successors to also struggle in their difficult car.

Here’s who our team think deserves an F1 race seat in 2026…

Lewis Larkam: Alex Dunne is the standout driver in Formula 2 this year.

The 19-year-old Irishman’s speed has launched him into title contention during his first season in F1’s direct feeder season and seen him already make an impressive grand prix weekend debut with McLaren.

Dunne, the 2022 British F4 champion, has taken two victories and sits fifth in the drivers’ standings, 20 points off the top. But that doesn’t tell the full story of his remarkable debut campaign.

He has lost 43 points due to his team’s technical blunders that first saw him disqualified from second place in Austria, and then be stripped of a superb victory in Belgium. Without these DSQs, Dunne would comfortably be leading the championship.

If he can keep up this form in the final four rounds, and Rodin avoid further costly errors, there is every chance Dunne can still win the F2 title.

Dunne has massively impressed McLaren and would be an exciting prospect in F1, but the reality is there is probably no room for him on the grid in 2026 - regardless of how his F2 campaign ends.

Connor McDonagh: Valtteri Bottas is the fastest driver not on the grid currently. While Bottas failed to score a single point in his final F1 season at Sauber, there were no doubts about his overall pace and competitiveness.

Had it not been for tardy pit stops or poor reliability, Bottas would have scored points on several occasions for Sauber last year.

In his final outing for the team, Bottas made it into Q3 and out-qualified a Red Bull – that’s not someone who’s finished with F1.

Bottas’ F1 comeback looks inevitable, with rumours linking him with Cadillac or Alpine. Bottas is far from the perfect F1 driver, with his poor racecraft his main Achilles’ heel. However, his personality and outright speed would still add a lot to an exciting grid in 2026.

Lewis Duncan: F1 should always prioritise its junior categories when it comes to fresh talent. But this year’s F2 crop aren’t inspiring much to suggest they would be able to cut it in F1 right now. In those instances, looking further afield should be considered.

Several IndyCar names have been touted for F1 drivers in recent years, but if there is one consistently doing the business Stateside to warrant at least one season in grand prix racing it’s Alex Palou.

Palau has just won his fourth IndyCar championship. To boot, he added an Indy 500 win to his impressive career scoresheet this year.

The Spaniard is only 28, so perhaps on the older side for fresh F1 talents - but certainly not ancient, when you consider 35-year-old Valtteri Bottas is set for a return with Cadillac next season.

Palou has been associated with McLaren in the past, has done FP1 outings, and comes with some big support from the likes of Carlos Sainz. Considering the quality of some F1’s tailenders right now, teams could do a lot worse than to give a legitimate stud in Palou a shot.

Derry Munikartono: Formula 1 prides itself on having the best of the best in its driver line-up — and Alex Palou would be the welcome addition to the grid.

The Spaniard has established himself as the premier open-wheel driver in America, sealing his fourth IndyCar title this year with Chip Ganassi Racing. His dominance was nothing short of staggering, taking eight wins from 15 races, including a career-defining victory at the iconic Indianapolis 500.

At 28, Palou has been refreshingly blunt about his ambitions — or rather, his lack of them — when it comes to Formula 1. Having already conquered North America, he insists he has little interest in trading that success for the uncertainty of F1. Yet, from the sport’s perspective, a driver of Palou’s calibre and profile could be the perfect weapon to further boost F1’s popularity in the United States.

That conversation becomes even more intriguing with the arrival of Cadillac’s F1 team next year. Palou checks every box for them: blisteringly fast, a proven winner, a world-class resume, and a massive fanbase stateside thanks to his IndyCar dominance.

Which leaves us with one big question — what would it take for Cadillac to lure Alex Palou into Formula 1? Money? Legacy? Or perhaps the irresistible challenge of proving himself against the world’s very best?

Rachit Thukral: IndyCar and Super Formula are the two strongest single-seater series outside Formula 1 by any measure - and Alex Palou has excelled in both.

His 2019 Super Formula campaign with Nakajima Racing thrust him back into the spotlight after a few underwhelming seasons in the European F1 ladder. That led to a move to IndyCar, where he has since become the series’ dominant force.

Four titles in five years is a staggering record, and he must now be counted among the greatest drivers in the championship’s history. In May, he completed a career milestone with his first Indy 500 win, underlining his status as a true all-rounder who can master whatever challenge comes his way.

Palou also has F1 mileage from his previous McLaren ties, and his experience in high-downforce Super Formula machinery would translate well to grand prix racing.