{"id":622031,"date":"2026-04-22T23:02:39","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T23:02:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/622031\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T23:02:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T23:02:39","slug":"who-would-each-team-take-first-to-start-their-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/622031\/","title":{"rendered":"Who would each team take first to start their future?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We’re here to strip Formula 1 back to zero. No contracts, no politics, no legacy seats: just 11 teams and a clean board of drivers aged 22 and under. This is, ultimately, a long-term play. Not who wins next Sunday, but who shapes the next decade.<\/p>\n

Raw pace matters, but so does trajectory, adaptability, and the kind of ceiling that can anchor a team through multiple regulation cycles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how our draft picks unfolded, with the lowest-ranked teams before the Miami GP getting first picks \u2014 how would you do things differently if you could draft the world’s top racing talent?<\/p>\n

Cadillac \u2014 Kimi Antonelli
\n \"Andrea <\/p>\n

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes<\/p>\n

Photo by: Lars Baron \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

The obvious franchise cornerstone for Cadillac, and a race winner at 19 years old.\u00a0Antonelli arrives with elite pedigree, rapid progression through the junior ladder, and the kind of technical grounding from his Mercedes experience that teams can’t simply get elsewhere. If Cadillac is serious about becoming a front-running operation, this is the highest-upside reset available. First overall pick in 2026?\u00a0Antonelli, without question.<\/p>\n

Aston Martin \u2014 Oliver\u00a0Bearman
\n \"Oliver <\/p>\n

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team<\/p>\n

Photo by: Simon Galloway \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Bearman is already operating like a driver beyond his years. Composed, analytical, and quick across different environments, he offers something closer to a complete package than most at this stage. His already-strong performances against teammates and experience with other F1 teams would give Aston Martin a solid benchmark as it fights to get back to the front at all costs. Over a 5\u201310 year window, Bearman’s composure could matter more than outright hype.<\/p>\n

Williams \u2014\u00a0Isack Hadjar
\n \"Isack <\/p>\n

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing<\/p>\n

Photo by: Kym Illman \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Hadjar\u00a0brings an edge that Williams arguably lacks. Aggressive, instinctive, and often operating right on the limit, he fits with a Williams reset that needs energy as much as structure. The raw speed is there for this regular points-scorer, the question is how high the ceiling goes once it\u2019s refined. With Hadjar known to push the team toward results as hard as he pushes himself, this addition of a ‘racer’s racer’ could be the dynamite Williams needs to lift itself to the front of the grid.<\/p>\n

Audi \u2014 Freddie Slater
\n \"Freddie <\/p>\n

Freddie Slater, Audi Driver Development Programme<\/p>\n

Photo by: Audi<\/p>\n

Still early, but Slater\u2019s trajectory is hard to ignore. The British driver has dominated in junior categories, including strong performances in GB3 and in Formula Regional machinery despite racing against more experienced drivers. He\u2019s shown an ability to adapt quickly across cars and conditions, which is often the clearest early signal of long-term potential. For Audi, this is a timing play, locking down its 17-year-old development prospect to his F1 future.<\/p>\n

Racing Bulls \u2014\u00a0Connor Zilisch
\n \"Connor <\/p>\n

Connor Zilisch, JR Motorsports Chevrolet, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.<\/p>\n

Photo by: James Gilbert \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

A future Racing Bulls and\u00a0Connor Zilisch pairing may not be as far-fetched as you think. At 19,\u00a0Zilisch has won the 24 Hours of Daytona (LMP2), 12 Hours of Sebring (LMP2), and was the 2025 Xfinity Regular Season Champion with 10 wins and 18 consecutive top five finishes. If Red Bull’s proud junior team wants to supercharge its F1 program, should it not invest in one of the fastest American drivers of a generation\u2026who also happens to already be on the Red Bull roster?<\/p>\n

Red Bull \u2014\u00a0Nikola Tsolov
\n \"Nikola <\/p>\n

Nikola Tsolov<\/p>\n

Photo by: Rudy Carezzevoli \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Tsolov arrives with Red Bull backing and a reputation for raw speed. The Bulgarian won the 2022 Spanish F4 title with 13 victories, immediately marking him as one of the most aggressive and naturally quick drivers of his class. His move into\u00a0FIA F3 has been about refining that pace: still fast, but increasingly controlled. Red Bull doesn\u2019t need polish on day one; it needs a driver capable of becoming untouchable. Tsolov fits that mold.<\/p>\n

Alpine \u2014\u00a0Arvid Lindblad
\n \"Arvid <\/p>\n

Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls<\/p>\n

Photo by: Clive Rose \/ Formula 1 via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Lindblad is the only F1 rookie in 2026, but an impressive one. A race winner across multiple categories including Italian F4 and Formula Regional, he combines consistency with strong\u00a0racecraft. Rarely out of position, rarely making costly mistakes, attributes crucial in the a cost cap F1 era. He\u2019s also one of the youngest drivers on the grid, which makes the results stand out more. For Alpine, this is about locking in a driver who scales with the team over time rather than peaking early.<\/p>\n

Haas \u2014 Gabriel\u00a0Bortoleto
\n \"Gabriel <\/p>\n

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team<\/p>\n

Photo by: Kym Illman \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Bortoleto has already proven he can deliver championships under pressure. He won the 2023\u00a0FIA Formula 3 title as a rookie, a rare feat that immediately elevated his stock, and followed it with a front-running presence in Formula 2. At Audi, we’re learning his strength isn\u2019t just outright speed. Bortoleto is developing his race management, tire control, and applying those lessons across a full season. For Haas, that level of consistency is exactly what a long-term rebuild needs.<\/p>\n

McLaren \u2014 Jak Crawford
\n \"Jak <\/p>\n

Jak Crawford, Aston Martin F1 Team<\/p>\n

Photo by: Lars Baron \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Crawford\u2019s development path has been methodical but effective. After progressing through Red Bull\u2019s junior system, he has become a regular front-runner in FIA Formula 2, scoring wins and podiums while improving his qualifying consistency. He\u2019s not the flashiest name in the pool, but neither was Norris or Piastri until they showed up on the grid in Papaya. McLaren often values upward trajectory over early spikes, and drafting a driver still climbing to his peak performance fits this mold.<\/p>\n

Ferrari \u2014\u00a0Gabriele Min\u00ec
\n \"Gabriele <\/p>\n

Gabriele Min\u00ec, Prema<\/p>\n

Photo by: Prema Powerteam<\/p>\n

Min\u00ec combines speed with composure, a combination Ferrari has historically valued. The Italian has been a consistent\u00a0front-runner in FIA Formula 3, taking multiple wins and fighting at the sharp end of the championship. He also won the 2020 Italian F4 title, underlining his ability to convert potential into results. There\u2019s a calmness to how he races, which matters when the pressure inevitably ramps up once the Tifosi add their huge support, and bigger expectations.<\/p>\n

Mercedes \u2014\u00a0Doriane Pin
\n \"Doriane <\/p>\n

Doriane Pin, Mercedes<\/p>\n

Photo by: Mercedes AMG<\/p>\n

Recent Mercedes private F1 test driver Pin brings a different profile \u2014 but one with serious substance. An F1 Academy champion, a race winner in the World Endurance Championship and a front-runner in the European Le Mans Series, she has already proven she can perform in high-pressure, wheel-to-wheel racing environments. Her transition into\u00a0single-seaters has been rapid, showing strong pace in F1 Academy and beyond. For Mercedes, this is about long-term upside and adaptability \u2014 and Pin has both.<\/p>\n

Conclusion
\n \"Starting <\/p>\n

Starting grid<\/p>\n

Photo by: Peter Fox \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

A draft like this strips away the noise and forces one question: who is worth building around for the next decade? Some of these driver picks would hit immediately. Others would take time. But over time, the teams that get this call right aren\u2019t just competitive: they define the next era of F1.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And if the sport ever did reset like this, the real story wouldn\u2019t be who gets picked first, it would be the team who gets it right.<\/p>\n

We want your opinion!<\/p>\n

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?<\/p>\n

Take our 5 minute survey.<\/a><\/p>\n

– The Motorsport.com Team<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We’re here to strip Formula 1 back to zero. No contracts, no politics, no legacy seats: just 11…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":622032,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[441],"tags":[233378,1035,196485,585,584,49,4228,48,578,930,576,577,3017,590,1881,130618,130619,3015,2190,82,1196],"class_list":{"0":"post-622031","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-formula-1","8":"tag-2026-f1-draft-who-would-each-team-take-first-to-start-their-future","9":"tag-alpine","10":"tag-apple_launch","11":"tag-aston-martin","12":"tag-audi","13":"tag-ca","14":"tag-cadillac","15":"tag-canada","16":"tag-f1","17":"tag-ferrari","18":"tag-formula-1","19":"tag-formula1","20":"tag-haas-f1-team","21":"tag-mclaren","22":"tag-mercedes","23":"tag-miami-gp","24":"tag-miami-international-autodrome","25":"tag-racing-bulls","26":"tag-red-bull-racing","27":"tag-sports","28":"tag-williams"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622031","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=622031"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622031\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/622032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=622031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=622031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=622031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}