With several of the current F1 drivers’ contracts ending in 2022, we can expect to see some new faces on the grid next year. The question is, who do we think deserves a seat? We turned to Facebook to ask the fans who they favour via poll. Let’s see who came out on top…
1. Oscar Piastri – 717 votes
Unsurprisingly, its the current F2 Champion Oscar Piastri with the most votes. The Aussie is a member of the Alpine Academy and will be joining the F1 team as a test driver in 2022. Oscar has won both the F3 and F2 championships, driving for Prema Racing for both series.
Alpine Driver Fernando Alonso has not made any announcements regarding his (second) retirement despite the fact his contract finishes in 2022. Many believe that Oscar is a shoo-in for Alonso’s seat, but will he go to another team?
2. Nico Hülkenberg – 665 votes
In at 2nd place is former F1 driver Nico Hülkenberg. The German native has had a career in F1 spanning over 8 years, driving for teams Williams, Force India, Sauber, Renault, and Racing Point respectively.
Nico has never had a podium finish in F1 and while many fans believe he has been unlucky, others think he’s already had his chance.
Either way it’s clear Nico is still interested in an F1 seat after declining an IndyCar opportunity with McLaren and spending 2021 as Aston Martin’s reserve driver.
3. Jamie Chadwick – 413 votes
Up next is W series champion Jamie Chadwick. Jamie has won 2 consecutive W Series Championships and has stated that her next goal is to join a feeder series in the hopes of eventually reaching F1.
She has since raced in Extreme E and taken part in ROC with fellow Brit David Coulthard.
Jamie is currently a development driver for Williams F1 team and has enough points on her super license to be eligible for an F1 practice session. We hope to see her on the track soon!
4. Nyck De Vries – 315 votes
Formula E champion Nyck De Vries joins the list at number 4. Nyck has been driving for Mercedes-EQ FE team since 2019 and also won the F2 championship that same year.
The 27-year-old took part in the F1 2020 young driver test with Mercedes, alongside FE teammate Stoffel Vandoorne.
He and Vandoorne were both reserve drivers for Mercedes F1 team last year and it looks as though they will be continuing into the next season.
5. Patricio O’Ward – 220 votes
Pato O’ward is a particular favourite for McLaren fans as he is currently driving for the Arrow McLaren SP team in the IndyCar Series.
Pato has been driving in the IndyCar Series since 2018, after winning the Indy Lights championship that same year. O’ward finished 3rd last year and will be continuing with McLaren in the 2022 IndyCar Series.
The Mexican had 2 opportunities to drive a McLaren F1 car last year and finished fourth fastest at the end of year testing. It’s clear he would love a seat in F1, after claiming that it the drive was ‘the best experience [he’d] ever had.’
6. Antonio Giovinazzi – 194 votes
Another former F1 driver comes in at number 6. Antonio Giovinazzi began his F1 career in 2019 driving for Alfa Romeo but was replaced for the 2022 season by Guanyu Zhou.
Antonio has expressed his desire to re-join F1 and many fans would love to see the Italian finally get his first podium finish.
He is currently racing for Dragon Penske Autosport in Formula E, but he is still linked to F1 as a reserve driver for Ferrari.
7. Liam Lawson – 121 votes
Next on the list is Red Bull Junior Liam Lawson.
Liam took part in his first F2 season last year with Hitech Grand Prix team, finishing 9th. He will be competing again this year, driving for Carlin.
Liam also competed in the 2021 DMT alongside Alex Albon. He finished 2nd in the championship after losing out on the win during the final race of the season.
Liam participated in the Mazda Road to Indy Shootout back in 2017 and lost out on the scholarship despite being the fastest driver. It’s clear Liam has a bright future ahead of him!
8. Robert Shwartzman – 99 votes
Ferrari Academy driver Robert Shwartzman is in 8th place. The Russian driver came 2nd in the F2 championship last year and 4th in 2020. He is also the 2019 F3 champion and winner of the 2018 Toyota Racing Series.
It was recently announced that Robert will be a test driver for the Ferrari F1 team this upcoming season.
9. Dennis Hauger – 26 votes
Finishing up our list is the current F3 champion, Dennis Hauger.
The Norwegian won the F3 championship last year with Prema and has also won the Italian F4 championship back in 2019.
Dennis will be competing in F2 this year, again with Prema.
The Red Bull junior is only 18 and has plenty of time to work towards F1. Until then, we look forward to seeing him compete in F2.