Guide

Rookies to watch: who could reach F1 next

Which junior drivers have the super licence points and the backing to step up? A look at the 2026 F2 and F3 front-runners.

Written 31 October 2026, with the F2 season still running. Check the Road to F1 tracker for the latest standings.

Already confirmed

Rafael Câmara is the first rookie confirmed for 2027. Haas announced a multi-year contract in October 2026, alongside Oliver Bearman. Câmara was leading the F2 championship at the time, and a top-three finish will give him the full 40 super licence points.

F2 contenders

Nikola Tsolov has been Câmara's closest rival all season. He already has 25 points banked from finishing second in the 2025 F3 championship, so he is comfortably on course for 40 whatever happens at the finale.

Alex Dunne is also in the top three, which would make him eligible on this season's result alone.

Dino Beganovic will be Ferrari's F1 reserve and development driver in 2027. That puts him first in line if Ferrari or one of its partner teams needs a driver.

F3 stars heading to F2

Ugo Ugochukwu won the 2026 F3 title at the Madring finale, becoming the first American F3 champion. The title is worth 30 super licence points, so a solid F2 season would take him past 40.

Freddie Slater finished runner-up, worth 25 points. Tuukka Taponen, third, is expected to move up to F2 for 2027.

What decides it

Points are only the entry ticket. Seats depend on academy backing, team needs and timing. A driver can reach 40 points and still wait years for a seat, or step up quickly because a team has a vacancy at the right moment.