The 2024 Formula 1 season generated some of its highest levels of interest ever as Max Verstappen claimed a fourth consecutive title.
Lando Norris’ landmark victory at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix also helped McLaren secure their first championship in 16 years.
Carlos Sainz trailed closely behind in his final race for Ferrari, as they fell short of ending their title drought by just 14 points.
The Spaniard moves to Williams for next season, where he kicked off preparations at the post-season test by leading the timings for most of the day.
He wasn’t the only driver who shone though, with Nico Hulkenberg ending the day’s running fourth out of 23 runners in a Sauber.
Few that stood out still don’t have drives for the 2026 season, so which of those promising stars were good enough to warrant a Formula 1 team offering them another opportunity?
Why Felipe Drugovich deserves a Formula 1 seat for 2026
There are various talents and stars who have fallen through the cracks in recent times, with a few Formula 2 champions not having found an opportunity to progress.
Felipe Drugovich and Theo Pourchaire won the championship in 2022 and 2023 respectively, but were not handed a chance to graduate.
Drugovich, in particular, was unfortunate and has continued to fill a reserve driver role for Aston Martin, but showed well in the Abu Dhabi test.
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He completed the joint-second most laps of anyone with 146 – nearly three race distances within one day, which is an endorsement of his fitness and shows that he is ready for a full-time seat.
Mercedes’s axed driver Paul Aron could have an F1 shot with Alpine too
Another driver that also showed well was Paul Aron – third place in this year’s Formula 2 standings, creeping inside the top 10, ending the day ninth after 121 laps.
He recently signed with the Alpine Academy after leaving Mercedes to fulfil a role previously occupied by Jack Doohan, so further opportunities should be around the corner soon.
If Doohan performs badly during his rookie season under a one-year contract, he risks being dropped, which would create an opening for Aron.
He’s yet to announce what his plans for 2025 are, whether he wants to return to Formula 2 and attempt to win the championship or focus on getting experience at Alpine in the simulator.
Mercedes reserve Frederik Vesti deserves an F1 shot in 2026 too
Joining Drugovich near the bottom of the times with just 55 laps was Mercedes junior Frederik Vesti – who finished as runner-up during the 2023 season.
With few single-seater opportunities available after the junior ladder, he too is stuck in effective limbo, waiting for a chance to prove himself on a race weekend.
READ MORE: Frederik Vesti shares how Mercedes engineers are feeling amid worst start since 2011
Full-time drives are very hard to come by, and while he probably has an outside chance for 2026, his odds will be boosted if he gets a chance much like Oliver Bearman did this year.
The Brit was a stand-in for the injured Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, becoming the youngest Ferrari driver to score points on his debut.
Lando Norris heaped praise on Bearman, and a similar scenario would be ideal for Vesti with Mercedes if he can perform just as well.
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