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Six F1-bound wonderkids to watch in 2026 including Ferrari prodigy and British sensation
Need to know
The F1 grid has benefited from an influx of young talent in recent years, and there is a talented new generation ready to challenge for seats over the coming years
Everything we know about the hottest wonderkids and F1 hopefuls heading into the 2026 motorsport season.
- Colton Herta: The 25-year-old California native is in an unusual position heading into his rookie Formula Two campaign. Already a nine-time IndyCar race winner, Herta arrives at the top rung of the feeder series ladder knowing that should he impress, he has a clear path onto the 2027 grid with Cadillac, for whom he is a test and development driver.
- Kalle Rovanpera: Starting off a wonderkid list with two 25-year-olds seems ironic, but Rovanpera lives up to that billing. The Finn shocked the motorsport world when he announced his intention to drive open-wheel cars in 2026 after winning 18 times in the World Rally Championship, in which he is a two-time world champion. Rovanpera will race with KCMG in Super Formula in 2026 with the aim of competing in F2 in 2027.
- Freddie Slater: There is perhaps no more intriguing British racing prospect on the feeder series ladder than Slater, who remains unattached heading into his first full F3 campaign in 2026. The 17-year-old has already caught the eye of F1 stars, and for good reason. He won eight times in 20 races in Formula Regional last term, and finished second on his F2 debut in Bahrain.
- Rafael Camara: Ferrari junior prospect Camara is looking to follow in the footsteps of countryman Gabriel Bortoleto as he targets back-to-back F3 and F2 titles. The Brazilian starlet was the dominant force in F3 with Trident, winning four feature races, and won the Formula Regional crown the previous year.
- Dries van Langendonck: Those who keep a keen eye on the feeder series ladder sat up and took notice when world karting champion Dries van Langendonck capped his first weekend as a British Formula 4 driver with pole position and a win by over seven seconds, aged just 14. The Belgian prodigy is a member of the McLaren junior programme, and there will be plenty waiting to see where he competes full-time in 2026.
- Fionn McLaughlin: Alex Dunne put Irish motorsport back on the map when he impressed in FP1 for McLaren in 2025, and McLaughlin will soon join him on the radar of F1 fans at his current rate. The 18-year-old from Magherafelt will make his F3 debut with Hitech TGR next year after storming to the British F4 crown last term.
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