The most eye-catching name on the list is, unsurprisingly, the Japanese driver, who finds himself without a race seat for the upcoming season after Red Bull opted to place its faith in Isack Hadjar, promoting him alongside Max Verstappen.

As a result, Tsunoda has been forced to accept a reserve role for 2026, hoping it could serve as a springboard back onto the grid in 2027.

Among the other former Formula 1 drivers is Antonio Giovinazzi, now a key figure in Ferrari’s WEC programme, who raced for Alfa Romeo across three seasons between 2019 and 2021.

Another familiar Sauber name is Guanyu Zhou. After spending three years alongside Valtteri Bottas from 2022 to 2024, followed by a season as Ferrari’s reserve driver, Zhou is set to take on the same role at Cadillac this year.

The rest of the list features several rising stars from Formula 2, including Luke Browning and Paul Aron, who will serve as reserve drivers for Williams and Alpine respectively. Frederik Vesti and Pato O’Ward, meanwhile, fill that role at McLaren.

Audi’s choice has yet to be confirmed, with the German manufacturer set to rely on its full-time line-up of Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto.

As mentioned earlier, the Chinese driver took on the role of Ferrari reserve in 2025 and will continue in the same capacity this year, with his ultimate aim still firmly focused on securing a race seat for 2026.