F1 writers pick their dream teams ahead of 2026's second half

Before the second half of the 2026 season kicks off, we asked our writers to create their ideal F1 team by picking two drivers and a Team Principal. With so many differences between every era of Formula 1, the debate over the greatest driver and best all-round team will likely continue to rage on. But who would our writers choose from across the sport's rich history to be part of their ultimate outfit? We asked Lawrence Barretto, Chris Medland, Mark Hughes, David Tremayne and Mike Seymour to select two drivers and one Team Principal to form their dream line-up.

Lawrence Barretto — Schumacher and Senna under Sir Frank Williams

In one seat, the F1 Correspondent & Presenter would definitely have Michael Schumacher. 'The German was incredibly fast, ruthlessly committed and was skilled at building a team around him,' Barretto wrote. 'He was also a details guy – I remember reading how his trainer would take trackside blood samples to measure aerobic rates while he was testing and then they would replicate those conditions in a gym to boost his fitness – and for me, that approach to his racing was a big part of his success.'

He would pair the seven-time champion with Ayrton Senna, noting: 'We never got to see them go properly head-to-head for a championship, but I'm pretty sure it would have been box office. Putting them inside the same team would definitely create fireworks, but Sir Frank was no-nonsense and would have had a good handle on the situation.'

For team boss, Barretto chose Sir Frank Williams: 'He was an iconic Formula 1 Team Principal who was utterly consumed by the sport, so much so he even lived at the team's factory in Grove. He saw the team as an extension to his family while his relentless determination to win no matter the obstacle (of which there were many, including a severe disability after he broke his neck in a car crash), was inspiring.'

Chris Medland — Senna and Andretti with Niki Lauda in charge

Special Contributor Chris Medland needed little justification for Ayrton Senna: 'A driver revered by so many others – including a number on the current grid who never even saw him race – Senna's combination of incredible speed and overall aura has him straight into my team. You just know he's going to get everything out of the car he's given, and at times maybe more.'

His second seat went to Mario Andretti, a choice Medland makes 'no apologies' for: 'I'm a huge Mario fan, due to the massively diverse range of machinery he would not only drive, but win in, across motorsport. He'd probably still be racing in F1 today if someone would give him a seat! Brilliantly quick in his own right, I also think his adaptability could sit nicely alongside Senna, and that each would command respect from the other.'

To manage the pair, Medland picked Niki Lauda: 'Team Principal Niki didn't have a great time of it at Jaguar, but proved he could play a role in building a championship-winning constructor with big personality drivers at Mercedes. Plus, if I'm only expecting the drivers would have respect for each other, I'm certain they would have plenty for Lauda as their boss.'

Mark Hughes — Villeneuve and Prost under Colin Chapman

Special Contributor Mark Hughes opted for Gilles Villeneuve and Alain Prost: 'I'm going for Gilles Villeneuve because his super-natural gift and fighting spirit came with none of the emotion of the similarly-blessed Senna and so he could be paired more comfortably with Alain Prost, who was at the other end of the driving traits spectrum and had a good relationship with Gilles. That means they would be good enough to keep the poison and politics at bay. With this duo the team would have a massive bandwidth of driving skill and a nice equilibrium.'

For the boss, Hughes chose Colin Chapman: 'As well as being an inspirational boss, he was also a creative design genius so you'd be getting two for the price of one.'

David Tremayne — Antonelli and Sainz led by Andrea Stella

Hall of Fame F1 journalist David Tremayne started with his Team Principal, Andrea Stella: 'He eats, drinks and sleeps F1 and McLaren, and when he needs to be he is very hands-on. But he is also very clear thinking, extraordinarily honest within himself, a very, very good judge of people and character; an organiser; and a man who does not need to be in the spotlight and understands the arts of delegation, autonomy and empowerment.' Tremayne added that Stella 'has played a tremendous role in re-organising McLaren's technical department' and, when problems arise, 'is very capable when it comes to tamping things down and maintaining control.'

For drivers, Tremayne's primary choice was Kimi Antonelli: 'He has demonstrated superb skills in all conditions, learns fast, and is an open, engaging character. And he clearly has many years ahead of him.' Were Antonelli unavailable, the alternate was Max Verstappen: 'He can squeeze more out of a car than anyone else right now even when his machinery is inferior, and you'd be daft not to chase him.' But Tremayne stressed the two should not be paired: 'Two bulls in a field nearly always leads to trouble. So it would be one or the other.'

His second driver was Carlos Sainz: 'He was usually a bit quicker than Lando Norris at McLaren (though the World Champion has developed since), and he was matching Charles Leclerc at Ferrari by 2024. He's fast, clever and lucid, personable, and fits in well, and deserves a competitive car.'

Mike Seymour — Senna and Button with Ross Brawn at the helm

Staff Writer Mike Seymour admitted he 'won't be alone in choosing Senna,' explaining: 'Every single clip of the legendary racer in action appears to show him dancing on the edge of what was physically possible, with those skills complemented by his unique off-track charisma, and he remains a reference – and inspiration – for drivers today.'

His second seat went to Jenson Button, a driver Seymour followed 'from Williams debutant to World Champion with Brawn GP.' He reasoned: 'For me, he combines raw speed, intelligence, adaptability and race craft like few other drivers in F1 history, and has shown that he can work well alongside fellow World Champions in Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.'

The man to steward the operation was Ross Brawn, who 'enjoyed championship success with several outfits during his time in F1, from Benetton to Ferrari and then his own eponymous squad – not to mention laying the foundations for the Mercedes dominance that followed.' Seymour concluded: 'With Brawn, my line-up of Senna and Button would get the car and environment they need to succeed, whilst the team's best interests would also be looked after.'

The exercise, with nods to greats such as Jim Clark, underscores just how divisive — and delightful — the debate over F1's greatest ever combination remains.