Formula 1 stars and an IndyCar champion: Ranking the five greatest Euroformula Open graduates

Euroformula Open rarely attracts the attention afforded to Formula 2 or Formula 3, yet over the past decade it has become an important stop on the junior ladder for some of the most accomplished drivers in world motorsport. Some arrived as teenagers searching for mileage. Others came looking for a title to relaunch their careers. Many left having taken a decisive step towards the very top of the sport.

The championship has never been defined by household names at the time. Instead, its reputation has been built retrospectively, each graduate adding another line to a growing roll call of drivers who have gone on to succeed across Formula 1, IndyCar, endurance racing and GT competition.

These are the five greatest drivers to have raced in Euroformula Open.

Honourable mention: Dani Juncadella

Dani Juncadella occupies a slightly different place in Euroformula Open history.

Strictly speaking, the Spaniard cannot be considered a graduate of the championship. By the time he appeared at the 2015 season finale in Barcelona, he had already won the FIA European Formula 3 Championship, competed in DTM with Mercedes and established himself as one of Spain's leading professional racing drivers.

His Euroformula Open cameo came as a guest appearance with Emilio de Villota Motorsport, partly as preparation before his return to the Macau Grand Prix. It lasted just two races, but it still added an intriguing footnote to the championship's history.

Juncadella finished fourth in his first race of the weekend before taking third in Race 2, showing enough pace to reach the podium. Now over a decade on, Juncadella has added a host of GT accolades to his glittering resumé, including the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, Intercontinental GT Challenge and Spa 24 Hours.

5. Felipe Drugovich

Felipe Drugovich arrived in Euroformula Open in 2018 with a growing reputation after scoring a win on debut as a guest driver the previous year, but few could have predicted the dominance that would follow.

Driving for RP Motorsport, the Brazilian produced one of the finest seasons in the championship's history. Drugovich claimed 12 victories from 16 races, regularly proving untouchable over a single lap before converting pole positions into commanding wins. While his outright speed was his greatest strength, it was his consistency that ultimately secured the title. Even on weekends where victory looked unlikely, he continued to collect points, finishing almost 200 clear of his nearest challenger by the end of the season.

The championship proved to be another important step on a career that continued steadily upwards. Drugovich progressed through FIA Formula 3 before enjoying a breakthrough in Formula 2, where he won the 2022 championship with MP Motorsport. His title-winning campaign earned widespread recognition across the paddock and secured a role as Aston Martin's Formula 1 reserve driver.

Although a full-time Formula 1 seat has so far remained elusive, Drugovich remains one of the most highly regarded drivers outside of the grid. His Euroformula Open campaign demonstrated the qualities that would later make him a Formula 2 champion: relentless consistency, intelligent race management and an ability to extract maximum performance whenever it mattered most.

4. Liam Lawson

Liam Lawson's Euroformula Open career lasted just a single season, but it provided another glimpse of the talent that has since carried him to Formula 1.

The New Zealander joined Team Motopark in 2019 while combining programmes across multiple junior categories. Despite the demanding schedule, Lawson adapted quickly to Euroformula Open machinery, claiming five victories and securing the Rookie Championship. He eventually finished second overall behind Marino Sato after remaining in title contention throughout much of the season, impressing with his aggression in wheel-to-wheel battles and his ability to perform under pressure.

Lawson's rise accelerated rapidly thereafter. Backed by Red Bull, he became a front-runner in Formula 2 before narrowly missing out on the DTM title as a rookie in 2021. A move to Japan followed, where he immediately established himself as one of Super Formula's quickest drivers before finally receiving his Formula 1 opportunity through the Red Bull programme.

His willingness to race anything, anywhere has become one of Lawson's defining characteristics. Whether in touring cars, single-seaters or Formula 1, he has consistently demonstrated the versatility first seen during his Euroformula Open campaign.

3. Yuki Tsunoda

Yuki Tsunoda spent only one season in Euroformula Open, but it came at a pivotal point in his development.

After dominating Japanese Formula 4, the Honda-backed teenager moved to Europe in 2019, joining Team Motopark as part of the Red Bull Junior Team. Like many young drivers arriving from a different racing culture, Tsunoda required time to adapt to unfamiliar circuits and a more competitive environment. Even so, he claimed three victories, eight podium finishes and finished fourth in the championship, displaying the raw speed that had made him one of Japan's brightest prospects.

His greatest strengths were immediately obvious. Tsunoda possessed exceptional qualifying pace and a fearless racing style, often producing spectacular overtaking moves. At times, however, that aggression bordered on impatience, leading to costly mistakes that prevented a sustained title challenge. Even so, his natural ability left little doubt that he was destined for higher categories.

The following years justified that belief. Tsunoda finished third in Formula 2 at the first attempt before graduating to Formula 1 with AlphaTauri in 2021. He has since established himself as one of Japan's leading racing drivers and remains a key figure within the Red Bull programme.

2. Colton Herta

Long before he became one of IndyCar's biggest stars, Colton Herta crossed the Atlantic to test himself against Europe's best young drivers in Euroformula Open.

Competing for Carlin during the 2016 season, Herta immediately established himself as one of the championship's fastest newcomers. He claimed four victories and a further four podium finishes on his way to third in the standings, finishing behind only Leonardo Pulcini and Ferdinand Habsburg. While occasional inconsistency prevented a genuine title challenge, Herta's outright pace was rarely in doubt, particularly on circuits that rewarded aggressive, committed driving.

Rather than continuing towards Formula 1, Herta returned to the United States to pursue a career in IndyCar, a decision that would ultimately define his place among the world's elite drivers. He became the youngest race winner in IndyCar history at the time when he claimed victory at Circuit of the Americas in 2019 and has since established himself as one of the championship's perennial frontrunners, earning multiple race victories and regularly entering title conversations.

Now back in Europe, and chasing that Formula 1 dream again, Herta is racing dovetailing a rookie Formula 2 campaign with a role as Cadillac F1's Reserve Driver.

1. Álex Palou

There is little debate over who deserves top spot.

Few drivers in world motorsport possess a résumé to rival Álex Palou's. A four-time IndyCar champion, Indianapolis 500 winner and widely regarded as one of the finest racing drivers of his generation, the Spaniard has become one of the defining figures of modern open-wheel racing. While Formula 1 remains the sport's most visible stage, Palou has built a legacy that extends far beyond it, earning a reputation for remarkable consistency, supreme racecraft and an ability to deliver when championships are on the line.

Long before becoming the benchmark in IndyCar, Palou announced himself in Euroformula Open.

Driving for Campos Racing during the 2014 season, the then 17-year-old immediately established himself as one of the championship's standout performers. He claimed victories at the Nürburgring, the Hungaroring and Barcelona, stood on the podium 11 times in 16 races and finished third in the championship behind Sandy Stuvik and Konstantin Tereshchenko. While he fell short of the title, his speed, maturity and consistency marked him out as one of Europe's brightest young prospects and earned him promotion to GP3 the following year.

Palou's route to the top differed from many of his contemporaries. Rather than remaining on the traditional European ladder, he broadened his experience through GP3, Japanese Formula 3, Super Formula and Formula 2 before joining Chip Ganassi Racing in IndyCar. It proved to be the defining move of his career.

Since then, Palou has become the dominant force of the modern IndyCar era. Multiple championships, victory in the Indianapolis 500 and sustained excellence across every type of circuit have elevated him into motorsport's highest echelon, with many now regarding him as one of the world's very best racing drivers regardless of category.