Expanded driver market for F1 26 is needed

I agree with the OP and can we please have some women to choose from, its very one sided atm.

While I don't think the introduction of another team does drastically change the requirement for more in the driver pool, I do agree that it's paper-thin this year, but I think that stems from the god-awful F2 lineup last year and the call-ups. 

I wouldn't expect to see many drivers come up from F2 this year.  I'd say possibly only Lindblad, so that immediately puts 21 drivers in the pool.  The Cadillac seats will most likely be filled by one experienced (Bottas/Perez) and one youthful with past experience (Micky Schu or Zhou).  That immediately brings two more drivers in. So that's 23.  I'd expect to see more F3 Icons. Maybe the whole division but that seems unlikely. I'd say 5 or 6. So we're just shy of 30 excess drivers without even including the F1 Icons. 

However, that number will also take a hit from this year. We lose the F1 Movie guys and the Braking Point guys.  Whomever Lindblad replaces won't be available neither.  In terms of Icons, it's possibly some licences expire and aren't renewed. A problem is also that drivers retire.   Alonso, Hammy, Max, Sainz, Bottas/Perez, Hulky.  They'll all move on to pastures new, or get taken behind the paddock and put out of their misery. (Whichever analogy suits you best).  

The problem with some of your suggestions is that they drive in disciplines that aren't FIA so aren't available for inclusion.   Or like Vettel or Kimi, allegedly had little interest in being in the game, or Rosberg who apparently there was some remuneration issue.  However, most of the reasoning why icons haven't been included is conjecture and whispers, but it's not always easy to agree terms with them, it seems.   With all the money being thrown at these icons, there has to be financial cuts elsewhere to get that money back.   I'm not sure i'd want ordinary people getting made redundant just because I want to see Rosberg's Britney hairstyle or Vettel's mighty finger back on the grid. 

Reserve drivers would be a good start to pad the pool.  More relatable icons would be good too, but it's probably stretching the Icon definition to have many successful drivers that are still of driving age.   Potentially newgens could work but then people wouldn't feel a strong attachment to them and they'd look slightly out of place.    Having the whole F3 pool might be an idea but then that's alot of filling it with dead wood.