One of the hottest topics during every Formula 1 season is that of drivers\u2019 futures, with some close to their contract expiry date, some signed up for the short-term and others boasting longer deals. So, who will be driving where in 2026 and beyond as things stand?<\/p>\n
McLaren<\/p>\n
Oscar Piastri: \u2018Multi-year\u2019 deal<\/p>\n
Having impressed greatly since his F1 debut in 2023, Piastri has been locked down by McLaren until at least the end of the 2027 season, and possibly longer<\/a>. As with any contract, there are likely to be various options and clauses on both sides.<\/p>\n Lando Norris: \u2018Multi-year\u2019 deal<\/p>\n Norris is contesting his seventh season in F1, and at McLaren specifically, with both the driver and team staying loyal to each other. His deal runs until at least the end of 2026<\/a>, but is also understood to be longer with potential break clauses.<\/p>\n Ferrari<\/p>\n Charles Leclerc: \u2018Multi-year\u2019 deal<\/p>\n Signed in early 2024, just before seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton was announced as his team mate from the start of the 2025 season, Leclerc\u2019s current deal is another unspecified multi-year arrangement<\/a> featuring options that give both sides flexibility.<\/p>\n Lewis Hamilton: \u2018Multi-year\u2019 deal<\/p>\n Hamilton\u2019s blockbuster switch from Mercedes to Ferrari was also communicated under a multi-year headline. There have been suggestions that the deal is for three years<\/a>, running through 2027, which is the length of contract he pursued at the Silver Arrows.<\/p>\n Red Bull<\/p>\n Max Verstappen: 2028<\/p>\n Much has been said and written about Verstappen\u2019s future throughout 2025, given Red Bull\u2019s dip in form and an apparent clause in his contract, which runs until 2028, but the reigning four-time World Champion recently confirmed that he will stay put next season<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yuki Tsunoda: 2025<\/p>\n Tsunoda started his fifth F1 season with Red Bull sister team Racing Bulls before being called up by the senior outfit two races in amid Liam Lawson\u2019s struggles. Tsunoda is experiencing his own challenges alongside Verstappen and faces a battle to keep his spot beyond 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mercedes<\/p>\n George Russell: 2025<\/p>\n Russell was drawn into the talk around Verstappen\u2019s future amid Mercedes boss Toto Wolff\u2019s open interest in the Dutchman<\/a>. Russell\u2019s current deal runs out at the end of 2025, but the multiple Grand Prix winner is now set to continue at a team he has raced for since 2022.<\/p>\n Kimi Antonelli: 2025<\/p>\n Russell\u2019s rookie team mate, Antonelli, has experienced an up-and-down first season in the sport, but the Italian teenager \u2013 who showed his potential with a maiden pole position and podium \u2013 is also on course for an extension into 2026 and the new era of regulations.<\/p>\n Aston Martin<\/p>\n Fernando Alonso: 2026<\/p>\n At 44, Alonso is the oldest driver on the F1 grid, but the two-time World Champion \u2013 who won those titles with Renault in the mid-noughties \u2013 will continue as an Aston Martin driver for at least another season via the multi-year deal<\/a> he committed to in early 2024.<\/p>\n Lance Stroll: 2026<\/p>\n Stroll has filled a seat at his father Lawrence\u2019s team for several years, stretching back to 2019 and Aston Martin\u2019s previous Racing Point guise. With the Canadian\u2019s latest contract extension<\/a> confirmed midway through 2024, he is likely to stay put while his dad is at the reins.<\/p>\n Alpine<\/p>\n Pierre Gasly: \u2018Multi-year\u2019 deal<\/p>\n Alpine has been Gasly\u2019s home since 2023, when the Frenchman cut his ties with the Red Bull family and embarked on a new chapter. He agreed a new multi-year deal last summer \u2013 one that is due to run until at least the end of the 2026 campaign<\/a>.<\/p>\n Franco Colapinto: 2025 (race-by-race)<\/p>\n It is a more open situation when it comes to the seat alongside Gasly, which was originally occupied by Jack Doohan in 2025 before 2024 Williams super-sup Colapinto got drafted in. \u201cThe team decide if it\u2019s race-by-race or the whole season,\u201d explained Alpine Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore at the time<\/a>, with plans for 2026 yet to be shared.<\/p>\n Haas<\/p>\n Esteban Ocon: \u2018Multi-year\u2019 deal<\/p>\n Haas brought in an all-new driver line-up for 2025, having parted ways with Kick Sauber-bound Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, who headed to sportscars. Forming half of that pairing is experienced Grand Prix winner Ocon on a multi-year agreement<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ollie Bearman: \u2018Multi-year\u2019 deal<\/p>\n Bearman announced himself to the F1 paddock with a spectacular stand-in performance for Ferrari at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, one that went a long way to him earning a full-time spot at Ayao Komatsu\u2019s squad \u2013 again on undisclosed multi-year terms<\/a>.<\/p>\n Racing Bulls<\/p>\n Isack Hadjar: 2025<\/p>\n Hadjar has impressed over the course of his rookie F1 season so far, bouncing back from a formation lap crash on his debut in Australia to show plenty of potential. His future beyond 2025 is in Red Bull\u2019s hands, with some already linking him to a senior team promotion<\/a>.<\/p>\n Liam Lawson: 2025<\/p>\n As touched on above, Lawson began 2025 with a \u201cdream\u201d chance at Red Bull, but he was sent straight back to Racing Bulls after two tough weekends<\/a>. He has since been rebuilding his reputation, seemingly with the goal of earning another season at the sister operation.<\/p>\n Williams<\/p>\n Alex Albon: \u2018Multi-year\u2019 deal<\/p>\n A former Red Bull racer himself, Albon returned to F1 with Williams in 2022 and has since made the Grove-based outfit his home. Following James Vowles\u2019 arrival as team boss, the Thai-British racer signed a new deal in 2024 that is believed to run until at least the end of 2027<\/a>.<\/p>\n Carlos Sainz: \u2018Multi-year\u2019 deal<\/p>\n As well as keeping hold of Albon, Williams pulled off a coup when they won the race to sign Ferrari\u2019s proven Grand Prix winner Sainz. Making the switch for the 2025 season, after Hamilton took his seat at the Scuderia, the Spaniard is tied to Williams through at least 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kick Sauber\/Audi<\/p>\n Nico Hulkenberg: \u2018Multi-year\u2019 deal<\/p>\n Hulkenberg was an early mover in last year\u2019s driver market, signing for Kick Sauber \u2013 who will become Audi\u2019s works team from 2026 \u2013 shortly after the season had begun. He arrived in 2025 on a multi-year deal<\/a>, with options that are believed to give him the chance to race for German automotive giants Audi into his 40s if the partnership works as planned.<\/p>\n Gabriel Bortoleto: \u2018Multi-year\u2019 deal<\/p>\n Hulkenberg has been partnered at Kick Sauber by Brazilian youngster Bortoleto, a back-to-back winner of the F3 and F2 championships who is also part of Alonso\u2019s management stable. He is signed up to Sauber \u2013 and later Audi \u2013 through at least the 2026 season<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cadillac<\/p>\n Cadillac will become F1\u2019s 11th team in 2026, arriving as an American-led entry but with a European headquarters near the UK\u2019s Silverstone Circuit. Neither of their two drivers have been revealed, but race winners Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez are being heavily linked<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One of the hottest topics during every Formula 1 season is that of drivers\u2019 futures, with some close…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":78515,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[441],"tags":[49,48,578,576,577,82],"class_list":["post-78514","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-formula-1","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-f1","tag-formula-1","tag-formula1","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78514","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78514"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78514\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}