{"id":850622,"date":"2026-08-08T12:52:30","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:52:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/850622\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:52:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:52:30","slug":"where-does-each-formula-1-drivers-contract-stand-at-summer-break","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/850622\/","title":{"rendered":"Where does each Formula 1 driver\u2019s contract stand at summer break?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Formula 1 is on summer break. The second half of the season begins on August 23 at the Dutch Grand Prix. In the meantime, several drivers\u2019 contracts are up at the end of the season, leaving their future beyond 2026 in doubt. <\/p>\n

Mercedes\"\"Kimi Antonelli Third placed Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italyof the Netherlands celebrates after the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo\/Darko Bandic) (Andrea Kimi Antonelli\/AP Photo\/Andrea Kimi Antonelli) Kimi Antonelli: 2027<\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly, Mercedes will be sticking with championship leader Kimi Antonelli for the 2027 season. <\/p>\n

Antonelli, who turns 20 later this month, is on track to become the youngest Drivers\u2019 Champion in Formula 1 history. He holds a 50-point lead in the championship and has already won six Grands Prix in 2026. <\/p>\n

Mercedes has not announced a contract with Antonelli beyond 2027. However, team principal Toto Wolff has made it clear that Antonelli is a part of Mercedes\u2019 future, even if four-time world champion Max Verstappen decides to leave Red Bull in favour of Mercedes. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not afraid of having the two of them in the same team at some point,\u201d Wolff said to Sky Germany at the Hungarian Grand Prix about a potential Antonelli-Verstappen pairing. \u201cBut in the current situation, we\u2019re happy with the dynamic between Kimi and George. We\u2019ve made great progress as a team. Adding another variable right now wouldn\u2019t be right for our long-term development.\u201d<\/p>\n

George Russell: 2027<\/p>\n

George Russell is under contract with Mercedes until the end of 2027. His place in the team had come under question due to rumours about a possible move by Verstappen. <\/p>\n

However, Mercedes has confirmed that they will stick with their current driver lineup for 2027.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to change things,\u201d Wolff told Sky Sports in June. \u201cWe\u2019ve said that also to George; I think it\u2019s a lineup that is good for us. I\u2019m happy with the two of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ferrari\"\"Lewis Hamilton Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, left, talks to Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco after the qualifying session ahead of Sunday’s Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo\/Darko Vojinovic) (Darko Vojinovic\/AP Photo\/Darko Vojinovic) Lewis Hamilton: Multi-year<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton is in the second year of his contract with Ferrari. It\u2019s not clear how long his multi-year contract runs, but he has confirmed he will be with Ferrari in 2027.<\/p>\n

Hamilton has had a resurgent season with Ferrari. He is second in the Drivers\u2019 Championship, 50 points behind Antonelli. Hamilton picked up his first win in red at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in June.<\/p>\n

Charles Leclerc: Multi-year<\/p>\n

Charles Leclerc announced a new multi-year deal with Ferrari during the Monaco Grand Prix. Once again, it\u2019s not clear exactly how long the contract lasts, but Ferrari will keep the same driver lineup for at least the 2027 season. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to imagine Leclerc anywhere else. He joined Ferrari\u2019s driver academy in 2016 and has driven for the team since his sophomore season in 2019. He\u2019s picked up nine wins with the team, including at this year\u2019s British Grand Prix. <\/p>\n

McLaren\"\"Oscar Piastri McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia steers his car during the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo\/Darko Bandic) (Darko Bandic\/AP Photo\/Darko Bandic) Lando Norris: Multi-year<\/p>\n

Like Leclerc, it\u2019s hard to imagine Lando Norris in a different team. He joined McLaren as a junior driver in 2017 and has driven for the team since he entered Formula 1 in 2019.<\/p>\n

The reigning world champion has the most race starts as a McLaren driver and helped the team with back-to-back Constructors\u2019 Championships in 2024 and 2025. He is also the first Drivers\u2019 Champion for McLaren since Hamilton in 2008.<\/p>\n

Norris signed a multi-year contract extension with McLaren ahead of the 2024 season, though his previous deal didn\u2019t expire until the end of last season. It\u2019s not clear how long his new contract lasts, but he is under contract with McLaren for at least the 2027 season. <\/p>\n

Oscar Piastri: Multi-year<\/p>\n

Oscar Piastri signed a multi-year contract extension with McLaren in March of 2025. It\u2019s not clear exactly how long his new contract lasts, but it\u2019s at least until the end of 2028.<\/p>\n

Piastri has been with McLaren since he joined the grid in 2023. He, alongside Norris, helped McLaren win back-to-back Constructors\u2019 Championships in 2024 and 2025. <\/p>\n

Like Russell, Piastri has been involved in rumours about a move to Red Bull should Verstappen choose to switch teams.<\/p>\n

However, McLaren, like Mercedes, has stated they do not intend to change their driver lineup for 2027.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be very surprised if Lando or Oscar went elsewhere, because they are very happy,\u201d McLaren CEO Zak Brown told Sky Sports ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix. \u201cOf course, they have contracts, but besides that, we\u2019re very happy with them, and they are very happy here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unlike Mercedes, Brown did leave the door slightly open for Verstappen to join McLaren.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf for some strange reason someone slipped on a banana peel getting out of the tub, then yeah, of course, Max is a four-time World Champion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Red Bull\"\"Max Verstappen Second placed Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands celebrates after the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo\/Darko Bandic) (Darko Bandic\/AP Photo\/Darko Bandic) Max Verstappen: 2028<\/p>\n

Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season. However, there are performance clauses that could allow him to leave the team early.<\/p>\n

Verstappen can activate his exit clause if he is below the top two in the Drivers\u2019 Championship at the summer break. He sits sixth with 109 points, 110 behind Antonelli in first. <\/p>\n

Rumours about Verstappen leaving Red Bull have circulated since 2025 and originally centred around Mercedes. <\/p>\n

There have also been rumours about a move to McLaren. Adding fuel to these rumours is that Verstappen\u2019s long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is moving to McLaren for the 2028 season as their Chief Racing Officer.<\/p>\n

Both Mercedes and McLaren have stated they are happy with their current drivers lineups. <\/p>\n

Verstappen\u2019s manager Raymond Vermeulen has also dismissed rumours of a move.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s been a lot written about it,\u201d Vermeulen told Austrian outlet oe24 in July. \u201cBut the truth is, Max wants to finish his time with Red Bull. He has a contract until 2028 and would like to fulfill it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Verstappen has been the driver most critical of Formula 1\u2019s new regulations. Earlier in the season, he discussed possibly retiring from the sport. <\/p>\n

\u201cPrivately, I\u2019m very happy,\u201d Verstappen told the BBC after the Japanese Grand Prix in March. \u201cYou also wait for 24 races. This time it\u2019s 22. But normally 24. And then you just about is it worth it? Or do I enjoy being more at home with my family? Seeing my friends more when you\u2019re not enjoying your sport?\u201d<\/p>\n

Whatever decision Verstappen makes about his future, the Formula 1 driver market likely hinges on it. If he were to leave Red Bull, or Formula 1 entirely, it would likely cause a shake-up in the grid akin to when Hamilton moved to Ferrari. <\/p>\n

Isack Hadjar: 2026<\/p>\n

Isack Hadjar is Verstappen\u2019s seventh teammate in eight years. While he trails Verstappen 8-3 in both the qualifying and race head-to-head, Hadjar has handled himself well in his first season with Red Bull\u2019s senior team. <\/p>\n

Racing Bulls\"\"Liam Lawson Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson of New Zealand steers his car during the third free practice ahead of Sunday’s Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo\/Darko Vojinovic) (Darko Vojinovic\/AP Photo\/Darko Vojinovic) Liam Lawson: 2026<\/p>\n

Liam Lawson has had a much stronger season in 2026 compared to 2025. He\u2019s scored points in all but three races, one being the Miami Grand Prix during which his car went into anti-stall. <\/p>\n

While Lawson has shown strong form, the biggest concern for his future in Formula 1 is whether there is space for him with Red Bull, either in the senior team or with Racing Bulls. <\/p>\n

Nikola Tsolov, a Red Bull junior driver, holds a 20-point lead in the Formula 2 championship. If Red Bull wanted to promote Tsolov to Formula 1 in 2027, one of their current drivers would need to find a seat elsewhere. Although that would also depend on what Verstappen decides to do in 2027.<\/p>\n

Arvid Linblad: 2026<\/p>\n

Arvid Linblad is the only rookie on the grid in 2026. He trails Lawson 43-23 in points and 8-3 in the race head-to-head. However, the two drivers have often finished near each other, both in the ranking and on the timesheet.<\/p>\n

While Linblad has had a good rookie season, he does not have a seat confirmed for 2027. Though given his performance in his first season, it would be surprising if he weren\u2019t on the grid next year. <\/p>\n

Alpine\"\"Franco Colapinto Alpine driver Franco Colapinto of Argentina steers his car during a qualifying session ahead of Sunday’s Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo\/Darko Bandic) (Darko Bandic\/AP Photo\/Darko Bandic) Pierre Gasly: 2028<\/p>\n

Pierre Gasly signed a two-year contract extension with Alpine in September 2025. His current contract expires at the end of the 2026 season, so the extension will last until the end of 2028.<\/p>\n

Gasly has been with Alpine since 2023. He finished third at the Monaco Grand Prix in June, making him the only driver outside of the top four teams to finish on the podium in 2026. <\/p>\n

Franco Colapinto: 2026<\/p>\n

Franco Colapinto is one of many drivers without a contract for 2027. He\u2019s had a stronger season in 2026 compared to 2025, when he failed to score a point. <\/p>\n

He\u2019s scored 19 so far in 2026, though he\u2019s still well behind his teammate Gasly with 42.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he\u2019s good enough, he\u2019ll stay,\u201d Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielson said of Colapinto\u2019s future ahead of the British Grand Prix. \u201cAnd if he\u2019s not, then there\u2019s a better option. That\u2019s just Formula 1.\u201d<\/p>\n

Haas\"\"Esteban Ocon Haas driver Esteban Ocon of France steers his car during the third free practice ahead of Sunday’s Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo\/Darko Vojinovic) (Darko Vojinovic\/AP Photo\/Darko Vojinovic) Ollie Bearman: Multi-year<\/p>\n

Ollie Bearman signed a multi-year contract with Haas ahead of his rookie season in 2025. It\u2019s not clear how long his current contract lasts; however, Haas has not confirmed its driver lineup for 2027.<\/p>\n

Bearman has been the stronger of the two Haas drivers in 2026. He\u2019s beating Esteban Ocon 8-3 in the qualifying head-to-head and 7-4 in Grands Prix. It\u2019s also worth noting that Bearman has three DNFs in 2026, while Ocon has none.<\/p>\n

Esteban Ocon: Multi-year<\/p>\n

Like Bearman, Ocon signed a multi-year contract with Haas ahead of the 2025 season. Once again, it has not been stated how long the contract lasts, but he has not been confirmed for 2027. <\/p>\n

Ocon has struggled compared to Bearman throughout 2026, putting his seat under threat. <\/p>\n

Ferrari academy driver Rafael C\u00e2mara sits third in the Formula 2 championship. C\u00e2mara is the 2025 Formula 3 champion and has been involved in rumours about joining Haas for 2027.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s good to see,\u201d C\u00e2mara said of the rumours in an interview with F2 in August. \u201cYou don\u2019t really know at the moment, but it\u2019s nice to have this, and to see that the dream is close.\u201d<\/p>\n

Audi\"\"Gabriel Bortoleto Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto of Brazil steers his car during the third free practice ahead of Sunday’s Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo\/Darko Vojinovic) (Darko Vojinovic\/AP Photo\/Darko Vojinovic) Gabriel Bortoleto: Multi-year<\/p>\n

Gabriel Bortoleto signed a multi-year contract with Sauber ahead of his rookie season in 2025. Audi took over the team for 2026. <\/p>\n

Like many drivers with multi-year contracts, it\u2019s not clear how long Bortoleto\u2019s current deal lasts. However, he made it clear during the Hungarian Grand Prix that he would be with Audi in 2027.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy future is already sorted out with Audi,\u201d Bortoleto told Sky Sports F1. \u201cI am there for many years, let\u2019s put it this way. I cannot say the length of the contract; I leave it to them if they want to make it public.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nico Hulkenberg: Multi-year<\/p>\n

Nico Hulkenberg also signed a multi-year deal with Sauber ahead of the 2025 season. Once again, it hasn\u2019t been confirmed how long the contract lasts, though it has been suggested it goes until the end of the 2027 season. <\/p>\n

Hulkenberg suggested that he could continue with Audi beyond 2027.<\/p>\n

As long as I\u2019m having fun, the stopwatch is accurate, and the team wants me, I\u2019ll drive for Audi,” Hulkenberg told German magazine Sport Bild in August. \u201cI can imagine that continuing for quite some time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Williams\"\"Carlos Sainz Williams driver Carlos Sainz of Spain departs a news conference ahead of Sunday’s Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo\/Darko Bandic) (Darko Bandic\/AP Photo\/Darko Bandic) Carlos Sainz: Multi-year<\/p>\n

Carlos Sainz is in the second year of a multi-year contract with Williams. He achieved two podiums in 2025, and Williams finished fifth in the Constructors\u2019 Championship. <\/p>\n

Williams has taken a step back in 2026. They sit ninth in the Constructors\u2019 with just 11 points in as many rounds. The drop in performance has called Sainz\u2019s future with the team into question.<\/p>\n

During the Austrian Grand Prix, Sainz was asked if he was considering other options.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not,\u201d Sainz told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets. \u201cSeriously, I\u2019m not, because I have so much work to do here in Williams right now over the next few races and the amount of simulator sessions we\u2019re doing, the amount of meetings that are being held over the last few months.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve also told my team to leave me a bit on my own until the summer break, just to try and help Williams improve the situation as much as possible,\u201d Sainz added. \u201cAnd then in the summer break, it will obviously be the time to think about it, look at the options.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alex Albon: Multi-year<\/p>\n

Alex Albon signed a multi-year contract with Williams in May 2024. While it\u2019s not clear how long his current deal runs, it could take him to the end of 2027. <\/p>\n

Albon trails Sainz 6-5 in both points and in the race head-to-head. The qualifying head-to-head has been more lopsided, with Sainz out-qualifying Albon 9-2.<\/p>\n

Aston Martin\"\"Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso of Spain walks through the paddock ahead of Sunday’s Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo\/Darko Bandic) Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso of Spain walks through the paddock ahead of Sunday’s Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo\/Darko Bandic) (Darko Bandic) Fernando Alonso: 2026<\/p>\n

Fernando Alonso\u2019s contract with Aston Martin is up at the end of the 2026 season. The two-time world champion has been with Aston Martin since 2023. The team sits 10th in the Constructors\u2019 standings with one point.<\/p>\n

At 45 years old, it\u2019s unclear how much longer Alonso will stay in Formula 1. He has to decide whether he wants to retire, stay with Aston Martin, or move to another team.<\/p>\n

Lance Stroll: 2026<\/p>\n

Like Alonso, Lance Stroll\u2019s contract with Aston Martin is up at the end of the 2026 season. However, his father Lawrence Stroll owns the team. It\u2019s hard to imagine Stroll leaving Aston Martin while his father is the team\u2019s owner.<\/p>\n

Cadillac \"\"Sergio Perez Mexico’s Sergio Perez steers his Cadillac during the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix race at the Monaco racetrack, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo\/Fatima Shbair) (Fatima Shbair\/AP Photo\/Fatima Shbair) Sergio Perez: Multi-year<\/p>\n

Sergio Perez returned to the Formula 1 grid on a multi-year deal with Cadillac. The contract is expected to last until the end of 2027.<\/p>\n

Perez is a six-time Grand Prix winner; however, Cadillac has not scored a point yet in its first season on the Formula 1 grid.<\/p>\n

Perez is leading the qualifying head-to-head 6-5 against his teammate Valtteri Bottas and the race head-to-head 6-3. Both drivers retired from the Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix. <\/p>\n

Valtteri Bottas: Multi-year<\/p>\n

Like Perez, Valtteri Bottas signed a multi-year deal with Cadillac starting in the 2026 season. <\/p>\n

Both Bottas and Perez returned to the Formula 1 grid after sitting out the 2025 season. Bottas is a 10-time Grand Prix winner. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Formula 1 is on summer break. The second half of the season begins on August 23 at the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":850623,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[441],"tags":[712,49,48,578,576,577,185042,264184,147905,88754,82],"class_list":["post-850622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-formula-1","tag-apple-news","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-f1","tag-formula-1","tag-formula1","tag-george-russell-sports-auto-racing-player-player-statscom-1089617","tag-kimi-antonelli-sports-auto-racing-player-player-statscom-1561581","tag-lewis-hamilton-sports-auto-racing-player-player-statscom-355624","tag-max-verstappen-sports-auto-racing-player-player-statscom-843471","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/850622","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=850622"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/850622\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/850623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=850622"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=850622"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=850622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}