Although F1 driver contracts are a topic of intrigue, the size of most contracts is understood. F1Technical’s Balázs Szabó takes a have a look at the potential date when drivers’ contract expire.
Max Verstappen – Contracted till finish of 2028
Max Verstappen secured his first world title in 2021 with Red Bull. With two events having been desperate to safe an extended partnership, the Dutchman signed a seven-year contract with the Milton Keynes based mostly outfit that tie him with Red Bull till the top of the 2028 season.
Sergio Perez – Contracted till finish of 2024
Sergio Perez joined Red Bull Racing for the 2021 F1 season after having misplaced his race seat at Racing Point within the earlier yr. The Mexican performed an enormous half in his team-mate’s first title by holding up Lewis Hamilton in a vital a part of the race. However, the five-time F1 race winner has had points with maintaining together with his Dutch team-mate since then.
Perez secured a contract extension with Red Bull in Monaco in 2022, however his future could be very a lot hanging within the steadiness after his extremely robust and irritating 2023 season that noticed him fail to progress into the final a part of qualifying for six consecutive races.
It signifies that the Mexican, who has excelled on road tracks with Red Bull, will embark on a difficult 2024 F1 season that may show decisive for his future on the at the moment dominant F1 group.
Lewis Hamilton – Contracted till finish of 2024 (Mercedes), then ‘multi-year contract’ (Ferrari)
Lewis Hamilton signed a two-year contract extension with Mercedes which was introduced on the eve of final yr’s Italian Grand Prix. Given the truth that the Stevenage-born driver secured six of his seven titles with Mercedes and his age, it appeared very a lot possible that the seven-time world champion would retire from his present group.
However, on the first of February, Hamilton and Ferrari shocked the F1 world once they introduced that the British drivers will be part of the fabled Italian group in 2025 on a multi-year deal. The deal was made potential by a break clause that Hamilton activated and that may see him depart Mercedes with a yr left from his contract.
George Russell – Contracted till finish of 2025
George Russell joined Mercedes for the 2022 F1 season, and has thus far collected the group’s solely victory in Brazil in 2022 for the reason that introduction of the brand new technology of groundeffect F1 vehicles.
The British driver agreed to a contract extension with Mercedes finally yr’s Italian Grand Prix which is able to see him race for the Brackley-based suqad till a minimum of the top of the 2025 season.
With Hamilton’s shoch deprature from Mercedes, Russell will probably be eyeing to group’s chief regardless his future team-mate.
Charles Leclerc – Multi-year contract
After debuting and spending a yr on the Sauber-run Alfa Romeo group in 2018, Charles Leclerc earned his promotion to Formula One’s most profitable group, Ferrari the following season. The Monegasque has since established himself because the chief of the Italian outfit, having clinched 5 race victories and secured 23 pole positions.
Leclerc’s first contract with the Scuderia was the longest contract ever given to a Ferrari driver. At the top of final month, Ferrari introduced that the Monegasque penned a brand new deal, however they refused to verify the precise size of the brand new contract. However, it’s believed that his new deal covers the following three season (2025-2027) with a potential two-year extension.
Carlos Sainz – Contracted till finish of 2024
After leaving McLaren, Carlos Sainz joined Ferrari in 2021, changing Sebastian Vettel. The Spaniard clinched his first F1 victory with the Scuderia on the 2022 British Grand Prix whereas he went on to safe the one non-Red Bull triumph in the whole 2023 F1 season in Singapore courtesy of his heroic defensive drive.
While the Madrid-born driver had been linked to the long run Audi F1 outfit, the top of the final season indicated that Sainz very a lot supposed to increase his contract with Ferrari. However, when the Scuderia shocked the F1 world with the announcement that Lewis Hamilton would be part of the group as of 2025, Sainz was left with out a seat. He might want to type out his contract within the coming months with each the Mercedes and the long run Audi group thought-about as potential choices.
Lando Norris – Contract unknown [at least end of 2027]
Lando Norris made his F1 debut in 2019 when he made the step as much as the head of motorsport to affix Carlos Sainz at McLaren. The Belgian-British driver has established himself as sizzling property in Formula 1 together with his performances within the 2023 F1 season having been significantly spectacular.
At the top of January, McLaren introduced that it agreed a contract extension with Norris which is able to tie him to the Woking-based outfit till a minimum of the top of the 2027 F1 season.
Oscar Piastri – Contracted till finish of 2026
Having secured the F2 and F3 titles in consecutive yr, Oscar Piastri spent the 2022 season on the sidelines. The Australian driver secured a contract with McLaren for the 2023 F1 season, and delivered some eye-catching performances together with his win within the Qatar Sprint having been the spotlight of his debut season within the sport.
McLaren didn’t hesitate a lot and signed Piastri to a longer-term contract together with his new deal set to run out on the finish of 2026.
Fernando Alonso – Contract till finish of 2024
Fernando Alonso moved to Aston Martin on a multi-year deal from Alpine, which seemed to be a backwards step based mostly on 2022 type however early 2023 confirmed it was something however.
His eight podiums that season made group principal Mike Krack verify earlier than the top of the season that he hopes to signal the two-time World Champion to a different deal earlier than the yr is out.
Lance Stroll – Contract period unknown
As the son of Aston Martin group proprietor Lawrence Stroll, Lance’s contract is extensively thought-about to be a rolling one.
Pierre Gasly – Contract till finish of 2024
Pierre Gasly left the Red Bull steady to affix Alpine as a substitute for Alonso for the beginning of 2023, on a two-year deal initially.
His future could also be one of many easier tales of the 2024 season, together with his contract together with an possibility for the 2025 season if he and the group are happy with the course of journey.
Esteban Ocon – Contract till finish of 2024
Esteban Ocon’s performances as Alonso’s team-mate prompted Alpine to signal him to a long-term deal again in 2021, which involves an finish on the conclusion of 2024.
He at the moment varieties an all-French line-up with Gasly at Formula 1’s French constructor, with a definite ‘national team’ really feel in place at Alpine.
Bringing the model to the paddock. PG and EO wanting 🔥 on this yr’s Kappa driver tees ✨ pic.twitter.com/9mhbRjHL5G
— BWT Alpine F1 Team (@AlpineF1Team) February 18, 2024
Alex Albon – Contract till finish of 2025
Alex Albon was labelled ‘hot property’ by his former boss, Red Bull group principal Christian Horner, as he has rebuilt his status – and a few – following a considerably bruising stint as Max Verstappen’s team-mate.
Now extra skilled and a more-than-capable pair of arms, he has proven himself as Williams’ group chief since heading to the Grove-based group.
Logan Sargeant – Contract till finish of 2024
Logan Sargeant had been combating for his future after a rookie season wherein he was out-qualified 22-0 by Albon at Williams, with a wholesome defeat in factors come season’s finish too.
He improved sufficient within the second half of the yr to persuade group principal James Vowles to maintain him on for a second season, nevertheless, getting nearer to Albon’s benchmark as 2023 progressed.
Valtteri Bottas – Contract till finish of 2024
Having left Mercedes on the finish of the 2021 season, Valtteri Bottas signed a three-year take care of Alfa Romeo. The Finn driver
Valtteri Bottas signed the primary multi-year contract of his profession when he left Mercedes for what was Alfa Romeo on the finish of 2021, which is because of expire in 2024. Bottas will give his all to retain his seat on the group that has now change into the Stake F1 Team till its 2026 majority takeover by Audi.
Zhou Guanyu – Contract till finish of 2024
Formula One’s first Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu made his F1 debut in 2022 with the Alfa Romeo group. The Shanghai-born racer completed within the factors in his debut race on the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix, and has scored factors an extra 5 instances.
He has to proceed to point out his capabilities with a number of drivers set to change into out there for 2025 on the driving force market. Moreover, with reigning Formula 2 champion Theo Pourchaire being a member of the Sauber Academy, Zhou and his team-mate Bottas might want to show their value if they’re to retain their seats.
Daniel Ricciardo – Contract till finish of 2024
Having been on the sidelines for the primary half of 2023, Daniel Ricciardo returned to motion for the Hungarian Grand Prix to interchange the ousted Nyck De Vries. The Australian appeared to have regained his type rapidly, though his return was hindered by a coaching crash on the Dutch Grand Prix the place he crashed into the obstacles. His damage pressured him to overlook the following 4 rounds in Italy, Singapore, Japan and Qatar with Lawson changing him for all 4 of these races however he returned for the United States Grand Prix.
The nine-time grand prix winner is tied with the freshly-renamed Visa Cash App RB till the top of the present season which signifies that he might want to show himself if he desires to retain his seat or earn a promotion to Red Bull.
Yuki Tsunoda – Contract till finish of 2024
The Japanese driver made his F1 debut in 2021 with the then AlphaTauri outfit. He saved his seat for the following two years, and shared the group’s storage with totally different drivers – Pierre Gasly, Nyck De Vries, Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson.
The former F2 driver will race for the group this yr alongside Ricciardo and he might want to show himself as his contract with the Visa Cash App RB group expire on the finish of 2024.
Nico Hulkenberg – Contract till finish of 2024
After a three-year hiatus, Nico Hulkenberg made his return as full-time F1 driver in 2023, becoming a member of Haas to associate Kevin Magnussen. While the American group had a tough season final yr, Haas wished to retain the providers of the 2 skilled drivers and signed a contract extension with Hulkenberg final August. The German is contracted with Haas till the top of the forthcoming season, so he will probably be trying to repair his future in F1 within the coming months.
Kevin Magnussen – Contract till finish of 2024
After Haas ousted Nikita Mazepin proper forward of the 2022 F1 season, Kevin Magnussen was known as again into the game to associate Mick Schumacher. The Dane driver achieved some eye-catching leads to his first yr again in Formula One and stayed with Haas for 2023. Just as Hulkenberg, Magnussen secured a contract extension with the American group final August, which is able to see him race for Haas for the upcoming season.
