The F1 driver market ahead of the 2027 season is unusually quiet. In August Max Verstappen committed to Red Bull until 2030 and Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon signed multi-year deals with Williams, while Lando Norris is tied to McLaren until 2030 and Franco Colapinto is staying at Alpine. By GPFans' count on 22 September, seven of the 22 seats remain open.
Every trigger for a chain reaction is locked
Speedcafe named Verstappen and Sainz as the two biggest variables capable of shaking up the market. Verstappen announced his extension to 2030 on 20 August, and Sainz signed a multi-year deal with Williams on 19 August. GPFans said Sainz's new contract was reported to be worth up to €30 million per season, adding that there were also unconfirmed reports of a performance-related exit clause. His links to Audi and Red Bull stemmed from the possibility of Verstappen leaving, and that premise has now gone. Albon announced he was staying a day earlier, on 18 August, and Williams team principal James Vowles called Sainz "the leader of this team". Williams have slipped from fifth in the 2025 constructors' standings to ninth this year, yet secured both drivers within 24 hours.
Autosport put the static market down to drivers having longer careers, rookies taking longer to develop, the grid having already changed substantially in 2025, and the current drivers generally performing well.
Confirmed line-ups and open seats
This is based on GPFans' 22 September article, with contract lengths added from Speedcafe. Speedcafe lists Verstappen's contract as running to 2028, suggesting it was written before the August extension, so the table uses the latest information.
| Team | Confirmed | Open | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| McLaren | Norris, Piastri | 0 | Norris to 2030 |
| Mercedes | Antonelli, Russell | 0 | |
| Ferrari | Leclerc, Hamilton | 0 | Leclerc beyond 2028; Hamilton reportedly 2027 plus a 2028 option |
| Red Bull | Verstappen | 1 | Hadjar the strong favourite |
| Williams | Albon, Sainz | 0 | |
| Audi | Hülkenberg, Bortoleto | 0 | |
| Alpine | Gasly, Colapinto | 0 | Gasly to 2028 |
| Cadillac | Pérez, Bottas | 0 | |
| Racing Bulls | — | 2 | Lawson and Lindblad likely to stay |
| Aston Martin | — | 2 | Alonso weighing retirement |
| Haas | — | 2 | Bearman likely to stay; Câmara tipped for Ocon's seat |
The remaining question marks: Alonso and Ocon
GPFans called Fernando Alonso's future a "huge question mark". With his contract ending at the end of 2026, he is weighing retirement at 45, and Speedcafe reckoned his departure would open one of the most attractive seats on the grid. Autosport expected both Alonso and Lance Stroll to stay. At Haas, Ollie Bearman looks set to stay, and GPFans named Rafael Câmara as the leading candidate for the seat of Esteban Ocon, who has struggled this year. Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said there was "no rush" to decide on Ocon's seat.
In the Red Bull camp, Isack Hadjar is the strong favourite for the second Red Bull seat, while Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad are under pressure from Nikola Tsolov's progress. Speedcafe wrote that Sainz had hinted he would judge his future on results in the second half of 2026, but GPFans lists him as confirmed. Only four teams, Aston Martin, Haas, Racing Bulls and Red Bull, have genuinely open seats, and even there the current drivers are mostly favoured to stay.