Formula 1 teams have entered their compulsory two-week shutdown period, traditionally a crucial window for driver managers and teams to finalize driver contracts. While this phase coincides with the “silly season,” marked by speculation and deal-making, this year is proving less turbulent than the previous off-season, as most drivers opt to delay decisions until 2025 reveals which teams have mastered the new regulations. Nonetheless, the spotlight is shining on the F1 2026 grid contract updates, with several key seats remaining unsettled as teams approach critical deadlines.
Confirmed Driver Line-ups for 2026
Several teams have secured their driver rosters for the 2026 season, reducing some uncertainty in the paddock. McLaren has locked in Oscar Piastri until 2028 and Lando Norris through 2027. Ferrari confirmed contracts for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, both running through 2026. Red Bull Racing has retained Max Verstappen until 2028, while Williams has signed Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz for 2026. Aston Martin’s lineup includes Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, contracted through 2026, with Stroll’s deal potentially ongoing. Sauber signed Nico Hülkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto through 2026, while Haas has Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman locked in for the same period. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly has a confirmed contract until 2026 as well.
However, several teams currently have no confirmed drivers under contract for 2026. Mercedes, Racing Bulls, and Cadillac have yet to announce confirmed driver deals, with significant decisions still pending.
Seats Still Open for 2026 and the Numbers Game
Although eight seats remain nominally available for the 2026 season, the reality is slightly different. Mercedes has yet to finalize contracts for George Russell and academy driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, but their return is widely anticipated. In Red Bull’s system, three seats are unconfirmed; however, one is effectively secured for Isack Hadjar at one of the Red Bull-affiliated teams. This narrows the truly contested seats down to five.
The remaining open seats are concentrated at Red Bull Racing, Racing Bulls, Alpine, and newcomer Cadillac. Notable drivers out of contract include Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull Racing, Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar at Racing Bulls, and Franco Colapinto at Alpine, while Cadillac has no signed drivers as it prepares for its debut season.
Cadillac’s Crucial Driver Decisions as Debut Nears
As Formula 1’s newest entrant, Cadillac faces intense pressure to finalize its driver lineup before the car’s debut. Initially, the team planned to emphasize an American driver to underline its homegrown identity. However, with no viable American candidates meeting their criteria and the debut drawing close, Cadillac has shifted focus toward securing experienced pilots to guide the fledgling team.
Despite months of speculation and reported near-agreements, Cadillac has yet to confirm any driver contracts, missing its own mid-season deadline to sign at least one racer. The decision-making process remains complicated by uncertainty over whether the team wants two veterans or a blend of experience and youth.
Former Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Pérez emerged as a prime candidate following his departure from Red Bull at the end of 2024. Pérez’s mixed recent form was overshadowed by the struggles of his Red Bull replacement, Yuki Tsunoda, enhancing Pérez’s standing by comparison. His North American appeal also aligns with Cadillac’s continental ambitions.
Valtteri Bottas is another prominent contender. Statistically, Bottas offers a stronger résumé, with 10 career wins and 20 pole positions, compared to Pérez’s six wins and three poles, despite Bottas having the challenge of racing alongside Lewis Hamilton during his peak years. Bottas has kept race-ready through his Mercedes reserve role, unlike Pérez, who has taken a sabbatical year.
Social media buzz suggested Bottas was close to signing, but no official announcements have been made, and further developments are expected only after the mandatory shutdown ends.
Cadillac’s internal deliberations likely revolve around selecting a pairing strategy. Should they opt for a lineup of two experienced drivers, Bottas and Pérez would be natural fits. Alternatively, following the Sauber model of pairing veteran Nico Hülkenberg with rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, Cadillac could combine a seasoned driver with a promising young talent.
Should seats remain unfilled longer, Cadillac could pursue a driver like Yuki Tsunoda, who might become available later, especially if he loses his current contract. Zhou Guanyu is another option worth considering due to his role as Ferrari reserve driver and experience with Ferrari power units, which Cadillac will use initially while General Motors develops its own engine.
Among juniors, Felipe Drugovich, Alpine reserve Jack Doohan, and Alpine junior Paul Aron have also been linked to potential openings at Cadillac. Mick Schumacher’s name has surfaced too, but his future likely lies in a reserve capacity coupled with full-time racing in the World Endurance Championship.
Mercedes Faces Contract Timing and Length Debates
At Mercedes, the primary question centers not on who will race but rather on the length of their contracts. George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli are both out of contract, though long-term retention is expected following confirmation that Max Verstappen will remain with Red Bull Racing for 2025.
Toto Wolff’s initial interest in Verstappen slowed talks, but with Verstappen’s performance clause securing him at Red Bull through 2025, Mercedes now intends to maintain its current driver lineup. Contract details, particularly the duration, will reflect Mercedes’s strategic flexibility should opportunities arise.
Rumors indicate Verstappen may have an escape clause to leave Red Bull if he finishes outside the top two in the championship, giving Mercedes an incentive to keep contracts for Russell and Antonelli short to clear space if needed.
Russell, speaking at the Hungarian Grand Prix, downplayed the need for long-term contracts, emphasizing performance as the decisive factor.
“I think drivers who are chasing long-term deals feel they need that security,”
he told Autosport.
“I’ve never had a long-term deal, and I don’t need a long-term deal, because it should always be about performance. And if I’m not performing, the team shouldn’t be tied in with me. That’s as simple as that.”
It should work both ways. But I’m not really chasing anything right now, and I’ve not really been in a position to chase.
Russell’s comments reveal an understanding of his precarious position, despite a strong season, especially as both he and Antonelli face a unique situation where Mercedes controls their futures under the team‘s management agreement.
Russell elaborated further on this dynamic in an ESPN interview:
“They ultimately hold the cards because of the situation we find ourselves in with the management agreement,”
he said.
“So they’ve had no rush to sign Kimi or I because we’ve got this longer-term, overriding deal in place. For my whole career until last year, the team have supported me so much and given me such amazing opportunities. Our goals have been aligned, and what has been in the best interest of the team has also been in the best interest of me.”
These last six months have been a very unique situation where I don’t have huge power in that sort of agreement, and maybe the interests were not aligned for some time, which has of course put me at risk for these last six months.
I still trust Toto and I still trust in the team that they will always support me as long as I’m performing, so that’s what I need to focus on.
But of course for both Kimi and I these past months have not been the most assuring for our future, and that’s just been a bit conflicting.
While Mercedes is expected to renew both contracts, specific terms announced at Antonelli’s home Italian Grand Prix will provide insight into the team’s strategic flexibility going forward.
Red Bull Program Adjusting Post-Verstappen Confirmation
With the threat of a Max Verstappen departure removed, Red Bull Racing and its sister teams are concentrating on their remaining seats. The future of Liam Lawson appears bleak for a return to Red Bull Racing, consistent with the program’s historical trend of not reinstating demoted drivers.
The focus shifts to whether Yuki Tsunoda can prove his worth to remain in the senior team. Tsunoda’s 2024 performances have been mixed, combining moments of adequacy with several disappointing races, placing him in jeopardy of losing his seat once the new car is introduced.
Isack Hadjar, showing promise halfway through his rookie campaign, is the leading candidate to replace Tsunoda if he is dropped. For Racing Bulls, this scenario could promote Arvid Lindblad, a Red Bull junior in his first Formula 2 season, to fill the void as opposed to replacing Lawson directly.
Should Tsunoda retain his seat, Lawson may become the weakest link in the driver hierarchy. Nonetheless, Lawson has made strides of late, reducing his average qualifying and race gap to Hadjar and scoring points consistently in recent rounds. His back-to-back competitive outings offer him a chance to defend his spot through improved performances.
Liam Lawson’s limited experience compared to Hadjar and previous flashes of talent add complexity to the situation. Meanwhile, Lindblad’s modest results, including a disqualified podium in Belgium due to tyre pressure infringements, may complicate his case for promotion, potentially benefiting Lawson’s bid to stay.
Alpine’s Roster Uncertainty and Experience Gap
Alpine faces its own challenges after parting ways with Jack Doohan six races into the season, despite heavy investment in his development. Doohan’s replacement, Franco Colapinto, has yet to score points in eight Grand Prix weekends and has been involved in several major crashes, including at a tyre test, raising questions about his reliability. His sponsorship backing has likely been a factor in retaining the seat for now.
The team has hinted that Colapinto’s position is still under review. Speculation surrounds the possibility of adding experience mid-season by acquiring Valtteri Bottas if Cadillac’s plans shift, although such a move would likely only occur if Cadillac’s seat openings dissolve.
Alternatives include Sergio Pérez, who was reportedly in talks with Alpine but may be tied to Colapinto’s sponsorship backing through the Mexican billionaire Slim family. Alpine could also consider a reunion between Yuki Tsunoda and former teammate Pierre Gasly should Tsunoda become available, a move that would blend experience and familiarity.
If Alpine secures an experienced addition, Colapinto may gain the stability Doohan lacked, potentially carrying his seat into 2026 to build continuity in the driver lineup.