F1 2026 driver line-ups: latest contract news and rumours

Though with McLaren’s current form it looks unlikely either driver will go anywhere soon, the only danger is intra-team friction.

There were several flashpoints last season, including Norris at first refusing to give back the lead to his team-mate in Hungary, before Piastri snatched first from his title-challenging colleague.

The team managed to keep a lid on things, but largely because the drivers’ title was for most part a long-shot in Norris’s case, and that the pair had to work together to help McLaren’s chances in the constructors’ championship.

This could be different if both McLaren men are fighting it out for the drivers’ title. Should either become unhappy in feeling the other is being favoured by the team, they might search for pastures new.

Ferrari 2026 F1 driver line-up

Charles Leclerc Multi-year contract beyond 2025	Lewis Hamilton Multi-year contract beyond 2025

• Hamilton contract runs to end of 2026
• Leclerc signed a new multi-year deal announced at the end of January 2024

Lewis Hamilton rocked the sporting world when his 2025 Ferrari switch was announced, and barring any major dramas he’ll be there for 2026 too on his current two-year deal.

Hamilton had been linked with the Scuderia on and off throughout his career, but after two years of Mercedes struggle he finally made the move in place of Carlos Sainz. He’ll be 41 when the 2026 season starts – will the Brit fancy extending it any further than that?

Back to this season, and 2025 sets up the brilliant prospect of a fierce team-mate rivalry between F1’s most successful driver and one of its brightest stars in Leclerc – still waiting for a car that can help him make a bid for that elusive F1 crown.

He pledged his next few seasons to Ferrari early with a multi-year deal in January 2024, in spite of repeated setbacks in terms of car performance and team errors.

Can a Hamilton-Leclerc duo secure the title it craves – and which driver will lead the charge?

Red Bull 2026 F1 driver line-up

Max Verstappen Contract to 2028	TBC

• Verstappen on a long-term deal
• Liam Lawson only signed on provisional one-year contract

2024 was Max Verstappen’s best season yet. Wrestling with what was at times the fourth-best car for most of the season, the Dutchman managed to cling on to his championship advantage in the face of a fierce challenge from McLaren, Ferrari and sometimes Mercedes.

He did this with no support from his team-mate Sergio Perez, whose form completely fell away, resulting to him leaving the team at the end of the season.

Red Bull recognised Verstappen’s importance after he secured his first title with the team in 2021, handing him a record-breaking six-year deal worth about £40m a season.

However in the light of misconduct allegations against team boss Christian Horner early last year (since dismissed), Red Bull relations broke down. Max’s father boss said Horner had to leave the team or risk it being “torn apart”, as a faction seemed to develop with the Verstappen and young driver guru Helmut Marko on one side and Horner the other.

Star designer Adrian Newey, apparently fed up with behind-the-scenes developments at Red Bull, left in the wake of the allegations.

Rumours subsequently emerged that Verstappen could leave the team as early as 2025. While they quietened down, there’s still been conjecture that he could make the jump to Aston Martin at some point, possibly reuniting with Newey from 2026.

“Aston, with Adrian Newey about to join to sit alongside Cowell at the incredible new factory, with Honda working as its exclusive power unit partner, with Lawrence Stroll maintaining his ‘whatever it takes’ mentality while throwing multiple millions at the project, is set to be a superteam,” wrote Motor Sport’s Mark Hughes.

Could Verstappen be tempted?

The Dutchman’s 2025 team-mate is a dark horse. Young Kiwi Liam Lawson has impressed on sporadic substitute appearances for the junior squad over the last two seasons, and his feisty attitude has persuaded Horner he’s worth a go at Red Bull.

The New Zealander is only on a one-year deal for now – can he succeed where others failed and become the No2 driver Red Bull so badly needs?

Mercedes 2026 F1 driver line-up

TBC	TBC

• George Russell has a contract to the end of 2025
• Rookie Kimi Antonelli replaces Lewis Hamilton for 2025 – but only on a one-year deal

Mercedes doesn’t have any driver currently locked down for 2026.

Though team boss Toto Wolff has described its 2025 line-up of George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli as the “future”, neither driver is yet confirmed for next year. However, the team boss indicated both have clauses which could see them soon secured in Mercedes colours for another season and more.

“They have been and will be Mercedes drivers, and therefore, we have contracts with George and Kimi that go much longer that are very complicated in terms of options, etc,” Wolff said earlier this year.

“I think, like with times in the past, we always had very short contracts with each of the drivers – even with Lewis [Hamilton] last time around, was one plus one. And this is, in a way, [is] how the team operated.

“But I think most important is to see how George and Kimi settle in, and I see no reason at that stage of not giving them the faith and the trust of going forward.

“What that means for the terms is something that we will discuss between ourselves, but we wouldn’t have gone with the line-up with these two if we wouldn’t believe 100% if they are the best choice for ourselves.”

Valtteri Bottas has returned to Brackley as its reserve driver should Russell and Antonelli run into issues on grand prix weekend, but it’s difficult to see him returning on a full-time basis in 2026, as his below-par race performances were what saw him dropped from the team in the first place.

Might Russell look elsewhere instead? Rumours of a Cadillac switch have emerged, with the American manufacturer apparently ready to open the cheque book to sign the best available talent.

Aston Martin 2026 F1 driver line-up 

Fernando Alonso Multi-year contract beyond 2025	Lance Stroll Rolling contract

• Lance Stroll secures another extension to end of 2025
• Fernando Alonso has signed a multi-year deal that will take him into at least 2026

Aston Martin spent much of 2024 regrouping as its disappointing performance levels continued on from the end of 2023. With the hiring of Adrian Newey and the appointment of Andy Cowell as team boss, it’s now focused on regrouping challenging for the title in 2026.

Fernando Alonso is tied down to the team until at least the end of 2026, while Lance Stroll will be continuing alongside him; the Canadian driver’s berth looking secure for as long as his father Lawrence Stroll is in control of the team.

The two drivers look set for a third and fourth season as team-mates, but will it actually happen?

Max Verstappen’s unhappiness with Red Bull’s infighting last year will still be in his mind, and the Dutchman admitted he didn’t want Newey to leave.

The four-time champion could look to link up with the star designer at Aston Martin instead. Some have suggested it could happen as early as 2026, with Alonso going the other way to Red Bull.

Verstappen is one of the best paid stars on the grid with his current bumper contract at Milton Keynes, but even more money from Aston owner Lawrence Stroll could yet tempt him to Silverstone.

Former F2 champion and budding talent Felipe Drugovich remains in his reserve driver role along with Stoffel Vandoorne.

Alpine 2026 F1 driver line-up

Pierre Gasly Multi-year contract beyond 2025	Jack Doohan Contract to 2025

• Gasly extends his current contract
• Doohan promoted from reserve driver role to replace Ocon from 2025 – but seat could be under threat

Alpine underwent more upheaval last season when Esteban Ocon agreed part ways with the team — a race early to give his erstwhile replacement Jack Doohan more seat-time — but the extension of Pierre Gasly’s contract brought some much needed stability to the Enstone outfit.

After a difficult start to 2024, the Alpine car came good in the second half of the season, with a double podium finish for Gasly and Ocon helping to haul the team to sixth in the standings after languishing at the bottom of the table for a while.

Gasly and Doohan will be hoping for more of that upward trajectory in 2025 – but will that line-up even make it to the following season?

After not signing Carlos Sainz, the promotion of Alpine junior Doohan – who previously served as the team’s reserve driver – seemingly indicated that Enstone was now invested in its future rather than short-term results. The Aussie had an impressive junior career, and completed several tests over the course of 2024, which caught the eye of new Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes.

“Personally, I have worked with Jack back in 2019 and I am fully aware of his raw talent and potential,” he said. “He is a very hard worker behind the scenes and his commitment is hugely valued by the entire team.”

Now though, things don’t look so certain. Franco Colapinto proved the star stand-in at Williams when he was called to replace the underperforming Logan Sargeant for the latter part of the season, and now the Argentinian has joined the Enstone team as a reserve driver.

Alpine’s in-house mover, shaker and deal-maker Flavio Briatore is thought to be an admirer of the fiery South American, who could be swapped in if Doohan doesn’t deliver.

“The only thing we can be sure of is death!” Briatore ominously told Le Parisien. “After that, we’ll see as the season progresses. If there’s a driver who isn’t making progress, who isn’t bringing me results, I change him. You can’t be emotional in F1.”

Gasly will be at Alpine for 2026 – will it be Doohan next to him, Colapinto or someone else?

Haas 2026 F1 driver line-up 

Oliver Bearman Multi-year contract beyond 2025	Esteban Ocon Multi-year contract beyond 2025

• Oliver Bearman replaced Hülkenberg, who joined Sauber for 2025
• Esteban Ocon signed on a “multi-year” deal from 2025

After trusting in experience in Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen over the last couple of years, Haas has now gone for more of a blend in veteran Esteban Ocon and hotshot junior Oliver Bearman.

Both drivers are contracted for 2025 and 2026. Ocon is unafraid to to get his elbows out, even with his own team-mates, leading to past fallings-out with Sergio Perez, Fernando Alonso and more recently Pierre Gasly.

It will be interesting to see how Ocon reacts if he finds himself under pressure from a driver who is still only 19.

Will he be able to contain Bearman? The teenager brilliantly scored points on his debut when making a last-minute substitute appearance for Ferrari in place of Carlos Sainz at Saudi last year. He then did the same for Haas in place of Magnussen at Baku, beating team-mate Hülkenberg.

Friction might lead to a line-up change at Haas for 2026. Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu has set out “rules of engagement” for the pair to make sure some healthy competition doesn’t get out of hand.

“That will be clarified before the first race,” he said. “I don’t expect any team-mate contacts, DNFs, because of that. But it’s good, you have to race hard.”

Racing Bulls 2026 F1 driver line-up

TBC	TBC

• No driver yet confirmed for 2026
• Red Bull boss Christian Horner has intimated Tsunoda may leave at end of 2025

An often the brutal proving ground for Red Bull talent, Racing Bulls was once again at the centre of the action when it came to silly season drama for 2025 – and it looks to continue for 2026 too. An underperforming Daniel Ricciardo was ejected from his RB seat after the 2024 Singapore GP. Young reserve driver Liam Lawson was brought in to replace the Australian in what first appeared a trial for the team’s spare 2025 seat. But then Sergio Perez’s Red Bull form went from bad to worse, and Lawson was promoted to the senior team for this year instead.

That left Yuki Tsunoda unimpressed. The Japanese driver had his best season: nine points finishes earned him a career-best 12th place in the drivers’ standings, and he felt he deserved the promotion more than his Kiwi team-mate.

“I always say that I definitely deserve that seat,” he said prior to the Lawson announcement. “I can’t say more than that. It’s up to them.”

“But this thing, I can’t control. It’s just part of the life. I just have to keep doing what I’m doing. In fact, I’m the one who’s racing still now. Whenever they keep sending their driver to me to beat me, I just keep destroying them. So that’s what I’m going to do.”

Tsunoda is signed again at the junior squad for 2025 – but not ’26. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has since said it might be time for the Japanese driver to look elsewhere.

“We’re acutely aware that if we’re not able to provide an opportunity for Yuki [at Red Bull] in all honesty this year, does it [keeping him on] make sense?,” Horner said. “You can’t have a driver in the support team for five years. You can’t always be the bridesmaid. You’ve either got to let them go at that point or look at something different.”

As far as “destroying team-mates” goes, this year Tsunoda will be paired with Isack Hadjar. Like his Japanese counterpart, 2024’s F2 runner-up is on a one-year contract.

If things go well, the Frenchman will likely stay on for 2026, and there’s a new name now being mentioned in connection with the the team: 17-year-old Arvid Lindblad.

The young Brit already has enough superlicence points to race in F1. He’ll race with Campos in F2 for 2025, but the highly-rated junior could see a quick promotion to grand prix racing in 2026 if he continues to impress.

Williams 2026 F1 driver line-up

Carlos Sainz Multi-year contract beyond 2025	Alexander Albon Multi-year contract beyond 2025

• Carlos Sainz joins Williams after four seasons at Ferrari
• Alexnder Albon’s contract runs to end of 2026

Williams endured a difficult 2024 season, but it was one with the potential for so much more.

Its lead driver Alex Albon showed speed throughout the season, it looking at one point like the team could fight for constructors’ championship’ best of the rest’ in terms of sixth place downwards.

However, an alarming number of serious shunts hampered the team’s progress – Williams had the same number of crashes (17) as it did points in 2024.

American driver Logan Sargeant took the lion’s share of these, and he was replaced by Franco Colapinto towards the end of the season.

With the Argentine now heading to Alpine, Williams has an experienced pair of hands stepping in to partner Albon – Carlos Sainz. Both are contracted to drive the team in 2026 too, with options to extend further.

Team boss James Vowles will be hoping more points and fewer prangs will be on the agenda in 2025 as a result.

“I think it’s a huge, huge event for Williams to have two of the best drivers in the world fighting at the front,” he said. “And I think it is very much a sign of things to come.

“I rate [Carlos] as one of the top four drivers, if not at times the number two driver on the grid. Why wouldn’t you want that in your stable? Because my view of things is that fundamentally competitors are getting closer and closer. So, the marginal difference that a driver can make, and I don’t just mean in performance terms.

“Look at Carlos, look at every team he has been in. They have improved significantly. And I get why after spending the last nine months talking to him.”

Sauber 2026 F1 driver line-up

Nico Hülkenberg Multi-year contract beyond 2025	Gabriel Bortoleto Multi-year contract beyond 2025

• Hülkenberg confirmed as Sauber looks to Audi partnership in 2026
• Bortoleto has signed a multi-year deal

Audi’s long-term driver line-up was confirmed when Formula 2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto signed a multi-year contract alongside Nico Hülkenberg.

It means both should be driving for the team in 2026 also as it makes the full transition from Sauber to Audi that year.

Sauber boss Mattia Binotto feels that Bortoleto is a wise investment for both the present and the future.

“I’ve seen that his career has proved [he is a fantastic and high-potential driver] through what he has achieved, what he is achieving,” said Sauber boss Mattia Binotto.

“The way he is driving impressed me and more than that, as I told him, is his capacity to develop, improve and progress through the season itself. He’s doing it in his season in F2. The start has been difficult, but then he’s really been capable not to lose the direction of what he is to trying to achieve.

“He has shown progress this season and that’s what counts the most for me.”

Hülkenberg was signed by the previous Sauber boss Andreas Seidl and has options in his contract to extend even further beyond his current 2026 end-date.

Cadillac 2026 F1 driver line-up

TBC	TBC

• No Cadillac driver yet confirmed for 2026 – big names linked
• Will Colton Herta make IndyCar jump?

Cadillac/Andretti’s F1 entry might be one of the most protracted in history, but the American team will finally make its debut in 2026. But who will drive for it?

A couple of old hands have been mentioned. Sergio Perez may have left Red Bull under a cloud due to his disastrous form, but the Mexican can show a new team its way around the grid – plus he relishes a midfield scrap.

Valtteri Bottas is another presumed candidate, the Finn deliberately keeping himself in the shop window by signing as a Mercedes reserve for 2025.

If the team want to combine a bit more youth with experience, George Russell has been mentioned as a candidate too, as his Merc contract is currently set to run out at the end of this season.

The question also remains as to whether Cadillac will look to an American driver. The F1 concern is essentially the renamed Andretti effort, and its IndyCar team has Stars & Stripes hero Colton Herta on its books, often linked with grand prix racing.

The Californian currently has 31 superlicence points. He needs to finish at least fourth in the IndyCar championship to get himself to 40 and become eligible for F1.