The wheels are already in motion for the all-important F1
2026 campaign as the driver market starts to fall into place.
With relatively stable regulations since Formula 1
reverted to ground-effect aerodynamics in time for the 2022 campaign, F1 2026
marks the next major shift in the landscape as all-new chassis and power unit
regulations arrive. A major change to the pecking order is likely as drivers
turn to their crystal balls in hope of landing the prime seat, so with that in
mind, let’s take a look at the driver contracts in place across the grid as
teams begin to piece their line-ups together.
Red Bull
Max Verstappen (contract until end of 2028)
Sergio Perez (contract until end of 2026)
It was already clear that Max Verstappen was an F1
superstar in the making and after his first World title triumph in 2021, Red
Bull made sure to tie their star asset down to a mega six-year contract,
keeping him with the team until the end of the F1 2028 season.
As for his team-mate, Sergio Perez had seen his seat as
hot property on the driver market heading into the F1 2024 season when it was
up for renewal, but he secured a fresh two-year deal after an impressive start
to that season.
Mercedes
TBC
TBC
Mercedes find themselves with a blank sheet of paper for
their F1 2026 driver plans, with George Russell’s current deal ending after the
F1 2025 campaign.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli was confirmed as Lewis Hamilton’s
replacement, with Mercedes not specifying the length of the teenager’s
contract.
Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton (“multi-year” deal starting 2025)
Charles Leclerc (deal “beyond 2024” widely reported to
cover 2026)
Ferrari are believed to have their driver plans sorted
for F1 2026 as the Scuderia take advantage of the growing trend of masking the
number of years on their driver contracts.
Lewis Hamilton has made one of the most shocking driver
moves in F1 history, penning a “multi-year” contract at Ferrari starting in F1
2025, which is widely reported to run for two years.
Shortly before that bombshell came the news that Leclerc had agreed a Ferrari contract extension, believed to cover F1 2026.
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