A look at how long each Formula 1 driver's contract is ahead of the 2026 F1 season where several changes could take place for 2027.
Lando Norris agreed to an extension shortly before the start of the 2024 F1 season on a "multi-year" extension to his previous deal, which had been set to expire in 2025.
This means reigning world champion Norris is tied to McLaren until at least the end of 2027.
Oscar Piastri signed a new multi-year contract extension ahead of the 2025 F1 season that will keep him at McLaren until the end of 2028.
Barring an inter-team fallout or significant drop in performance, it's hard to see Norris or Piastri moving teams next year.
Officially, Mercedes announced George Russell only for 2026 after speculation throughout last summer.
But, Your Site News understands Russell signed a multi-year contract so will be with Mercedes until at least the end of 2027.
Mercedes confirmed Kimi Antonelli will remain for 2026 at the same time as their October announcement regarding Russell's future.
Given Antonelli is in the early stages of his F1 career, having been on Mercedes' books since the age of 12, and they continue to view him as a star of the future despite challenges in his rookie season, it would be surprising if the Italian's overarching deal wasn't longer-term with accompanying options around the F1 seat.
Max Verstappen signed a long-term deal back in March 2022 to stay at Red Bull until the end of 2028. However, there are understood to be performance clauses in Verstappen's contract that can see him leave the team, which was highlighted in 2024 during the height of inapproiate behaviour allegations made against Christian Horner, which were dismissed later that year.
Verstappen has consistently stated he wants to be able to compete for wins, so if Red Bull cannot provide him that, and he does not enjoy the new 2026 cars, there will inevitably be question marks surrounding his future.
Isack Hadjar will be the seventh driver in the last eight years to try their hand at being Verstappen's team-mate at Red Bull following his impressive rookie campaign at Racing Bulls.
Hadjar's future will be largely dictated around how close he is to Verstappen, regardless of how strong the RB22 is.
Charles Leclerc penned in a new Ferrari deal in January 2024, but the team did not publicly comment on the length of his contract.
Leclerc said on social media afterwards that he would be with Ferrari for "several seasons to come" and it is understood his contract is as long as up to the end of 2029. However, there are performance clauses in his contract in a similar way to Verstappen.
Lewis Hamilton's shock announcement in February 2024 to join Ferrari in 2025 was one of the biggest F1 transfer deals in the sport's history.
Ferrari announced the move as a multi-year deal, which would only confirm Hamilton until the end of this season. However, the 41-year-old said in November 2025 that he had a "pretty long contract" and he was "a little bit far away" to begin negotiations over a new deal.
Alex Albon agreed a new multi-year contract extension Mary 2024, so is confirmed at Williams until the end of this year.
Albon joined Williams in 2022 and stood firm in his first season as Carlos Sainz's team-mate in 2025, so another strong campaign could see him sign a new contract for 2027 and beyond.
Sainz signed a two-year Williams contract which began in 2025 with "options to extend" beyond 2026.
Given the high stock of Sainz, Williams will be keen to keep the Spaniard but if the car is uncompetitive, could Sainz look elsewhere?
Liam Lawson will look to establish himself as the lead driver at Racing Bulls against rookie Arvid Lindblad and should he really impress Red Bull, it should not be ruled out about the possibility of him being in contention to return to the main team.
If that's not possible, Lawson may talk to other teams to secure a spot on the 2027 grid, but he must first deliver some strong results.
British teenager Lindblad is the only rookie on the 2026 grid after impressing Red Bull in his three practice outings last year, finishing sixth in first practice in Mexico City.
The 18-year-old just needs to ensure he does not make any big mistakes and if can match, or beat, team-mate Lawson, at the very least he will have a second season at Racing Bulls.
Fernando Alonso agreed a contract extension in April 2024 to remain with Aston Martin until at least the end of the 2026 F1 season.
Alonso is the oldest driver on the grid and will turn 45 later this year, which would make him the first driver to compete in Formula 1 at that age since Graham Hill in 1975.
Aston Martin appear to be on the backfoot, so there will naturally be questions about whether Alonso will retire at the end of this season.
Lance Stroll is the only driver in the field whose contract details are largely unknown, partly because he is the son of team owner Lawrence Stroll, and appears to have a seat for as long as his father remains in that position.
Stroll has been outperformed by Alonso during their three seasons together but Aston Martin formally announced in June 2024 that the Canadian has a deal for "2025 and beyond".
Oliver Bearman's first full F1 campaign in 2025 saw a mixture of high-profile mistakes and lightning speed - with the latter aspect leading to speculation over whether he could replace Hamilton at Ferrari in the future.
Haas are unlikely to be front-runners in F1 any time soon, so at 20 years old, Bearman could be a key name in the driver market this season, should he impress on the track.
Esteban Ocon's stock has fallen slightly over the last two years after a disappointing end to his time at Alpine in 2024 and being outperformed by Bearman at Haas in 2025.
Ocon will aim to get on top of Bearman in the inter-team battle, which could be important given both drivers have not been confirmed for 2027.
Nico Hulkenberg signed a multi-year contract when he joined Sauber, which is now Audi, in 2025 which means he does not necessarily have a seat beyond this season.
Hulkenberg still seems to enjoy F1 and has not shown any signs of retiring despite being a father and 38 years old.
Gabriel Bortoleto perhaps did not hit the heights many expected after winning the F3 and F2 titles in his rookie seasons on his way to F1.
Bortoleto improved as 2025 went on and is still one of the best young talents on the grid, so it will be in Audi's best interests to keep the 21-year-old.
Pierre Gasly announced a new contract last September to stay at Alpine until at least the end of 2028, having joined the team in 2023.
Gasly has established himself as the lead driver at Alpine and a more competitive car this year could see him cause some surprise results when the top teams trip up.
Franco Colapinto replaced Jack Doohan just six rounds into the 2025 season and recovered from a shaky start to his Alpine career to earn a seat for this season.
The Argentine will need to find another step in performance to remain with the team for 2027 but currently has the backing of Alpine executive advisor Flavio Briatore.
Sergio Perez returns to F1 this year with newcomers Cadillac after a season out of the sport and will be with the American outfit for at least two seasons.
Although Perez was only confirmed for 2026, Your Site News understands he signed a multi-year deal.
Valtteri Bottas is also understood to have agreed a multi-year contract that will see him be with Cadillac until at least the end of 2027.
Just like Perez, he spent 2025 on the sidelines but will be hoping to add a few more highlights to his F1 career.
Watch all 24 race weekends from the 2026 Formula 1 season live on Your Site F1.
