F1’s 2025 silly season may be less chaotic than its predecessor. That’s because there are only a handful of drivers out of contract, as opposed to more than half the grid.
But there is still uncertainty around the 2026 F1 driver market. Most notably, Max Verstappen has an exit clause in his Red Bull contract, which he may choose to activate ahead of the new regulation changes.
That, in turn, could have direct ramifications at Mercedes. George Russell, entering a contract year, will battle Kimi Antonelli for the long-term faith of Toto Wolff.
| DRIVER | TEAM | JOINED |
| Liam Lawson | Red Bull | 2025 |
| George Russell | Mercedes | 2022 |
| Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 2025 |
| Jack Doohan | Alpine | 2025 |
| Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | 2021 |
| Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 2025 |
Meanwhile, Liam Lawson has only signed a one-year deal at Red Bull. With just 11 races of experience, he must prove that he’s worthy of a front-running seat heading into next year.
Yuki Tsunoda will hope to replace Lawson as Verstappen’s teammate if he struggles. But if Christian Horner continues to overlook him, Tsunoda, now into the last 12 months of his deal, may leave Racing Bulls.
In addition to Antonelli, two other rookies have also signed short-term contracts – F2 runner-up Isack Hadjar and Alpine reserve Jack Doohan. If they don’t perform, their time in F1 will be brief.
F1 hierarchy would welcome Franco Colapinto’s return – at the expense of Jack Doohan
It’s unusual for a driver’s seat to come under scrutiny before pre-season testing, let alone the first race. But that’s the position Doohan finds himself in.
There are two reasons for this. One, Doohan has only signed a six-race contract. Two, Alpine have signed Franco Colapinto, who made nine appearances for Williams last year, as their reserve.
Colapinto is a plug-and-play option who surprised the entire paddock with his early results before a spate of accidents. Letting Doohan go after a quarter of the season would be one of the most ruthless driver calls in F1’s recent history.
But there are non-sporting factors at play. As noted by Motorsport.com’s Oleg Karpov, Colapinto had a ‘huge’ commercial impact last year.
He shares sponsors with the sport as a whole, including IT company Globant. That’s why F1 bosses wouldn’t be ‘too disappointed’ if the Argentine returned to the grid, even at Doohan’s expense.
Valtteri Bottas’ verdict on Jack Doohan as axed Sauber driver looks for route back onto the grid
Doohan is due to earn £1.5m at Alpine in 2025. But he may only receive that money if he completes the full season.
One journalist believes Doohan has a performance clause in his contract. Meet it, and Alpine either keep him for the rest of the year, or pay him off and hire Colapinto.
Drivers like Valtteri Bottas may privately be hoping F1’s new rookie generation struggles next year. That could see teams pivot back towards experience for 2026.
But Bottas expects Doohan to ‘prove himself’ this year. He described him as a ‘promising, smart kid’ with the necessary speed to make it at the pinnacle of motorsport.
