F1 DRIVER CONTRACTS: From Max Verstappen to Fernando Alonso – how long do their current deals last?

One of the hottest topics during every Formula 1 season is that of drivers’ futures, with some close to their contract expiry date, some signed up for the short-term and others boasting longer deals. So, who will be driving where in 2026 and beyond as things stand?

McLaren

Oscar Piastri: ‘Multi-year’ deal

Having impressed greatly since his F1 debut in 2023, Piastri has been locked down by McLaren until at least the end of the 2027 season, and possibly longer. As with any contract, there are likely to be various options and clauses on both sides.

Lando Norris: ‘Multi-year’ deal

Norris is contesting his seventh season in F1, and at McLaren specifically, with both the driver and team staying loyal to each other. His deal runs until at least the end of 2026, but is also understood to be longer with potential break clauses.

Ferrari

Charles Leclerc: ‘Multi-year’ deal

Signed in early 2024, just before seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton was announced as his team mate from the start of the 2025 season, Leclerc’s current deal is another unspecified multi-year arrangement featuring options that give both sides flexibility.

Lewis Hamilton: ‘Multi-year’ deal

Hamilton’s blockbuster switch from Mercedes to Ferrari was also communicated under a multi-year headline. There have been suggestions that the deal is for three years, running through 2027, which is the length of contract he pursued at the Silver Arrows.

Red Bull

Max Verstappen: 2028

Much has been said and written about Verstappen’s future throughout 2025, given Red Bull’s dip in form and an apparent clause in his contract, which runs until 2028, but the reigning four-time World Champion recently confirmed that he will stay put next season.

Yuki Tsunoda: 2025

Tsunoda started his fifth F1 season with Red Bull sister team Racing Bulls before being called up by the senior outfit two races in amid Liam Lawson’s struggles. Tsunoda is experiencing his own challenges alongside Verstappen and faces a battle to keep his spot beyond 2025.

Mercedes

George Russell: 2025

Russell was drawn into the talk around Verstappen’s future amid Mercedes boss Toto Wolff’s open interest in the Dutchman. Russell’s current deal runs out at the end of 2025, but the multiple Grand Prix winner is now set to continue at a team he has raced for since 2022.

Kimi Antonelli: 2025

Russell’s rookie team mate, Antonelli, has experienced an up-and-down first season in the sport, but the Italian teenager – who showed his potential with a maiden pole position and podium – is also on course for an extension into 2026 and the new era of regulations.

Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso: 2026

At 44, Alonso is the oldest driver on the F1 grid, but the two-time World Champion – who won those titles with Renault in the mid-noughties – will continue as an Aston Martin driver for at least another season via the multi-year deal he committed to in early 2024.

Lance Stroll: 2026

Stroll has filled a seat at his father Lawrence’s team for several years, stretching back to 2019 and Aston Martin’s previous Racing Point guise. With the Canadian’s latest contract extension confirmed midway through 2024, he is likely to stay put while his dad is at the reins.

Alpine

Pierre Gasly: ‘Multi-year’ deal

Alpine has been Gasly’s home since 2023, when the Frenchman cut his ties with the Red Bull family and embarked on a new chapter. He agreed a new multi-year deal last summer – one that is due to run until at least the end of the 2026 campaign.

Franco Colapinto: 2025 (race-by-race)

It is a more open situation when it comes to the seat alongside Gasly, which was originally occupied by Jack Doohan in 2025 before 2024 Williams super-sup Colapinto got drafted in. “The team decide if it’s race-by-race or the whole season,” explained Alpine Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore at the time, with plans for 2026 yet to be shared.

Haas

Esteban Ocon: ‘Multi-year’ deal

Haas brought in an all-new driver line-up for 2025, having parted ways with Kick Sauber-bound Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, who headed to sportscars. Forming half of that pairing is experienced Grand Prix winner Ocon on a multi-year agreement.

Ollie Bearman: ‘Multi-year’ deal

Bearman announced himself to the F1 paddock with a spectacular stand-in performance for Ferrari at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, one that went a long way to him earning a full-time spot at Ayao Komatsu’s squad – again on undisclosed multi-year terms.

Racing Bulls

Isack Hadjar: 2025

Hadjar has impressed over the course of his rookie F1 season so far, bouncing back from a formation lap crash on his debut in Australia to show plenty of potential. His future beyond 2025 is in Red Bull’s hands, with some already linking him to a senior team promotion.

Liam Lawson: 2025

As touched on above, Lawson began 2025 with a “dream” chance at Red Bull, but he was sent straight back to Racing Bulls after two tough weekends. He has since been rebuilding his reputation, seemingly with the goal of earning another season at the sister operation.

Williams

Alex Albon: ‘Multi-year’ deal

A former Red Bull racer himself, Albon returned to F1 with Williams in 2022 and has since made the Grove-based outfit his home. Following James Vowles’ arrival as team boss, the Thai-British racer signed a new deal in 2024 that is believed to run until at least the end of 2027.

Carlos Sainz: ‘Multi-year’ deal

As well as keeping hold of Albon, Williams pulled off a coup when they won the race to sign Ferrari’s proven Grand Prix winner Sainz. Making the switch for the 2025 season, after Hamilton took his seat at the Scuderia, the Spaniard is tied to Williams through at least 2026.

Kick Sauber/Audi

Nico Hulkenberg: ‘Multi-year’ deal

Hulkenberg was an early mover in last year’s driver market, signing for Kick Sauber – who will become Audi’s works team from 2026 – shortly after the season had begun. He arrived in 2025 on a multi-year deal, with options that are believed to give him the chance to race for German automotive giants Audi into his 40s if the partnership works as planned.

Gabriel Bortoleto: ‘Multi-year’ deal

Hulkenberg has been partnered at Kick Sauber by Brazilian youngster Bortoleto, a back-to-back winner of the F3 and F2 championships who is also part of Alonso’s management stable. He is signed up to Sauber – and later Audi – through at least the 2026 season.

Cadillac

Cadillac will become F1’s 11th team in 2026, arriving as an American-led entry but with a European headquarters near the UK’s Silverstone Circuit. Neither of their two drivers have been revealed, but race winners Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez are being heavily linked.