The 2027 driver market is already starting to stir. While several stars are locked in long-term, many seats remain potentially available.
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The Formula 1 transfer market could still hold some surprises in the coming months. Several teams have recently secured their drivers long-term, but a significant part of the grid reaches the end of their contracts at the end of the 2026 season.
Lando Norris is the latest driver to clarify his future. The reigning world champion has just signed an extension with McLaren until at least 2030, with options allowing him to continue even longer at Woking.
Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Alex Albon, Carlos Sainz, and Franco Colapinto have also recently secured their futures. Conversely, several drivers still need to convince their teams to keep them for 2027.
Norris, Verstappen, and Leclerc locked until 2030
McLaren made a big move by securing Norris on a very long-term deal. The Briton, whose previous contract was due to expire at the end of this season, is now committed until at least 2030.
His teammate Oscar Piastri has a contract until 2028, with an option to extend their collaboration.
The same situation applies at Red Bull with Verstappen. After several months of speculation about a possible move to Mercedes or McLaren, the four-time world champion has finally extended until the end of 2030.
Ferrari also enjoys significant stability with Leclerc, committed beyond 2030, while Lewis Hamilton has a contract running until 2027 with an option.
Several uncertainties at Mercedes and Red Bull
The situation is much less clear for some drivers in the top teams.
George Russell is tied to Mercedes until 2027, with an additional option, but Kimi Antonelli is currently reaching the end of his contract at the end of the 2026 season.
A situation that may seem surprising given the Italian’s performance, the current championship leader. Mercedes should logically seek to secure his future quickly.
At Red Bull, Isack Hadjar has an option allowing him to stay beyond 2026, but his future is not yet fully locked in.
The situation is even more open at Racing Bulls since Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad both reach the end of their contracts this year.
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Alonso, Ocon, and Bearman among drivers at the end of their contracts
Several seats could also become available elsewhere on the grid.
Fernando Alonso has not yet confirmed whether he will continue his career with Aston Martin in 2027. At 45, the two-time world champion especially wants to observe the evolution of the project with Honda before making a final decision.
At Haas, Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman both reach the end of their contracts. The Frenchman’s seat is already the subject of much speculation, while Leonardo Fornaroli, Rafael Camara, Ryo Hirakawa, and Jack Doohan are to be evaluated during private tests.
The contractual situation of Lance Stroll remains open at Aston Martin.
Alpine, Audi, and Cadillac bet on stability
Other teams have already secured their futures.
Pierre Gasly is committed to Alpine until 2028, while Franco Colapinto has just extended until the end of the 2027 season. Flavio Briatore notably emphasized the importance of stability to allow the team to continue progressing.
Audi also has a locked duo for 2027 with Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto.
The same applies at Cadillac. Sergio Pérez recently reminded that his contract covers two seasons and that he will therefore still be present in 2027. Valtteri Bottas is also committed until that date.
The contracts of the 22 Formula 1 drivers in 2026
Here is the current contractual situation of the entire grid. The asterisk indicates the presence of an option allowing the contract to be extended.
| Driver | Team | Contract end |
| Lando Norris | McLaren | 2030 |
| Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 2028* |
| George Russell | Mercedes | 2027* |
| Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 2026 |
| Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 2030 |
| Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 2026* |
| Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 2030+ |
| Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 2027* |
| Alex Albon | Williams | 2027 |
| Carlos Sainz | Williams | 2028 |
| Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 2026 |
| Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 2026 |
| Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 2026 |
| Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | Open |
| Esteban Ocon | Haas | 2026 |
| Oliver Bearman | Haas | 2026 |
| Nico Hülkenberg | Audi | 2027 |
| Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 2027 |
| Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 2028 |
| Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 2027 |
| Sergio Pérez | Cadillac | 2027 |
| Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 2027 |
A 2027 market that could heat up quickly
Of the 22 drivers currently on the grid, several therefore have no guarantee of keeping their place next season.
The situations of Antonelli, Hadjar, Lawson, Lindblad, Alonso, Ocon, and Bearman will notably be among the files to watch, even if some obviously seem much more threatened than others.
Conversely, the main stars of the championship are now firmly locked in. Norris and Verstappen are committed until 2030, Leclerc beyond that date, while Piastri, Hamilton, Russell, and Sainz also have agreements covering several seasons.
The 2027 market should therefore concern less the big stars than the last remaining available seats. And with several young drivers already knocking on the door, the pressure will quickly mount on those whose contracts expire at the end of the year.
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