What will Verstappen decide? F1 2027 driver line-ups: latest contract news and rumours
With Max Verstappen's future in doubt and a series of expiring Formula 1 contracts, silly season could be the most turbulent for yers: here are the agreed deals and rumours around the 2027 F1 driver line-ups
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As Formula 1 returns after the summer break, there’s not just a world championship to decide: more than half the seats on next year’s grid are still to be confirmed.
And with Max Verstappen‘s future in the sport in doubt; Fernando Alonso yet to decide on his plans; and a number of drivers at risk of being dropped, we could see a significant reshuffling of the grid.
Some teams have moved early: McLaren and Ferrari have secured their current drivers for next year, and George Russell has also extended his deal with Mercedes.
But most midfield teams are yet to declare their 2027 line-ups. Below are the contracts in place for next season, and the latest rumours on who might fill the unconfirmed seats.
Click on any team in the table below to jump to more information or scroll down for details on each team.
Confirmed 2027 F1 driver line-ups
| Team | Drivers |
| McLaren | Lando Norris (until 2027) Oscar Piastri (2028) |
| Ferrari | Charles Leclerc (multi-year beyond 2027) Lewis Hamilton (2027) |
| Red Bull | Max Verstappen (2028) TBC |
| Mercedes | George Russell (2027) TBC |
| Aston Martin | Lance Stroll (rolling) TBC |
| Alpine | Pierre Gasly (2028) TBC |
| Haas | TBC TBC |
| Racing Bulls | TBC TBC |
| Williams | TBC TBC |
| Audi | TBC TBC |
| Cadillac | Sergio Perez (2027) Valtteri Bottas (2027) |
2027 McLaren F1 driver line-up
The reigning constructors’ champions had a confirmed line-up for next season before this year even began: world champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are both contracted beyond 2026 as they bid for a third consecutive constructors’ title.
Lando Norris
Contract until 2027
Lando Norris is under contract until at least 2027, and the world champion is unlikely to go anywhere anytime soon.
McLaren has built a big part of its identity around him, and there’s no credible scenario in which that changes, regardless of how competitive the Woking team turns out to be in 2026.
His relationship with Oscar Piastri, while fierce, has so far been more an asset than a problem, so there are also no dramas on that side of things.
Oscar Piastri
Contract to 2028
Oscar Piastri is arguably one of the most secure drivers on the grid, despite a recent run of patchy form.
He may have lost out to Norris in the 2025 world championship, but showed his class to take a commanding title lead at the start of the season, which he also ended in fine form.
This year too has been patchy, but Piastri has still had its moments and the team has no reason to look elsewhere. If anything, the question is whether other teams will be watching him closely enough to come calling in the 2028–29 window.
2027 Mercedes F1 driver line-up
It was tipped to have the best engine and fastest car on the F1 grid in 2026; Mercedes did not disappoint. But the way in which Kimi Antonelli dominated the start of the season did come as a surprise: expect to see the internal battle for supremacy between the Italian and his team-mate George Russell continue into 2027.
TBC
Currently Kimi Antonelli
After a debut season with its share of errors, Kimi Antonelli’s one-year deal for 2026 looked, on paper, like it left him exposed.
In reality, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had invested too much into the Italian teenager’s development to cut him loose after two seasons, even before he went on to dominate the start of the 2026 season with five consecutive grand prix wins.
Nothing has yet been confirmed for 2027, but an extension to keep this year’s star driver in this year’s fastest car looks to be a formality.
George Russell
Contract until 2027
Last year George Russell signed a multi-year contract for 2026 but only committed to one year, as both team and driver hedged their bets amid the possibility of changes at Red Bull.
This June, Russell announced that he had activated an extension clause with a Mercedes team that heads the championship, albeit with Antonelli leading the charge.
Russell could yet go on to win the title this year, but if Antonelli ends the season as world champion, it could lead to interesting questions about the Briton’s future, piling the pressure on for 2027.
2027 Red Bull F1 driver line-up
Has the series of departures from the once unassailable Red Bull finally taken its toll? The team has managed to develop an impressively powerful engine, but the rest of the package doesn’t match its established standards. Which is casting doubts over Max Verstappen‘s future.
Max Verstappen
Contract until 2028
Max Verstappen may have a deal that runs until 2028, but nothing is simple in his case: his exit clause, which is linked to the team’s performance, is a permanent feature of the paddock’s background noise.
It’s likely that Verstappen is able to trigger the exit clause this year, given the underwhelming performance of the 2026 Red Bull. Combined with vocal dissatisfaction with the new regulations, there is a real threat that Formula 1 could lose its four-time champion.
The main question is whether Verstappen really wants to stay in F1 or if he prefers to leave to focus on his other passions like GT racing. Once he has answered that, there’ll be no shortage of rumours about what he might do next, in and out of Formula 1.
TBC
Currently Isack Hadjar
Isack Hadjar has provided one of the rarest sights in Formula 1 for many years: a Red Bull driver who’s not blown away by Max Verstappen.
While the picture may be obscured by the neutering effect that this year’s car has on Verstappen’s talents, Hadjar has to drive the same car and he’s regularly within a few tenths of a second of his illustrious team-mate.
He’s done enough to earn a second season with Red Bull at least. Will the team reward him with a multi-year deal?
2027 Ferrari F1 driver line-up
After decades of underachievement, Ferrari is midway through 2026 with a car that looks capable of challenging for the world championship and perhaps the strongest driver line-up of them all. No surprise that both drivers are set to continue in 2027.
Charles Leclerc
Multi-year contract beyond 2027
Charles Leclerc signed an extension to his current Ferrari contract in June, which is rumoured to run until at least 2029, which would be his 11th season with a team that hasn’t yet delivered the championship-winning car that Leclerc merits.
There’s reason to believe, however, that his patience will be rewarded given the competitiveness of this year’s Ferrari, which has at times looked to be the quickest on the grid.
But with the ability to challenge for the championship looking to be within reach, has the arrival of Lewis Hamilton placed another formidable obstacle in Leclerc’s path?
Lewis Hamilton
Contract until 2027
Lewis Hamilton has said that his deal with Ferrari ends in 2027 when he’ll be 42, but if his current form continues then few would bet against a further extension.
After a tricky first season with the Scuderia when it would have been easy to write him off, Hamilton has burst back in 2026, looking once more like the seven-time champion with barely a weakness.
He remains the closest championship challenger to Kimi Antonelli and the prospect of an eighth title, which seemed so distant last year, continues to drive him on.
2027 Williams F1 driver line-up
With private equity backing, a root-and-branch restructure, and a long-held focus on the 2026 season, hopes were high for Williams this year. But the car hasn’t delivered and it’s casting doubt over the picture for 2027.
TBC
Currently Alex Albon
Alex Albon has kept the faith through four tough seasons at Williams, but his hopes for a competitive 2026 car haven’t materialised and, to boot, he’s lagging team-mate Carlos Sainz.
His reputation in the paddock has always been high, so will he choose to capitalise on this and seek a move, leaving the Williams seat vacant?
It’s a possibility if the poor form continues much longer, although an extension to his current Williams deal looks more likely.
TBC
Currently Carlos Sainz
Williams looks to be at risk of losing Carlos Sainz, who was unlucky to lose his seat at Ferrari at the end of 2024, and has done himself no harm at all with his performances at his new team.
He finished on the podium twice in 2025 and looks to have got more from this year’s car than Albon. But with just six points on the board by the time of the summer break, it would be a surprise if Sainz wasn’t looking elsewhere; the loss of a proven race winner with vast F1 experience would leave a big gap to fill.
2027 Racing Bulls F1 driver line-up
Both drivers in Red Bull’s second team are making their case for promotion to the senior squad, so it would be no surprise if Racing Bulls gave them both another year to push for promotion.
TBC
Currently Liam Lawson
Having frequently looked second-best to rookie Isack Hadjar at Racing Bulls in 2025, Liam Lawson’s future looked shaky — saved only by the unconvincing form of Yuki Tsunoda at sister team Red Bull, which ultimately saw Lawson retained for 2026.
It’s been a different story this season, where Lawson has held his own against highly-rated rookie Arvid Lindblad. It looks to be enough for a contract extension to 2027, but Lawson’s battle is to be first choice when a Red Bull vacancy next arises.
TBC
Currently Arvid Lindblad
Arvid Lindblad is a 2026 rookie on a one-year deal, and that’s by design, as Red Bull doesn’t usually commit before it has evidence that a driver can perform.
That evidence already looks to be in place: the 19-year-old was quickly matching the pace of team-mate Liam Lawson and looks to be in the ideal place to build on that in 2027 before jostling for a Red Bull promotion.
2027 Aston Martin F1 driver line-up
Without a doubt, Aston Martin has been F1’s worst team in the first half of the 2026 season, and that’s saying something given that Cadillac was brand new on the grid. There are signs that it could be turning the story around though – with major implications for its driver line-up.
TBC
Currently Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso has said his contract extends beyond his racing career, and despite his love for hyperbole, that’s probably accurate.
Aged 45 he is by some distance the oldest driver on the grid, but has shown no meaningful signs of decline. The real question is the package, which has been an absolute disaster from the start of 2026.
A major aerodynamic upgrade brought significant progress before the summer break. Now Honda is hoping for similar results with an improved power unit.
If it shows the potential to run at the front, Alonso will probably want to stay. But could Aston Martin look to entice Max Verstappen to take on another challenge? If Honda fails to deliver, then Aston may have to set its sights lower.
Lance Stroll
Rolling contract
Lance Stroll‘s contractual situation is the least interesting of the entire F1 grid, as his position at Aston Martin is structural rather than contractual.
As Lawrence Stroll‘s son, he will race for the team for as long as he and his father want.
That has been the reality since 2019, and the 2026 regulations have not changed that.
2027 Haas F1 driver line-up
There’s a sizeable performance gap between Haas’s drivers in 2026 which looks likely to lead to at least one change at the team.
TBC
Currently Oliver Bearman
One of the most watched young drivers in Formula 1, Oliver Bearman remains a Ferrari junior. But with no space at the Scuderia next season, he looks destined for another year at Haas.
However, after a stellar 2026 season where he has utterly outclassed Esteban Ocon in qualifying, race results and the championship table, there’s also a chance that a top team could try and entice Bearman away with the promise of a race-winning car. He’d likely be on Red Bull’s list if Verstappen goes, or an Aston Martin target if Alonso retires.
TBC
Currently Esteban Ocon
Esteban Ocon appears to be fighting for his Formula 1 career this year. His poor 2025 season was enough to raise genuine questions about his future, and his third season at Haas is once again leaving him trailing in Bearman’s wake.
Ocon has the experience and the pace in the right conditions, but time and goodwill are finite, and Haas will be looking at its options. It’s been linked with a return to F1 for Yuki Tsunoda, but also with last year’s F2 champion and McLaren F1 reserve, Leonardo Fornaroli.
TBC
Currently Nico Hülkenberg
Nico Hülkenberg is on a multi-year deal and serves as Audi’s senior figure, the experienced reference point the German manufacturer needs as it builds its Formula 1 programme from scratch.
Barring a complete implosion of either the project or his own form, he will likely remain in an Audi car in 2027.
TBC
Currently Gabriel Bortoleto
Gabriel Bortoleto arrived with significant junior credentials and Audi’s backing, and adapted quickly to the rigours of Formula 1.
In 2026, he’s been at the same level as Hülkenberg, which should be enough for Audi to extend its commitment; the team’s long-term vision still appears to be built around him.
2027 Alpine F1 driver line-up
Last year’s laggards have become solid performers in 2026, but are both of Alpine’s F1 drivers capable of moving the team up to the next level?
Pierre Gasly
Contract to 2028
Pierre Gasly signed a contract that expires in 2028 despite Alpine‘s troubled 2025.
It represents the team’s vote of confidence in him as its cornerstone through the transition to the new regulations and whatever comes next.
A much stronger start to 2026 with Alpine’s new Mercedes power unit could vindicate Gasly’s decision to stick around.
TBC
Currently Franco Colapinto
Franco Colapinto earned his 2026 reprieve on thin margins. The only full-season driver not to score a point in 2025, the Argentine kept ahead of reserve Paul Aron by factors that weren’t purely performance-based.
Alpine gave him a lifeline, but that could be Colapinto’s last chance. He’s been inconsistent this year and with half the points of Gasly going into the summer break, Colapinto needs a flying start to the second part of the season otherwise Aron may well get his chance.
2027 Cadillac F1 driver line-up
Sergio Perez
Contracted to 2027
Sergio Perez‘s return to the grid with Cadillac felt like a soft landing, but there’s little doubt that the team’s ambitions are explicitly American.
The Mexican is on a multi-year deal to help Cadillac build a team from the ground up, so he will be safe for 2027.
After that, how the timeline develops will depend on both how the team and American reserve driver Colton Herta develop.
Valtteri Bottas
Contract to 2027
Valtteri Bottas came back to F1 on similarly practical terms: Cadillac needed experienced hands to build the technical foundations of a new team, and he fit the brief.
Like Pérez, he is on a multi-year deal, but also like Pérez, his long-term position depends on how fast Herta – and potentially other American junior talent – advances.
Bottas’ and Perez’s job is to help build something; whether they are still there when it arrives at the front is another matter entirely.