Every F1 driver out of contract at the end of 2025

As the 2025 Formula 1 season enters its final stretch, the contract landscape around the grid is still shifting, even for the drivers who started the year uncertain about 2026.

George Russell‘s Mercedes future remains a headline, although a new deal with the German squad is not believed to be a formality after months of speculation.

Rookie Kimi Antonelli has performed inconsistently for Mercedes, and while there is no official confirmation on his place for next season yet, team principal Toto Wolff has backed the Italian, who is expected to get another year with the outfit.

Yuki Tsunoda was promoted to Red Bull from Racing Bulls, but his struggles to get close to Max Verstappen mean his future is still very much uncertain.

Liam Lawson started 2025 with high hopes but, after being dropped from Red Bull just two races in and moving to Racing Bulls, his future also looked far from certain. However, the Kiwi has enjoyed an upturn in form, which has boosted his chances of securing a new deal.

Isack Hadjar is in the same boat, with a short-term deal at Racing Bulls and no guarantees for 2026, although the French-Algerian has impressed this year and has been named as a candidate to replace Tsunoda alongside Verstappen.

The other team with an unconfirmed 2026 line-up is Alpine, as Franco Colapinto continues to fight for his future. The Argentine hasn’t quite lived up to Flavio Briatore’s expectations after replacing Jack Doohan, the Italian admitting there is a fight between Colapinto and reserve driver Paul Aron for the drive alongside Pierre Gasly.

F1 drivers out of contract at the end of 2025

George Russell

On August 31, 2023, George Russell penned a new two-year deal with Mercedes that ensured he would remain with the Brackley outfit until at least 2025. In the two years since, he has proven to be one of the F1 grid’s quickest and most consistent drivers, alongside Lewis Hamilton no less, and has led the team’s charge in 2025.

Although Russell’s current deal is set to expire this season, team boss Toto Wolff has already made clear that the Briton has various “options” to extend. Russell has made no secret of his desire to remain with Mercedes and expressed his confidence in the team’s ability to get back to the front of the grid from 2026, when new power units, with greater electrical energy recovery and deployment, will be introduced.

“I think you know the experience the team have had, the success in 2014 with the new powertrain, and then obviously the time in Formula E, the work that was done with the [Mercedes-AMG One] Hypercar,” said Russell at the 2024 Monaco GP. “There are a lot of individuals within HPP [Mercedes High Performance Powertrains] who have got so much experience with this future technology.

“I think that leaves us in a really great place to have a great engine. And the work [Mercedes fuel and lubricant partner] Petronas are doing on the fuel as well is looking really strong. So, on the engine side, I think we’re feeling very confident for that era.”

Despite speculation about his future and a delay to secure a new contract, a move elsewhere appears unlikely.

Kimi Antonelli

Kimi Antonelli joined the F1 grid with Mercedes in 2025 on a one-year deal and it has already been confirmed that the Italian has “options” in his contract that should ensure that he stays with the team for 2026 and possibly beyond.

Before the start of the season, Mercedes made clear that 2025 will be a “transitional year” for Antonelli, with the aim of preparing him for a more competitive campaign in 2026, and that has exactly turned out to be the case, despite flashes of speed here and there.

Wolff has backed the Italian, but he has also asked him to start raising his game following a run of costly errors.

Still, Antonelli was always and long-term project for Mercedes and so he is likely to remain with the team in 2026..

Liam Lawson

Liam Lawson‘s 2023 performances as a reserve for injured AlphaTauri driver Daniel Ricciardo were so assured that it seemed criminal to leave him back on the sidelines last season.

He wasn’t there for long, as Ricciardo struggled and Lawson took his seat for the final six races of the year. Once again, his pace was close enough to established team-mate Yuki Tsunoda that the senior figures at sister team Red Bull sat up and took notice.

In a bold move, Red Bull brought him in to replace Sergio Perez for 2025, alongside Max Verstappen who has made a habit of destroying those sat in the adjoining garage. He did it again in record time.

In a car that even Verstappen finds difficult to tame, Lawson floundered, qualifying dead last for the Chinese sprint race and grand prix. After two race weekends, he was sent back to the team now known as Racing Bulls, and replaced by Tsunoda.

The Kiwi initially struggled to find his stride at the Faenza squad, but then start to perform more consistently, securing a career best fifth place in Azerbaijan.

While he still has no contract for 2026, staying at Racing Bulls is now looking more likely.

Isack Hadjar 

Isack Hadjar was the latest Red Bull junior to receive an F1 promotion at the start of the season, benefitting from Liam Lawson‘s temporary move from Racing Bulls.

The Frenchman has been signed to a one-year deal after impressing in F2 last season — winning four feature races, securing three further podiums and finishing second in the drivers’ standings. He also showed strong pace during a post-season F1 test in Abu Dhabi.

Hadjar has been one of the standout rookies of the 2025 season, quickly becoming a consistent points scorer for Racing Bulls after a rocky Australian Grand Prix debut.

He’s scored eighth top-10 results in 17 races and even picked up his maiden podium at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Hadjar currently sits ninth in the championship, well ahead of fellow Red Bull junior Lawson, and continues to build his reputation as one of F1’s most promising new talents.

Contract talks for 2026 are yet to be finalised, but Hadjar has been linked with the Red Bull seat alongside Verstappen in 2026.

Yuki Tsunoda

Yuki Tsunoda signed a one-year extension with Racing Bulls mid-way through 2024, but got more than he expected from the agreement, when he was promoted to Red Bull two races into the season.

He had insisted that he was ready for the move, and was clearly disappointed to have been overlooked in favour of Lawson.

Since joining the senior team, however, he has barely looked more at home than the unfortunate Lawson.

Tsunoda remains adrift of his illustrious team-mate — on average more than half a second slower than Verstappen in qualifying.

Although he appeared to make some progress as the season progressed, his long run of poor results have meant his future at Red Bull remains uncertain.

Franco Colapinto

Franco Colapinto joined Alpine in 2025 on an initial five-race contract, stepping in mid-season to replace Jack Doohan.

While his performances have been mixed, including some struggles early on, he has shown some improvement but has also crashed several times.

Alpine has kept him on a race-by-race basis since, with no long-term guarantee, making each outing effectively an audition to secure his place.

Colapinto is tied to Alpine on a multi-year reserve and development contract, secured through an agreement with Williams, but no plans have been confirmed for 2026.

Team boss Briatore said that Gasly’s team-mate next year will be chosen between Colapinto and reserve Paul Aron.