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 finally beginning to settle after months of uncertainty, and few drivers are still out of contract at the end of the 2025 season.

With Mercedes and Alpine having confirmed their 2026 line-ups, attention now turns to the final open seats elsewhere.

Mercedes ended speculation by announcing that George Russell will continue alongside Kimi Antonelli next year, confirming the young Italian’s retention after a sometimes erratic but promising rookie campaign. Team principal Toto Wolff praised Antonelli’s growth under pressure and said the team remains “fully committed” to his long-term development.

At Alpine , Pierre Gasly stays on and is joined by Franco Colapinto , with the Argentine retaining the race seat after the team’s review in the second half of the season.

Elsewhere, Yuki Tsunoda’s step up to Red Bull has yet to yield consistent results, and his 2026 future remains uncertain as the team evaluates options alongside Max Verstappen. Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson are among the contenders, both having shown encouraging form with Racing Bulls during the second half of the season.

With just a handful of races remaining, the 2026 grid is taking shape – but a few critical seats could still change hands before the year is out.

F1 drivers out of contract at the end of 2025

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.