The unique situation of over half the grid being out of contract for 2025, including some of F1’s leading drivers, has led to one of the most highly anticipated silly seasons in history.
The sheer number of seats up for grabs ahead of a crunch regulations change in 2026 was always going to lead to an early start to the merry-go-round, but Lewis Hamilton’s shock decision to leave Mercedes for Ferrari next year has taken things up another notch, with drivers and teams having to start engaging in talks before a wheel had been turned in Bahrain testing.
One throwaway line from Williams’ Alex Albon, who has also been the subject of speculation but has a valid Williams contract for 2025, summed up the situation well.
“It’s inevitable… everyone’s seen how early it’s taking place and it’s been a bit uncomfortably early for a lot of teams as well as drivers I can imagine,” Albon said about how early off-track talks have impacted the start of the year.
Since Hamilton’s bombshell news, Fernando has pinned his colours to the mast of his current Aston Martin team, while Nico Hulkenberg has agreed to move to Sauber in 2025 to help it move into its Audi era.
The main hold-up remains the situation at Red Bull, with the news that design legend Adrian Newey is set to depart the team, which could impact whether or not Max Verstappen will commit to see out his 2028 contract.
Mercedes is still awaiting a firm decision by Verstappen before it moves to replace Hamilton, having time on its side to see how its youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli develops in F2 and private F1 testing.
Sainz, the driver displaced by Hamilton, also appears to hold out for other top team opportunities before committing to a lucrative Audi deal that has been ready for him for weeks, with Audi F1 CEO Andreas Seidl keen to sign both the Spaniard and Hulkenberg as his plan A line-up.
“For sure, my best options are still open which is something that quite obviously requires a bit of time, given the situation of the market,” Sainz said in China.
“It’s going to take some time for everyone to make up their own minds and take their decisions, but the good options are still open. There hasn’t been any progress over the last couple of weeks.”
“Obviously, the sooner everything develops, the better. It’s not like it’s affecting my performance this year, but the earlier that you take it out of your head, the better. But it requires time and it requires some…
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