The driver merry-go-round is ready to swing into action once again in 2025, with only a handful of drivers already confirmed for next year. All the latest news, information and rumours regarding the F1 Silly Season!
The driver market is heating up. With many drivers out of contract at the end of the year, the 2024-2025 F1 Silly Season was already set to be one full of intrigue. That was before Lewis Hamilton threw the curveball that he will be racing with Ferrari from 2025 onwards.
With only a handful of drivers confirmed for 2025, the off-track speculation and rumours over who will end up where next year will be fascinating. Here, we’ve attempted to keep track of all the stories and all the possibilities at each team and will keep this post updated with the latest information as we get it throughout the season until all ten teams and all twenty drivers for next year.
Let the F1 Silly Season begin!
F1 Silly Season: Who is confirmed at each team for the 2025 Formula 1 season?
The table below shows the drivers who are confirmed to be racing at each team in 2025.
| Team | Drivers | |
| Red Bull | Max Verstappen | |
| Mercedes | George Russell | |
| Ferrari | Lewis Hamilton | Charles Leclerc |
| McLaren | Lando Norris | Oscar Piastri |
| Aston Martin | ||
| Alpine | ||
| Williams | ||
| Visa Cash App RB | ||
| Sauber | ||
| Haas | ||
F1 SILLY SEASON: ALL THE NEWS AND RUMOURS
RED BULL
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have led Red Bull’s charge since 2021. While Verstappen’s Red Bull contract is signed through to 2028, constant rumours persist over who his next team-mate will be. Expect the second Red Bull seat to be one of the most talked about this F1 Silly Season.
F1 Silly Season: Who could join Verstappen at Red Bull?
Sergio Perez
Will Sergio Perez enter a fifth season with Red Bull in 2025? After all, the Mexican driver secured Red Bull’s first ever 1-2 finish in the Drivers’ Championship in 2023. A repeat in 2024 is what will be needed for Perez to maintain his seat – but that could prove difficult if Perez’s inconsistencies from the team’s dominant 2023 season resurface during the 2024 campaign.
Daniel Ricciardo
In a Perez-less future at Red Bull, is Daniel Ricciardo the team’s most obvious candidate for a second seat? Ricciardo previously drove here from 2014 to 2018 and there’s a sense of unfinished business for the Australian with the reigning champions. He’ll need to re-find his pre-McLaren form and solidly out-perform Yuki Tsunoda across the 2024 season to be in with a shot.
Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz is a former member of the Red Bull family and a former team-mate to Max Verstappen, with the duo having spent their first season in the sport (and some of 2016) together at Toro Rosso. Sainz performed well against Verstappen early on in his career. Could the Spaniard be lured back to Red Bull when he leaves Ferrari at the end of 2024?
Yuki Tsunoda
2024 will be Yuki Tsunoda’s fourth season with the Red Bull junior team. A driver who seems to be progressing with each passing season, Tsunoda will need to solidly out-perform Daniel Ricciardo this year if he’s to put his name in the ring for a shot at being Max Verstappen’s team-mate in 2025.
Liam Lawson
Liam Lawson had a number of eye-catching drives when he deputised for the injured Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri in 2023. With his performances similar to that of Yuki Tsunoda and Ricciardo in the same machinery, Lawson could be an option for the senior Red Bull team in 2025.
Alex Albon
Tipped to be a major player in the F1 Silly Season, Alex Albon’s first stint as Max Verstappen’s team-mate between 2019 and 2020 was not particularly successful but the then-rookie was thrown in at the deep end mid-season and never really given the opportunity to flourish. With the experience he’s gained at Williams since 2022 – and solid drives proving his worth – Red Bull could want Albon back in their team in 2025. In early February, it was reported that Albon had been offered a three-year contract with the team.
MERCEDES
Mercedes looked like they would be one of the teams who would not be participating in the F1 Silly Season of 2024-25 – but Lewis Hamilton blew the driver market wide open in later January when he announced a shock move to Ferrari for the 2025 season. Who will fill Hamilton’s vacant seat and partner already confirmed George Russell at the Brackley-based team in 2025?
F1 Silly Season: Who could join Russell at Mercedes in 2025?
Max Verstappen
Could Max Verstappen really walk away from the all-conquering Red Bull team? Despite having a Red Bull contract until 2028, paddock rumours after the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix suggested that Verstappen could be seeking an alternate future at Mercedes, replacing former title rival Lewis Hamilton.
Carlos Sainz
A straight seat swap between Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz with the Spaniard replacing the man who Ferrari have hired to replace him? With two wins under his belt, Sainz surely has to be a consideration for Mercedes.
Alex Albon
Currently racing with Mercedes-powered Williams, many feel that Alex Albon deserves another shot at a top team. Could Mercedes be the team to give him that opportunity?
Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Skipping Formula 3 and heading straight to Formula 2 in 2024, 17-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli is Mercedes’ next big prospect. If he performs as well as expected in the feeder series in 2024, he could find himself thrown in at the deep end with the Mercedes works team in Formula 1 in 2025. The F1 Silly Season could be blown wide open if Antonelli impresses this year.
Fernando Alonso
If Antonelli is not quite ready for Formula 1 in 2025, or not quite ready to be with a leading team, Mercedes could find themselves needing a driver on a shorter-term basis. Step forward Fernando Alonso, who could theoretically end his career with a one-year stint with Mercedes. If Aston Martin are not on the pace in the early stages of 2024, don’t be surprised to see the two-time World Champion linked to Hamilton’s vacated Mercedes seat.
Esteban Ocon
Mercedes are still involved with current Alpine driver Esteban Ocon’s Formula 1 career and have had a long-standing partnership with the Frenchman. A proven race winner and consistent points-scorer, Ocon could be a good – if somewhat uninspiring – choice for Mercedes in 2025.
Oscar Piastri
An outside chance given that he has committed his long-term future to McLaren but contracts are rarely fully watertight and if Mercedes came knocking, Oscar Piastri would at least have to consider the benefits of a move to the Mercedes team.
Sebastian Vettel
Could he? If Sebastian Vettel were to make a Formula 1 return, he’d likely want to do so with a leading team. Vettel is known to be a friend of Toto Wolff’s and the German manufacturer linking with one of German’s most successful drivers would make a lot of sense. Replacing a multi-World Champion with another multi-World Champion would be a neat move for the team, if Vettel has the desire to make a comeback.
FERRARI
In January 2024, Ferrari announced a contract extension with Charles Leclerc but did not specify how many more years the Monegasque driver would remain at the Scuderia. Given that his previous contract did not expire until the end of 2024, Leclerc will definitely be at the team in 2025.
Later that month, Lewis Hamilton shocked the Formula 1 world and made the first major move in the latest F1 Silly Season by announcing he would join Ferrari for the 2025 season on a multi-year contract. Barring any strange circumstances, Ferrari’s 2025 driver line-up is now locked in.
McLAREN
McLaren have sealed their driver line-up for 2025, with both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri committing to the team beyond the end of the 2024 season. Barring any unexpected circumstances, the F1 Silly Season is already over for McLaren.
ASTON MARTIN
Neither Fernando Alonso nor Lance Stroll have been confirmed at Aston Martin for the 2025 Formula 1 season. Will the team stick with their current line-up, or will change be in order for next season?
F1 Silly Season: Who could race at Aston Martin in 2025?
Fernando Alonso
In the twilight of his illustrious Formula 1 career, Fernando Alonso was very happy with his new team’s performance in 2023, especially in the early stages of the season. If the momentum continues to grow, Alonso is likely to stay put for what could be his final season in 2025. If not, he may look elsewhere for one last shot at title glory.
Max Verstappen
In March 2024, amid rumours about Max Verstappen’s future at Red Bull, motorsport.com tipped Aston Martin as a potential surprise location for reigning champion Verstappen to end up in 2025.
Lance Stroll
The team owner’s son is understood to have a rolling contract at Aston Martin – but it’s fair to say that Lance Stroll cost the team a few points in 2024, given his gap in pace to Fernando Alonso. If Lawrence Stroll is serious about achieving the absolute maximum from the team’s two cars, maybe it is time for his son to step aside – perhaps to the new Aston Martin hypercar project.
Felipe Drugovich
Felipe Drugovich, the team’s reserve driver, nearly raced in 2023 when Lance Stroll was injured pre-season. However, the 2022 Formula 2 champion is yet to get a chance to race in Formula 1. Could 2025 be the season that the Brazilian finally makes the step up?
Sergio Perez
Sergio Perez raced with this team through its Force India and Racing Point guises, giving the outfit their first win in over 20 years at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix. He was then dropped from the team, in favour of Sebastian Vettel, and made his way to Red Bull. If he’s let go by Red Bull at the end of 2024, perhaps a return ‘home’ to the Silverstone team is the best seat that Perez can hope for.
Carlos Sainz
Recently dropped by Ferrari in favour of Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz will be eyeing a seat with a top team. With Aston Martin set to switch to Honda engines in 2026, this could well be Sainz’s best chance at being back at the front when the new regulation era begins.
Yuki Tsunoda
Aston Martin will become a Honda-powered team in 2026. The Japanese manufacturer has previously been keen to have a Japanese driver involved at teams for whom they supply engines. Yuki Tsunoda could find himself in with a shot at an Aston Martin drive in the near future as a result – could 2025 be the year he finally moves away from the Red Bull junior team?
ALPINE
Alpine are yet to announce either of their race drivers for 2024, with both Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly’s contracts set to expire at the end of the year. Given Alpine’s current slow slide down the competitive order, it could be the case that both Ocon and Gasly pursue alternative options for 2025.
F1 Silly Season: Who could race at Alpine in 2025?
Esteban Ocon
Esteban Ocon won with Alpine back in 2021 and has remained a consistent points-scorer since. There’s the chance that Mercedes could take Ocon on in 2025 but otherwise, it appears that the Frenchman’s future is with the French team.
Pierre Gasly
Pierre Gasly joined the Alpine team in 2023 and put in a solid first year, out-scoring team-mate Esteban Ocon over the course of the year. Any set of circumstances in which Gasly leaves the team at the end of 2024 seem likely to be those of Gasly’s choosing, rather than the team discarding of him after only two years.
Valtteri Bottas
As the current Sauber team continue their preparations to become the Audi works team in 2026, signing a new lead driver (like Carlos Sainz, for example) could become a priority. If Valtteri Bottas were to find himself without a drive as a result, and Alpine were to lose their two star drivers to other teams, bringing the experienced Finn onboard could be a smart move.
Theo Pourchaire
Sauber-backed French driver Theo Pourchaire is the reigning Formula 2 champion. Without a seat for 2024, if Alpine are looking to keep the all-French theme, Pourchaire is only one of the highly rated young drivers worth taking a chance on.
Jack Doohan
Jack Doohan finished third in last year’s Formula 2 championship, which was his second full season in the feeder series. The Australian will not race in 2024, despite offers in other categories, with his eyes firmly set on a 2025 F1 seat. A member of the Alpine driver academy and the team’s reserve driver, Alpine is the most obvious place for Doohan to target.
Victor Martins
Another Alpine academy driver, Victor Martins is another driver who’ll surely be on the radar for a 2025 seat. The 2022 Formula 3 champion stepped up to Formula 2 in 2023 and finished fifth overall. He continues with ART Grand Prix for his second season in 2024.
WILLIAMS
Alex Albon embarks on his third season while Logan Sargeant enters his second at Williams – a team which appears to be on an upward trajectory – in 2024. The chances of the duo remaining for a third year as team-mates in 2025 appear slim.
F1 Silly Season: Who could drive at Williams in 2025?
Alex Albon
Williams will be keen to keep hold of Alex Albon’s services in 2025. However, with his stock rising, Albon seems highly likely to be racing further up the grid next year. James Vowles has clarified that Albon’s contract with Williams includes the 2025 season, while Albon has said his focus is on his current team – but did not rule out a move elsewhere. Expect him to stay with Williams only if no better offers come to fruition.
Logan Sargeant
Logan Sargeant was the last driver to have his seat confirmed for 2024. The American racer really needs to step up in his head-to-head performances against Alex Albon this year to have a future at the pinnacle of motorsport.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli
The hype surrounding Mercedes-backed Andrea Kimi Antonelli is significant and will grow if he impresses in Formula 2. If he does so, Williams could be the perfect place for him to begin his Formula 1 career in 2025 – unless he makes his debut further up the field.
Felipe Drugovich
Felipe Drugovich was linked with the second Williams seat late last year but Logan Sargeant ultimately secured a second year with the team. Could he be linked again in 2024?
Gabriel Bortoleto
The reigning Formula 3 champion makes his Formula 2 debut in 2024. If he could repeat Oscar Piastri’s success and win the F3 and F2 titles in successive years, he could be hot property on the 2025 driver market. Bortoleto is part of the McLaren Driver Development Programme – but Williams could be a good starting point for the Brazilian.
VISA CASH APP RB
The newly-named Red Bull junior team was previously a proving ground for new young talent. In 2024, Yuki Tsunoda enters his fourth season with the team, while Daniel Ricciardo is back for his first full season with the team at which he last raced with in 2013.
F1 Silly Season: Who could drive at Visa Cash App RB in 2025?
Yuki Tsunoda
2024 is Yuki Tsunoda’s fourth season with the Red Bull junior team. A fifth full consecutive year with the team in 2025 would be unheard of – but it’s difficult to know where else the Japanese driver could go, unless he really proves himself against Daniel Ricciardo in 2024. His and Aston Martin’s Honda links make that the most likely landing spot for Tsunoda other than embarking on another year with Visa Cash App RB in 2025.
Daniel Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo’s aim in 2024 must be to secure a Red Bull seat in 2025. Whether or not he makes it happen will be the focal point of this year’s F1 Silly Season. Failing that, another year with Visa Cash App RB in 2025 seems a likely possibility.
Liam Lawson
He impressed on his outings with the team in 2023. Could Liam Lawson drive for the team full time in 2025? He’s a likely candidate if either of the current pairing departs.
Ayumu Iwasa
After finishing fourth in last year’s Formula 2 championship, Ayumu Iwasa is heading to Super Formula in 2024. Part of the Red Bull family, Iwasa has spent the longest time on the Red Bull Junior Team of the drivers currently enrolled. It makes him a candidate for a seat at Visa Cash App RB in 2025.
SAUBER
The Swiss-based team is set to become Audi in 2026 and with grand ambitions for the German manufacturer’s first season in 2026, 2025 could be the time to embed their star driver with the team. The question is: who will that driver be?
F1 Silly Season: Who could drive at Sauber in 2025?
Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas joined the former Alfa Romeo team for the 2022 season and has finished convincingly ahead of team-mate Zhou Guanyu in the last two seasons – more so in 2022 than in 2023. He’s a trusted, cool-headed driver but – with results somewhat off the boil in 2023 – will the team renew the Finn’s contract as it prepares for its Audi era?
Zhou Guanyu
Zhou Guanyu has been a relatively close match for Valtteri Bottas, even if he has finished behind on points in their last two seasons as team-mates. In his third year in F1, Zhou needs some more standout results; if not to keep his seat at Sauber, then to catch the eye of another team.
Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz could be the star driver Audi are in search of. A race winner, a highly consistent points finisher and able to keep the pace with the likes of Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris during his time as their team-mate. With his Ferrari drive gone, Sainz needs to find a new home. If he’s thinking longer term, Audi could be the place for him.
Sebastian Vettel
If ever people mention the return of Sebastian Vettel to Formula 1, it’s usually presumed the most likely option is that he will return with Audi. Would the four-time World Champion be willing to take a risk on a drive here after two seasons away? Stranger things have happened!
Theo Pourchaire
Reigning Formula 2 champion Theo Pourchaire has been a member of Sauber’s driver academy since 2019. A logical next step for the Frenchman’s career would be a move to the Formula 1 team after spending 2024 on the sidelines.
Nico Hulkenberg
Nico Hulkenberg has past experience with the Sauber team, having driven with them for one season back in 2013. If Audi seek a German driver for their team come 2026, Hulkenberg could be the capable pair of hands they are looking for.
HAAS
After an uninspiring 2023 season, Haas wound up as the tenth placed team last season. The American outfit is not known for taking risks with its driver line-up, though it’s not unusual to see rookies make their debut here.
F1 Silly Season: Who could drive at Haas in 2025?
Kevin Magnussen
Aside from the 2021 season, Kevin Magnussen has driven for Haas since 2017. One of the star drivers in 2022 – with his shock pole at Interlagos – Magnussen was out-performed by Nico Hulkenberg last year and will need to step up in 2024 to keep his seat safe for another year.
Nico Hulkenberg
Nico Hulkenberg did everything he needed to do on his return to Formula 1 with Haas in 2023. Another year racing in uncompetitive machinery seems likely in 2024, so it could be difficult for him to catch the eye of any other team. If Haas were to keep the services of only one current driver in 2025, Hulkenberg seems to be the more likely option at the moment – but a change of scenery and a move to Sauber (Audi in 2026) could be possible.
Oliver Bearman
One of the more exciting prospects in the Ferrari Academy at the moment, Oliver Bearman embraked on his second Formula 2 season in 2024 and made an impressive guest F1 appearance at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Given Haas’ close ties with Ferrari, it’s possible that a younger Ferrari-linked driver will make the step up to F1 full time with Haas in 2025 – and Bearman seems to be in pole position.
Valtteri Bottas
If Haas are looking for a fresh line-up in 2025 or have one of their current drivers taken away, the experienced Valtteri Bottas – who could find himself out of a drive at soon-to-be Audi – may be a logical choice for Haas next year. The team has never previously lured a race-winning driver to compete with them.
