How long is each F1 driver under contract?

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Diving into the contract status of every F1 driver

Driver contracts are one of the various “mystery boxes” of the Formula 1 world. While some teams, such as Red Bull, are rather explicit and open about their drivers and their contracts, others keep details close to their vests. Many drivers sign contracts termed “multi-year deals,” which are generally understood to be two-year contracts with various options for both the team, and the driver themselves.

Still, “silly season” is always looming in the F1 world, and with some big-name drivers nearing the end of their deals, it is worth a moment to break down every driver’s contract status, even this early in the season.

Here is a look at every driver’s current contract.

Alfa Romeo

Valtteri Bottas — “Multi Year”

Bottas began his F1 career in 2013 with Williams, before earning a promotion to Mercedes for the 2017 season. He was an integral part of the team during his time with Mercedes, driving alongside Lewis Hamilton and helping the Silver Arrows secure four-straight Constructors’ titles.

He joined Alfa Romeo for the 2021 season on an unspecified “multi year” deal.

Zhou Guanyu — 2023

Zhou Guanyu is one of seven drivers on the grid whose current deal expires at the end of the season. He signed a new one-year deal with Alfa Romeo near the end of the 2022 F1 season.

At the time he signed the deal, Zhou admitted that there would be pressure to perform this season. “We have to see where my performance is, it’s a little bit similar to this year,” he said back in September. “It’s normal, but also a bit of pressure. I like to have pressure, you can’t take time off to be relaxed.”

AlphaTauri

Yuki Tsunoda — 2023

Tsunoda joined AlphaTauri for the 2021 season, and the team confirmed at the end of the 2022 campaign that he would be with AlphaTauri through 2023.

This season is a pivotal one for Tsunoda, however, given comments made at that time by Franz Tost. Back in September of 2022, the AlphaTauri team principal noted that the third year is when a driver truly begins to demonstrate their full potential.

“The pace he has shown recently is clear evidence of a steep learning curve, which proves he deserves a seat in F1, and I still expect some strong results from him in the last six races of 2022,” said Tost last September. “As I always say, a driver needs at least three years to fully get to grips with Formula 1, so I’m pleased he’s been given the time to show his full potential. In addition, it’s a testament to Dr. (Helmut) Marko and his driver program that we’re able to bring these young talents up from the junior categories and develop them.”

Nyck de Vries — “Multi Year”

The rookie’s contract is something of a moving target. De Vries signed with Red Bull late last season to drive for AlphaTauri, their sister team, for the 2023 season. Red Bull contracts are generally multi-year deals, and in an interview with Motorsport prior to the 2023 season de Vries was reluctant to get into details regarding his deal.

At a minimum, his seat in AlphaTauri is expected to last at least through the 2023 season. Whether he is with AlphaTauri, or gets the call up to Red Bull, for 2024 is an open question.

Alpine

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Esteban Ocon — 2024

After a strong start to the 2021 season, Ocon’s second with Alpine, he signed a three-year contract extension to remain with the team through the 2024 season.

“Since returning to the team in 2020, Esteban has grown in confidence and stature to deliver consistently good results and help develop the car with the team,” said Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi at the time the deal was announced. “Despite his young age, he is very experienced in Formula 1 and he’s on a positive trajectory in both his maturity and ability behind the wheel. He is a strong asset for us now, and also going forward as we meet the challenge of the new regulations. We have every confidence in Esteban to help drive the team and the brand to the next level and meet its long-term objectives.”

Pierre Gasly — “Multi Year”

Gasly, who joined Alpine from AlphaTauri prior to the 2023 season, signed a multi-year deal with the team. According to Sportune, Gasly’s deal is for two seasons — running through the 2024 campaign — with an option for a third year.

Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso — “Multi Year”

The F1 “silly season” kicked off last summer with a shocker, when Fernando Alonso announced his return to the grid after a two-year hiatus. Alonso announced he was joining Aston Martin, and the team announced at the time it was a “multi-year” deal. Alonso’s time with Aston Martin is expected to run through at least the 2024 season.

In fact, in recent days his partner Andrea Schlager indicated it was a two-year deal. Speaking on Austria’s Servus TV, where Schlager works as a sports reporter, she said: “He currently has a two-year contract and it will most likely be the last.”

Lance Stroll — Unknown

Stroll’s contract is the only one in all of F1 that is a true unknown.

However, it stands to reason that as long as his father, Lawrence Stroll, owns the team, Lance’s seat is safe.

Ferrari

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Here is where things start to get interesting.

Charles Leclerc — 2024

Leclerc joined Ferrari for the 2019 season, and he was so impressive that during that campaign, he signed a new five-year deal. Contracts of that length are very rare in the F1 world — by comparison Sebastian Vettel’s first contract with Ferrari was just for three seasons — but Leclerc’s start with the Scuderia pushed the team to make the long-term commitment.

In recent days, Leclerc’s status with Ferrari beyond 2024 has become a talking point. With rumblings in various media outlets that Lewis Hamilton — more on him in a moment — could retire, there is speculation that Mercedes could swoop in and poach Leclerc from Ferrari. Leclerc has done his part is brushing aside such rumors, including liking social media posts about a long-term deal with Ferrari, and telling Italian media outlet QN that “[t]here is no hurry – I know you are worried that I could go to Mercedes, but honestly there are no negotiations.”

Carlos Sainz Jr. — 2024

Like Leclerc, Carlos Sainz Jr. sees his Ferrari deal come to an end following next season. Sainz joined Ferrari from McLaren back in 2021 on a two-year deal, but he reached an agreement with the team last season on a two-year extension, through the 2024 campaign.

That means Ferrari has both drivers on contracts set to expire at the end of 2024.

Haas

Kevin Magnussen — “Multi Year”

Magnussen made a shock return to Haas and the F1 world just prior to the start of the 2022 season, and the shock only grew when he turned in a stunning fifth-place finish at Bahrain to begin the year. Team Principal Guenther Steiner, who called that finish from Magnussen a “Viking comeback,” confirmed last season that Magnussen was on a multi-year deal with the team.

Nico Hülkenberg — 2023

Hülkenberg’s return to F1 this season was another shock, as Haas parted ways with Mick Schumacher, replacing him with Hülkenberg. His contract with Haas runs through 2023, but there are options for a second season on both the driver, and the team, side.

McLaren

Despite a sluggish start to the 2023 season, McLaren is in solid shape when it comes to their driver lineup, for at least the next few years.

Lando Norris — 2025

After a strong start to his F1 career, and a few different contract renewals, Norris signed a contract extension with McLaren back in February of 2022 that will keep him with the team through the 2025 season.

Oscar Piastri — 2024

After a long, protracted legal tussle over his contract between McLaren and Alpine, Piastri finally signed with McLaren last fall. Piastri is on a multi-year deal with McLaren that will run through at least the 2024 season.

Mercedes

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Lewis Hamilton — 2023

Back in the summer of 2021 Hamilton and Mercedes reached an agreement on a new two-year deal, that runs through this season.

Since the start of this calendar year, both Mercedes and Hamilton have indicated that a new agreement was in the works. Over the winter, when Team Principal Toto Wolff sat down with the Beyond the Grid podcast, he shared his off-season to-do list with host Tom Clarkson, and a new contract for Hamilton was at the top of that list. “Well, the job list is pretty long [with] what’s needed to be done! Certainly, Lewis’s contract is one of the topics that we will tackle over the winter, but there is no firm deadline,” Wolff told host Tom Clarkson. “Absolutely. Lewis is part of the team, and the team is part of Lewis. [There’s] no reason not to continue.”

For his part Hamilton reiterated in February his desire to remain with the team. Speaking at the launch of the W14, he had this to say: “I think there’s the best harmony within the team that I’ve seen in all these years. We’ve got a real, fresh young group of engineers and people that have just come into the team over the past year as well, so it’s an exciting time for the team, and I don’t plan on being anywhere else.”

However, the slow start to the season for Mercedes has reportedly put those extension talks on hold.

George Russell — “Multi Year”

Russell signed with Mercedes in the fall of 2021 to start driving for the Silver Arrows in the 2022 season. At the time the deal was announced, the team termed it a “long-term” deal.

Red Bull

Max Verstappen — 2028

It is probably not a surprise that the driver with the most job security, and the longest contract, is the driver seeking his third-straight Drivers’ Championship. Max Verstappen signed a new contract with the team in March of 2022 after winning his first world title, and the contract was for a five-year extension — running through 2028 — worth a reported $55 million per year.

“I really enjoy being part of the Oracle Red Bull Racing Team, so choosing to stay to the 2028 season was an easy decision,” Verstappen said at the time the deal was announced. “I love this team and last year was simply incredible, our goal since we came together in 2016 was to win the championship and we have done that, so now it’s about keeping the number one on the car long-term.”

The length of the deal means that Verstappen is ensured to be part of the team when they transition to manufacturing their own powertrains. Team Principal Christian Horner noted this when the long-term deal was reached. “To have Max signed with Oracle Red Bull Racing through to the end of 2028 is a real statement of intent,” Horner said at the time. “Our immediate focus is on retaining Max’s World Championship title, but this deal also shows he is a part of the team’s long-term planning. With the Red Bull Powertrains division working towards the new engine regulations for 2026 we wanted to make sure we had the best driver on the grid secured for that car.”

Red Bull announced this winter a partnership with Ford to develop those powertrains, starting with the 2026 season.

Sergio Perez — 2024

Last May, Sergio Perez secured a victory at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Days later, he had a new contract, coming to terms on a two-year contract extension with Red Bull running through the 2024 season.

“For us, holding onto his pace, racecraft and experience was a no-brainer and we are delighted that Checo will continue to race for the team until 2024,” said Horner at the time. “In partnership with Max we believe we have a driver pairing that can bring us the biggest prizes in F1.”

Williams

Logan Sargeant — 2023

One of the three rookies on the grid this year — along with de Vries and Piastri — Sargeant signed a one-year deal to drive for Williams back in the fall of 2023.

Alex Albon — “Multi Year”

Last September Williams announced that Albon would be back with the team on a new “multi-year deal.” The driver shared the news of the deal on social media, poking fun at the ongoing legal battle over Piastri:

Last August, Piastri tweeted a statement denying a press release from Alpine that he would be driving for Alpine in the 2023 season.