F1 Contracts: Drivers At Risk Going Into 2024

A run-down of all of the driver contracts which are due to expire at the end of 2023.

There is currently a lot of talk of driver contracts in the F1 world and as silly season will be upon us shortly, we are reviewing which driver's contracts are due to expire at the end of the year. 

Lewis Hamilton

One of the most talked about contracts is that of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, although a contract extension is reported to be announced imminently. 

The British driver joined the Mercedes team a decade ago and they have built a strong relationship on and off the track. During his time with the team so far, Hamilton has won six out of his seven drivers' championship titles and Mercedes have won eight constructors' championships. 

There has been a huge amount of speculation about Hamilton's future in the sport and team. He very quickly put down retirement rumours insisting that he is still in his prime and is wanting to fight for his eighth drivers championship title. However, this did not stop rumours of a team move with McLaren and Ferrari mentioned. 

Both Hamilton and Mercedes have remained adamant that they are committed to signing a contract extension.

Nico Hulkenberg

Nico Hulkenberg signed a one-year contract with American team Haas for the 2023 season after taking Mick Schumacher's seat on the team. The German driver had his F1 rookie season in 2010 with Williams before moving to also racing for Force India, Sauber, Renault, and Racing Point. Hulkenberg returns to the sport this year after two years with Aston Martin as their reserve driver. 

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner is, as usual, playing things cool by claiming they will continue to review Hulkenberg's performance over the course of the season. However, he has already outperformed his teammate Kevin Magnussen, and is currently sitting in twelfth position in the drivers' standings with 6 points.

Kevin Magnussen

Kevin Magnussen's contract with Haas is also due to expire at the end of the 2023 season. The Danish driver was brought back last minute to the team for the start of the 2022 season after the team cut ties with Russian driver Nikita Mazepin after the invasion of Ukraine. 

Magnussen signed a two-year contract with the American team just ahead of the opening race of the season and started his second stint with the team off with a bang with a fifth place finish. 

Again, Steiner is just as coy about Magnussen as he is Hulkenberg so there is no guessing what will happen with his contract. The Danish driver is currently in seventeenth position in the drivers' standings with just two points. 

Nyck de Vries

The first of the rookie drivers for 2023 who signed a one-year deal is Nyck de Vries. The Dutch driver secured a contract with AlphaTauri after his impressive F1 debut at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix where he had step in last minute for Alex Albon in the Williams. Scoring points in his debut, de Vries was pinpointed as the one to watch for the 2023 season, however, he has failed to secure any points at the moment. 

There has been a lot of talk about de Vries' future with the Italian team, with Daniel Ricciardo, Liam Lawson, and Mick Schumacher being mentioned as possible replacements. However, Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has said that de Vries' still has time to prove himself and no decisions have been made yet. 

Yuki Tsunoda

Yuki Tsunoda's AlphaTauri contract is also due to expire at the end of the year. The Japanese driver has made huge improvements from last year. After Pierre Gasly moved to Alpine, Tsunoda has stepped into the lead driver role as he drives alongside rookie de Vries. 

AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost has already stated that Tsunoda has what it takes to be promoted to Red Bull in a couple of years time. Tsunoda is currently in sixteenth position in the drivers' standings with 2 points, however, this does not necessarily represent his performance this year with him narrowly missing out on points on multiple occasions. 

It is predicted the Tsunoda will sign an extension with AlphaTauri, however, nothing has been confirmed yet. 

Zhou Guanyu

Zhou Guanyu is in his second F1 year and his contract with Alfa Romeo is up at the end of the year. Guanyu signed with the Swiss-based team in 2022 to become the first Chinese Formula One driver. 

Driving alongside Valtteri Bottas, Guanyu is currently in fifteenth position in the drivers' championship with 4 points, the same as Bottas who is in fourteenth. 

Not a lot has been said about Guanyu's contract with Alfa Romeo so it is unclear as to whether it will be extended again or not. 

Logan Sargeant

Logan Sargeant joined the Williams team this year and is currently in his rookie season. The American driver replaced Nicholas Latifi who lost his F1 seat at the end of 2022. 

Sargeant's contract has been another talking point of the season so far with some mentioning Mick Schumacher as a possible replacement. Nothing has been confirmed yet, though, and this is just speculation. 

The American driver is currently last in the drivers' standings with zero points.