Which F1 drivers will be out of contract after the 2022 campaign? Boardroom has a list of the impending free agents fighting for seats next year.
We’re just two races into the 2022 season, but it’s not too early to think ahead to which drivers could be looking for a new seat in 2023.
Whether you’re someone who’s watched Formula 1 for years or you’re a beginner who got hooked watching Netflix’s Drive To Survive, you probably know that silly season and the competition for F1’s 20 driver seats across its 10 teams is nearly as intense as the racing on the grid.
As noted by Motorsport Week, Crash and GP Fans, half of this year’s 20 primary drivers do not have contracts — and therefore, guaranteed Formula 1 seats — in place for the 2023 season as of this writing. Only two teams, Mercedes and McLaren, are guaranteed to be the same next season.
So who is safe and who could be on the chopping block? Let’s break it down:
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Which Formula 1 Drivers Are Out of Contract After 2022?
Contract information updated as of April 2022.
MERCEDES: 0 imminent free agents
- Lewis Hamilton: Under contract through 2023
- George Russell: Signed to a long-term deal
RED BULL: 1
- Max Verstappen: Signed through 2028 in the largest deal in Formula 1 history with a salary of more than $50 million per season, but contract reportedly contains an “escape clause”
- Sergio Perez: Free agent after 2022 season
FERRARI: 1
- Charles Leclerc: Under contract through 2024
- Carlos Sainz Jr.: Free agent after 2022 season. Could be targeted by a rival to serve as its premier driver.
McLAREN: 0
- Daniel Ricciardo: Under contract through 2023
- Lando Norris: Under contract through 2025
ALPINE: 1
- Esteban Ocon: Under contract through 2024
- Fernando Alonso: Free agent after 2022 season
ALPHATAURI: 2
- Pierre Gasly: Free agent after 2022 season. Could look to move to a bigger team with a successful campaign.
- Yuki Tsunoda: Free agent after 2022 season. Just 22 years old.
ASTON MARTIN: 1
- Sebastian Vettel: Under contract through 2023
- Lance Stroll: Free agent after 2022 season. As long as billionaire father Lawrence Stroll is part-owner of the Aston Martin team, Lance is highly likely to stay.
ALFA ROMEO: 1
- Valtteri Bottas: Under contract through at least 2023
- Zhou Guanyu: Free agent after 2022 season
HAAS: 1
- Kevin Magnussen: After nearly losing his life in a Haas car in 2020, the Danish driver returned on a multi-year deal just days before the start of the 2022 season.
- Mick Schumacher: Free agent after 2022 season. As the son of the legendary Michael Schumacher and barely 23 years of age, he could be a wild card on the open market.
WILLIAMS: 2
- Alex Albon: Free agent after 2022 season
- Nicholas Latifi: Free agent after 2022 season
2022 F1 Drivers in the Final Year of Their Contracts (Alphabetical)
1. Alex Albon (Williams)
2. Fernando Alonso (Alpine)
3. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri)
4. Nicholas Latifi (Williams)
5. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
6. Mick Schumacher (Haas)
7. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
8. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
9. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)
10. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo)
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