There are still Formula 1 teams who have yet to figure out or announce their driver line-ups for the all-important 2022 season.
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The news of Lewis Hamilton signing a new two-year deal with Mercedes meant another driver’s immediate future in Formula 1 is sorted out. Indeed, a total of 12 drivers know exactly where their futures lie next season – and even beyond. It’s a marked departure from the days where drivers came and went from certain teams every few races. Nowadays, teams opt for stability – and why wouldn’t they? Despite F1 being all about speed, the process of chasing success is a marathon and not a sprint. A little more job security only helps the drivers – and, by extension, the teams as well.
He’s staying… ? @LewisHamilton pic.twitter.com/bDaHhlP8Iv
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) July 3, 2021
However, not all drivers are safe from the chaos of ‘silly season’. There are still teams who have yet to figure out or announce their driver line-ups for next season.
Here we take a look at the sides who will look to confirm their driver line-ups sooner rather than later.
Current Formula 1 world driver’s championship leader Max Verstappen is tied down till 2023 and is unlikely to move. Talk of a “break clause” in his contract will die down because the 2021 car is indeed capable of fighting for the championship. However, the identity of his teammate for next year remains unclear.
Sergio Perez, it must be remembered, signed on a one-year deal and is seen by many as a stop-gap solution. Red Bull like to promote from within, meaning the seat could go to one of their junior drivers. The two in F1 right now are Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda, both at AlphaTauri.
Yet neither seem primed to get the seat at Red Bull. Gasly seems to have burn bridges with senior management and Tsunoda has struggled in recent weeks. The young Japanese driver might one day get that seat, but currently needs more time to acclimatise to F1. As such, handing Perez another year might not be the worst option in the world.
As mentioned earlier, Hamilton is here to stay till 2023. But Mercedes seem likely to make their first major driver change since 2017, and the man who is set to be dropped now was the one who signed for the team back then – Valtteri Bottas.
The Finn might be a reliable performer who competes for wins and podiums, but he is a number 2 driver in all but name only. To make things worse, his form has considerably dipped this season. He currently sits fifth in the standings, behind both Lando Norris and Sergio Perez.
His seat – assuming he is replaced – will go to Mercedes junior driver George Russell. Russell has impressed mightily in an underperforming Williams, and thoroughly outperformed Bottas when deputising for Hamilton at Sakhir in 2020. If it happens, it will be an excellent move for the team and Russell too.
Given the Italian team are a feeder team to Red Bull, driver stability is not something that applies to them. Thus it should be of little surprise that both Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly are not confirmed for next year. That being said, it would be no surprise if either – or both – stayed on.
Tsunoda has admirers higher up the Red Bull heirarchy, including Dr. Helmut Marko. Gasly, as mentioned before, doesn’t seem to be in contention for a Red Bull seat and may fancy his chances in another team.
However, none of the bigger sides are looking for drivers at the moment. The one side he was constantly linked to – Alpine – have their line-up set till at least next season.
Neither Kimi Raikkonen nor Antonio Giovinazzi are sure of their futures in Formula 1 just yet. Raikkonen will most likely drive on should he not opt for retirement. However, Giovinazzi’s seat seems a little less secure. He seemed likely to be replaced by fellow Ferrari junior driver Mick Schumacher last year, but the second-generation driver opted for Haas instead.
Rumours suggest Schumacher could yet choose to make the move to Alfa Romeo for 2022 after all. But if not him, there’s also Ferrari academy drivers Robert Shwartzman and Marcus Armstrong. Both are rated highly and will most likely make it the jump from F2 to F1 sooner rather than later.
The only real question mark around Williams’ driver line-up is whether or not Russell stays. The team rate him highly but he is out of contract at the end of this season. Should Mercedes come calling, as is being rumoured, there’s no way he would turn them down.
Nicholas Latifi is also not confirmed to be at the team next season. However, he brings in significant money from his family so unless his performances absolutely nosedive, he will be at the team come next season too.
Again, the only real question mark around Haas’ driver line-up is concerning Mick Schumacher. If the young German decides to leave, there will be a bit of an issue at hand. Haas are comfortably the slowest car on the grid and attracting a new driver will be a concern.
They could, of course, sign a rookie but 2022 sees the new Formula 1 regulations kick in and that could set them back further. Nikita Mazepin, their other driver, appears unlikely to leave – the sponsorship money his father brings is of great value to a team run on a shoestring budget.
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