After the contract extensions of Hülkenberg and Magnussen at Haas, which seats are still available for 2024?

After the announcement of the contract extensions for Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen at Haas, there are now only six seats left to fill on the F1 starting grid for 2024. Although we shouldn’t expect any big surprises like we had last year, it wouldn’t take much for the driver market to heat up and for the « highly likely » to turn into « no one saw it coming ».

Red Bull

The Austrian team has been walking on water since the beginning of the season. Undefeated in both races and sprints, the duo of drivers composed of Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez is expected to remain unchanged in 2024. Even though he is fighting to survive alongside his highly likely future triple world champion teammate, Pérez has the ability to finish as runner-up in the championship and give Red Bull its first double in the final standings. If he fails to finish behind Verstappen, the rumor mill could start churning while the Mexican driver’s contract expires at the end of the 2024 season.

Mercedes

Upon his arrival at Mercedes in 2022, George Russell signed a contract for three seasons. While waiting for an extension beyond the 2024 season, the British driver will honor his first fixed-term contract as a regular driver with the Star brand. The transfer news at Mercedes is rather focused on his garage neighbor. Still not confirmed for next season, Lewis Hamilton seems to be toying with his employer’s nerves. Although everything indicates that the seven-time world champion should continue with the Brackley team, rumors of him ending his career with Ferrari will not cease until the Stevenage-born driver’s signature is not affixed at the bottom of a Mercedes contract.

Surprise of the early season, Aston Martin owes a (very) large part of its place in the top of the constructors’ championship to Fernando Alonso. The former Alpine driver seems to have found a second youth behind the wheel of the car coming out of the Silverstone factory. He will therefore be present for his second year under contract with the team in 2024 and might even extend his adventure with the Lawrence Stroll-owned team. Stroll’s son, on the other hand, does not have a contract for next season. Even if he doesn’t compare to his Spanish teammate and might not be here anymore in another team, he should still continue the adventure for what will be Aston Martin’s fourth season in F1 under the Stroll era.

Ferrari

With Charles Leclerc at the forefront of Frédéric Vasseur’s project, the Maranello team will do everything to keep their Monégasque darling for many more years. Due to the lack of available seats in other Top Teams, the 25-year-old driver will once again be the leader of the Scuderia next season. While he may be overshadowed in pure speed by his teammate, Carlos Sainz, he has consistently delivered good results. It should come as no surprise that Sainz will see out his contract with the Reds, which expires at the end of 2024. This could potentially be his last season in Maranello before potentially vying for a seat at Sauber/Audi. This rumor frequently circulates in the paddock and is naturally vehemently dismissed by the main person involved.

McLaren

In difficulty at the beginning of the season, McLaren managed to bounce back before the break and even asserted themselves as the second team on the grid in certain races. Their young driver pairing, composed of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, is fully satisfying and the atmosphere at Woking is excellent. All the indicators are therefore green to continue on this trajectory and face the 2024 season with the same lineup, which, in addition to their talent, will have gained even more experience. The only cloud that could disrupt this beautiful blue sky would be an approach from Red Bull regarding Lando Norris in case Pérez’s performances were to collapse by the end of the season. But for now, this remains pure speculation.

Alpine

Announced with great fanfare a year ago, the arrival of Pierre Gasly at Alpine to form a 100% French duo with Esteban Ocon is currently struggling to fully satisfy. Between bad luck, technical problems, strategic errors, and the revolving door of management, the first part of the season for the A arrowed team has been far from smooth sailing. To relaunch itself with Bruno Famin now at the helm, Alpine will rely on its two Norman drivers next season, hoping to finally make the big leap forward that its rivals Aston Martin and McLaren have managed to achieve in 2023.

Williams

Surprising 7th in the constructors’ standings, the Grove team has scored all its points in the championship thanks to their lead driver Alex Albon. The Thai driver is asserting himself more and more at Williams and knows how to seize opportunities to show the F1 paddock that his time at Red Bull did not reflect the extent of his talent. Although he says he is open to offers, Albon will still be a driver for the team led by James Vowles in 2024. The identity of his future teammate is not yet known. With no points on the board, Logan Sargeant is still learning. His contract extension for next season will depend on his results in the upcoming races and the patience given by his employer. A certain Mick Schumacher, current reserve driver for Mercedes and McLaren, would be ready to jump into the American’s seat if the opportunity arises.

Haas

Confirmed just a few hours ago, the duo Nico Hülkenberg-Kevin Magnussen will continue for another season within the American team.

Alfa Romeo

Name change, final seasons with the Ferrari engine, preparation for Audi’s arrival… Sauber’s news will be rich next year. The list may even grow longer if the driver duo were to be modified. Barring any surprises, Valtteri Bottas should still be part of the team in 2024. Even though his performances are below those of last year, the Finnish driver brings his experience to a team undergoing major changes. Guanyu Zhou’s situation is more delicate. The Chinese driver is struggling to raise his level of play and his seat is threatened, notably by French F2 driver Théo Pourchaire, who is also a reserve driver for Alfa Romeo. Finally, as Audi is already seeking to participate in the driver selection process, there are whispers that the German brand is interested in Carlos Sainz. On the other hand, Sauber’s management indicates their intention to retain Guanyu Zhou for the upcoming season.

AlphaTauri

Big disappointment this season, AlphaTauri is banking on 2024 to give a new boost to its ambitions of becoming a solid midfield team. After betting on Nyck de Vries, the Faenza team went and brought Daniel Ricciardo out of retirement to replace the Dutchman. The Australian driver has the ambition to return to the Red Bull team in 2025. If his performances equal those of Tsunoda by the end of the season, he will have every chance of being on the grid next season and aiming to succeed Pérez in the Austrian team. The Japanese driver could also continue with the small Scuderia for a fourth year, even though rumors are sending him to Aston Martin, which will have a Honda engine starting in 2026. However, these two Italian seats are undoubtedly the most precarious currently on the grid. Helmut Marko has already shown that he has no qualms about removing drivers, while Liam Lawson, a member of the Red Bull program, patiently awaits his turn in the Super Formula.

The F1 grid 2024