The current state of play in the F1 driver market

(opens in a new tab)Sign InSubscribeF1ScheduleResultsStandingsDriversTeamsF1 UnlockedOpen menuFIA if(window.f1MobileDetection.iOSSafari) { var meta = document.createElement("meta"); meta.name = "apple-itunes-app"; meta.content = "app-id=835022598, app-argument=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/what-were-hearing-about-the-current-state-of-play-in-the-f1-driver-market.5WCC2OxeAEYE4IxzOnmjPY.5WCC2OxeAEYE4IxzOnmjPY"; document.head.appendChild(meta); } {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/what-were-hearing-about-the-current-state-of-play-in-the-f1-driver-market.5WCC2OxeAEYE4IxzOnmjPY","url":"https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/what-were-hearing-about-the-current-state-of-play-in-the-f1-driver-market.5WCC2OxeAEYE4IxzOnmjPY","mainEntityOfPage":"https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/what-were-hearing-about-the-current-state-of-play-in-the-f1-driver-market.5WCC2OxeAEYE4IxzOnmjPY","datePublished":"2026-08-17T13:24:17.732Z","dateModified":"2026-08-17T13:24:17.732Z","headline":"F1 driver market latest: What we're hearing about the current state of play for 2027","author":"F1","description":"F1 Correspondent Lawrence Barretto takes us through the current state of play in the F1 driver market.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://media.formula1.com/image/upload/f_auto/q_auto/v1786972537/fom-website/2026/Miscellaneous/DRIVER%20MARKET%20FEATURE%20TEMPLATE%20V2%20(1).png"},"isAccessibleForFree":"false","publisher":{"@type":"SportsOrganization","@id":"https://www.formula1.com#organization","name":"Formula 1","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.formula1.com/etc/designs/fom-website/social/f1-default-share.jpg","width":"480","height":"120"}}}What we're hearing about the current state of play in the F1 driver marketDriver marketF1 UnlockedMax VerstappenShow more tagsF1 Correspondent & PresenterLawrence BarrettoF1 is back. We're heading into the business end of the season, and that's not just referring to antics on the track. Off it, there's plenty of work going on behind the scenes to confirm race seats for next year. So, what's the latest? Max Verstappen's future has been the talk of the town this year, despite the Dutchman having a contract with Red Bull until at the end of 2028. The four-time World Champion was linked with a move to Mercedes last year before saying he would stay on for at least this year. His management have done their job and assessed the market, which included talking to McLaren, who have already got Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri signed up. But, with Ferrari locked out too, and Kimi Antonelli and George Russell's contracts continuing into next year, Red Bull looks like his best choice unless something changes at one of the top teams. Unlock exclusive F1 content and more with F1 Unlocked. Totally free. Membership gets you closer with: Live like an F1 insider with exclusive access and VIP experiences Member benefits, rewards and offers Download the Official F1 AppYour ultimate companion into
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