Magnussen and Alonso retained… Hulkenberg, Sainz and Yuki to depart?

By Joe Murphy

Lewis Hamilton is the man responsible for well and truly kicking off the silly season in terms of F1 driver lineups for 2025. The shocking move to Ferrari has opened up the door for endless speculation about the Futures of the current F1 grid who only have 2024 remaining on their contract. So, who will stay and who will go?

Alex Albon will surely remain on the grid in some form. If the Thai driver is not at Williams in twelve months time, it is because he’ll either be at Mercedes or Red Bull. Unlike the surely departing Logan Sergeant, his performances over the last couple of seasons have proven he deserves his seat alongside the elite in motorsport.

You could copy and paste this paragraph and apply it to Fernando Alonso. He has certainly still got what it takes to hang with the top drivers of this world. The only difference for the Spaniard is if he feels he wants to call it a day. However, whilst he’s still in a competitive car, it’s not likely to be as soon as next year.

Yuki Tsunoda’s seat feels less safe. Liam Lawson is breathing down the neck of the Japanese driver so in the event of an underwhelming season in 2024, he may find himself out of a seat. This will also depend on Daniel Ricciardo. You have to think that he has his eyes finely set on that Red Bull seat. Speaking of Sergio Perez, it’s these two drivers who are awaiting the verdict from Red Bull executives. In the event they go for the aforementioned Albon, then there’s a possibility we don’t see either in F1 beyond the end of the season. On the other hand, a rebranded Sauber could use the boost of Audi’s introduction to bring in at least one of this experienced duo.

That is of course, if they need experience. Valtteri Bottas seems safe in his seat and would only move if Mercedes did go for the Finn. The same can be said for Estaban Ocon. They will both be on the grid in 2025. Zhou is far more likely to be off the grid if Sauber struggle as expected. Pierre Gasly is also going nowhere as his current role at Alpine is the perfect fit for all parties.

Haas could opt for a change. Due to his senior years, it is far more likely that Nico Hulkenberg departs Haas in a year. Kevin Magnussen moving wouldn’t make sense. Perhaps they could revert to Mick Schumacher at the team. Or even, another young driver such as Drugovich or Leclerc’s young brother, Arthur.

Then, finally, the enigma of Carlos Sainz. He won’t be at Ferrari, we know that much. The only seat we know to be open is Mercedes, but this move doesn’t seem to be on the agenda. If Ocon, Albon or even Alonso replace Lewis Hamilton, then the seat for Carlos could be the one vacated by any of these drivers. Or there is the entire issue around the Red Bull seat, but is that a viable option. Carlos Sainz is too talented a driver to not be on the grid in some form in 2025. It is just a question of where?