F1 News: Driver Contract Status' Going Into Summer Break

As the F1 World heads into the summer break, a popular time for the 'silly season' announcements to start, we are taking a look at the drivers whose current contracts are due to expire at the end of the 2023 season.

Lewis Hamilton

Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton's current contract with Mercedes is due to expire at the end of this season. However, despite the speculation, the announcement of a contract extension seems to be just around the corner.

Over the past decade, Hamilton has established a rock-solid partnership with the Mercedes team, marked by a bond that extends beyond the racetrack. Since joining the team, the British driver has claimed six out of his seven drivers' championship titles, while Mercedes has bagged eight constructors' championships.

However, conjectures regarding Hamilton's next career move have been swirling around. Despite quashing retirement talks by asserting he is still at the top of his game and eager to compete for his eighth drivers championship title, the rumours of a team switch have not been silenced, with names such as McLaren and Ferrari being thrown around.

Yet, both Hamilton and Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff remain resolute in their position. They're both firmly committed to renewing their partnership and continue their successful run. It was of popular opinion that an ambassadorial role would be included in Hamilton's contract extension, however, Wolff recently confirmed that this was not the case. He explained:

“We're not talking about an ambassadorial role post his retirement, nor is that part of the contract negotiations.

“I think he has many years to go as a driver within this team, and therefore it's only about cleaning things up in the contract.

“I know it looks a little bit [uncertain] and this not being done and dusted. But it's simply down to trivial things that just need to be cleaned up in contracts.”

Nico Hulkenberg

For the 2023 racing season, German driver Nico Hulkenberg inked a one-year deal with the US-based Haas team, stepping into Mick Schumacher's role.

Hulkenberg's journey in the Formula 1 world took off with Williams back in 2010, after which he went on to race for other major teams, including Force India, Sauber, Renault, and Racing Point. Having spent two years as a reserve driver for Aston Martin, Hulkenberg made a spirited return to the circuit this year.

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has reportedly made his mind up to extend Hulkenberg's contract for next year. However, this has not been officially confirmed yet.

The German driver has proved his spot on the grid by outperforming his teammate Kevin Magnussen so it wouldn't be surprising if other teams were interested in Hulkenberg. He is currently in fourteenth position in the drivers' standings with 9 points whilst Magnussen is in eighteenth position with 2 points.

Kevin Magnussen

The contract of Danish driver Kevin Magnussen with the Haas team is set to reach its term at the close of the 2023 racing season. Magnussen was a last-minute addition to the team in 2022, stepping in after Haas decided to part ways with Russian driver Nikita Mazepin in the wake of the Ukraine invasion.

Magnussen signed a two-year deal with the American outfit. He made quite an entrance, securing a commendable fifth place in his first race back.

As for the future of Magnussen's contract, team principal Guenther Steiner keeps his cards close to his chest. As it stands, it's anyone's guess what the future holds for Magnussen's contract. There have been reports stating that Steiner has made his mind up on Hulkenberg but not on Magnussen for 2024. As of now, the Danish driver is trailing at the eighteenth spot in the drivers' standings, with a modest collection of two points to his name.

Yuki Tsunoda

Yuki Tsunoda is seeing his current contract with AlphaTauri come to its conclusion as this year ends. The young driver has displayed remarkable progression compared to his performance last year. With Pierre Gasly's transfer to Alpine, Tsunoda smoothly transitioned into the role of lead driver at the beginning of the season as he shared the track with rookie Nyck de Vries who has since left the team.

AlphaTauri's team principal, Franz Tost, has already voiced his belief in Tsunoda's potential. He's confident that Tsunoda has the makings of a Red Bull racer, a promotion that could be on the horizon in the coming years. Even though Tsunoda is presently at the seventeenth spot in the drivers' standings with a tally of just 3 points, it doesn't fully reflect his performance this year. He's had several close calls, almost making it to the points on numerous occasions.

As for his future with AlphaTauri, speculation is rife that Tsunoda will ink an extension. However, no official confirmation has been received to solidify these conjectures.

Zhou Guanyu

Zhou Guanyu is aligned with the Swiss-based Alfa Romeo team, having inked a deal in 2022. But as the year draws to an end, so does his contract, leaving many curious about his next move.

At present, Guanyu finds himself in fifteenth position in the drivers' championship, having garnered a respectable 4 points. There has been little discussion or disclosure surrounding the terms of his contract, leaving fans and commentators in the dark.

With the year's end approaching and the contract's expiration imminent, all eyes will be on Guanyu and Alfa Romeo, eagerly anticipating the next chapter in this groundbreaking racer's journey.

Logan Sargeant

Logan Sargeant signed with Williams for his F1 rookie season on a one-year contract. Although the American driver has struggled to put any points on the board in the first half of the season, Williams team principal James Vowles has confirmed that he is happy with the driver.

No official announcements have been made yet, however, it is assumed that Sargeant will sign a contract extension with the British team.

Daniel Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo joined AlphaTauri to replace Nyck de Vries who was dropped by the team after just ten races of his rookie season. Although the details of his contract have remained private, there are mixed reports stating that the contract is for one-year which would take him to halfway through the 2024 season and other reports state that the contract is just until the end of the current season.

There has been a huge amount of speculation surrounding the Australian driver's return to AlphaTauri. Many are of the belief that he is there to put pressure on Red Bull driver Sergio Perez and will replace the Mexican driver if he does not show improvement. Perez is currently in contract with the Austrian team until the end of 2024, so this could be a move that fans see next year.