F1 Driver Carousel: Carlos Sainz Still Without a Spot As 2025 Grid Comes Into Focus

A handful of futures clicked into place ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, but the Ferrari driver is among those without a spot heading into the summer—though that may not be the case for long.

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz in the pit lane during the practice session at the Canadian Open. / Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Nine races are in the rearview mirror in the 2024 Formula One season, and a championship fight is brewing. Though Max Verstappen and Red Bull maintain a healthy lead in both the drivers and constructors standings after the Canadian Grand Prix, challengers McLaren and Ferrari have made significant strides in recent weeks, tightening up the battle going into the summer. 

But while the action on the track grows more competitive, the shape of the 2025 grid is starting to fall into place. Three significant moves—one announced departure and two signings—took place in the week leading up the Canadian Grand Prix, leaving just nine of the 20 driver spots still available for next season. Here’s what to know about next year’s grid and what might be coming next in F1’s silly season:

Canada Week Moves

Esteban Ocon Out at Alpine

The writing seemed to be on the wall for the Frenchman’s departure from the Enstone outfit after his collision with teammate Pierre Gasly on the first lap of the Monaco Grand Prix in late May. But the decision for the two sides may have been made well before that fateful moment—and should be best for both team and driver.

Ocon, 27, has been with Alpine for the last five seasons and, in that time, has developed into a reliable contributor. Among the highlights were an individual eighth place finish in the season standings in 2022 and a race victory in Hungary during the ‘21 campaign. 

This year hasn’t been what Ocon or Alpine envisioned, as the team has just five points through nine races. A fresh start is what both sides need. Alpine may opt to keep Gasly in place, but a new face should help the team break through the malaise of 2024 and get back firmly into the midfield fight.

Given that his departure was announced at this stage of the year, Ocon should be well positioned to land a spot elsewhere on the grid. Where that might be could depend upon the decisions of other drivers (see: Carlos Sainz), but the teams still in need of filling seats would greatly benefit from Ocon’s presence.

Red Bull Re-Signs Sergio Pérez

Though its hold on the championship may be in the most tenuous place it’s been since before the 2022 season, the two-time reigning world champions opted to maintain the status quo, signing Pérez to a two-year extension through ’26.

The timing of the deal comes amid a wretched run for the 34-year-old. Pérez lost control of his car in the wet conditions in Canada and went into the wall, destroying his back wing and ending his race. To make matters worse, he traveled around the track with the wing not fully attached, earning himself a three-place grid penalty for the Spanish Grand Prix and resulting in a €25,000 fine for Red Bull (which openly admitted to having Pérez do so to avoid a safety car that may have disrupted Verstappen’s chance at victory).

The result in Canada came after a destructive crash and DNF in Monaco and a four-point outing in Imola, making this run one to forget for the F1 veteran. He’s now plummeted to fifth in the drivers standings and, in some ways, has helped Ferrari and McLaren back into the title race. 

However, Pérez has been a loyal teammate during his time at Red Bull, and none of the other prospects were intriguing enough for Christian Horner to shake things up. Sticking to the status quo is fine when the positive results are coming in, but if Red Bull continues to slip in the coming weeks—let alone the coming years—this contract could be one the team comes to regret.

Yuki Tsunoda will suit up for RB Racing for at least one more season. / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Yuki Tsunoda Rewarded With Another Year

The 24-year-old didn’t have to wait long to earn some security himself after missing out on the Red Bull seat. RB Racing quickly signed the Japanese driver to a one-year deal through the 2025 season before the weekend in Montreal came to a close. 

Outside of those in the championship battle, there’s an argument to be made that Tsunoda has been the best driver on the grid this year—especially when considering his circumstances. RB has, at best, the sixth-fastest car and Tsunoda is 10th in the drivers standings, having scored points in five of his last seven outings. A late spin in Canada cost him yet another points-scoring opportunity, but he remains above Lance Stroll and, perhaps most importantly, teammate Daniel Ricciardo. 

Tsunoda, currently in his fourth year with RB (formerly known as AlphaTauri), seems to have finally found his footing after an inconsistent start to his F1 career. The raw talent was always there, but questions lingered about his focus and maturity. That’s no longer the case and if Tsunoda keeps up this currency trajectory, he’ll be one of the most sought after drivers on the market going into the new regulations period in 2026.

What’s Coming Next?

Sainz’s Signing

The Spaniard’s next team has been the focus of every driver carousel conversation dating back to Lewis Hamilton’s signing with Ferrari, and yet it still hasn’t come to fruition. There’s no cause for concern, though, because Sainz has been saying all along he would take his time making his decision.

That’s exactly what the 29-year-old has done, and now there are only two main suitors for his services: Sauber and Williams. 

Sauber, which will become Audi in 2026, has long been connected to Sainz, having reportedly offered the three-time race winner a hefty contract to usher in a new era for the team alongside Nico Hülkenberg. Williams entered the discussion a bit later on, but team principal James Vowles has showered the Ferrari driver with praise throughout the 2024 season and said before the race in Canada that only two drivers remain as candidates to sign.

That leaves the decision squarely in the hands of Sainz, who will likely set off a chain reaction around the paddock when he inks his name on the dotted line. While a number of factors are at play, the ability to compete right away will be at the top of mind for Sainz, who surely won’t want to be away from the front of the grid for long.

Mercedes Looking at the Long-Term Future

Toto Wolff has been clear that he’s eager to usher in a new era at Mercedes in 2025 with Hamilton on his way to Ferrari after one of the most successful runs in F1 history. The team principal all but confirmed who his choice was when speaking with Sky Sports at the Canadian Grand Prix: Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Wolff said that he was focused on the 17-year-old and that the team wouldn’t pursue a Sainz signing, instead opting for youth and the high upside of a budding talent like Antonelli. The Italian driver is currently racing in Formula Two with Prema Racing but has also been testing with Mercedes to explore a move into F1.

Though nothing is official, an Antonelli signing would be a major change of pace for a team that’s been tied to a veteran legend in Hamilton for the last decade. Wolff and the entire Mercedes organization will have to focus on developing a rookie in a way that they haven’t had to since returning to F1 as a constructor in 2010. This is an outfit that’s had champions like Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg in seats for the last 15 years. In fact, Antonelli would be just the sixth Mercedes F1 driver since ‘10. 

If the move pays off and Antonelli is up to the task, Wolff could be perfectly positioning the team to compete when the new regulations period begins in 2026.

RB Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo may be left without a car next season. / Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Spots Dwindling for Veteran Drivers

Ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix in less than two weeks, nine spots on the grid remain unsettled: one at Mercedes, one at Aston Martin, one at RB, two at Alpine, one at Williams, one at Sauber and two at Haas.

Three of those seats, though not finalized, are fairly spoken for. Antonelli is the clear frontrunner at Mercedes and it seems to be a matter of time until he’s named as the team’s choice for the future. Lance Stroll, who produced one of his strongest results of the year at his home race in Canada, will likely return to Aston Martin alongside Fernando Alonso. And Sainz, though unclear exactly where he’ll land, seems assured of one of the open spots.

That leaves six openings and some staples of the grid in danger of being without a car when the carousel stops spinning. Gasly and Ocon are among those in stronger positions, while long-time drivers like Ricciardo, Valterri Bottas and Kevin Magnussen haven’t been as connected to buzz around the paddock. Zhou Guanyu and Logan Sargeant, having each scored zero points this season, appear even more dangerously on the brink as the season enters its busiest stretch. 

Beginning next weekend, there will be five races in six weeks before the summer break, at which point it wouldn’t be surprising to see next year’s grid almost completely set.