F1 2027 Grid: Verstappen and Hamilton questions as major dominoes set to fall

Here is the F1 grid for the 2027 season as we know it so far, as questions remain over some of the biggest names in the sport.

Overall, there are 11 of 21 drivers currently due to be out of contract at the end of this season, but surprisingly it is two drivers who are contracted for 2027 and beyond whose futures seem to be grabbing the headlines at the moment.

Two of the Canadian Grand Prix podium sitters - Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen - have both dropped clues about their futures beyond the end of this year recently, but which one of them, if any, will decide to call it quits at the end of the season?

And which other drivers are in danger of dropping off the F1 grid?

F1 2026: Which driver contracts expire this year?

Will Hamilton retire at the end of 2026?

According to the man himself, absolutely not.

Hamilton finally put rumours of a Ferrari exit to bed at last weekend's Canadian Grand Prix by stating that he has a contract that runs with the team until the end of 2027.

There's even an option to extend that contract for a further year, meaning we should see Hamilton in Ferrari red for several years yet.

Of course, contracts can be broken for performance-based reasons, and Ferrari are believed to be interested in Oliver Bearman, but Hamilton confidently claimed to media in Montreal that he - at 41 years of age - is planning for the next five years.

"I'm still in contract, so everything is 100 per cent clear to me," he said. "I'm still focused, I'm still motivated, I still love what I do with all my heart, and I'm going to be here for quite some time, so get used to it.

"There's a lot of people that are trying to retire me and that's not even on my thoughts. I'm already thinking of what will be next, planning for the next five years. But yeah, still plan to be here for some time."

Verstappen's quit threats and exit clauses

Earlier in the year, four-time world champion Verstappen had threatened to quit F1 if changes were not made to the 2026 regulations, and he is still said to be 'seriously considering' retiring from the sport.

Many commentators, including Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, have suggested that Verstappen's discontent may be partly down to the fact that Red Bull have not provided him with a car capable of winning races this year.

While the FIA have altered the regulations ahead of 2027, and Red Bull have started to show signs of their 2025 form, Verstappen still does not appear to be entirely happy.

"If it stays like this, it's going to be a long year next year, which I don't want," Verstappen told media in Canada.

"It's just mentally not doable for me to stay like this. It's really not. There's a lot of other fun things out there."

It is understood that Verstappen's Red Bull contract, which runs until the end of 2028, has exit clauses within it based off Red Bull's performance following the 2026 regulations overhaul.

This includes the team being in a certain spot in the constructors' championship as early as the summer break this year.

F1 2027 grid as things stand

Here is how the 2027 F1 grid is shaping up for each team:

Mercedes

Mercedes' contract saga rumbled on for most of 2025, before George Russell and Kimi Antonelli both signed new deals. Although these new contracts were only for one year, they are highly likely to have an option to extend those deals activated amid their fine 2026 form so far.

Ferrari

There was plenty of talk in 2025 about the Scuderia's driver contracts and although Lewis Hamilton's specific contract length was not given at the time of his blockbuster signing ahead of the 2025 season, he has now confirmed that it runs until 2027. Charles Leclerc is contracted until 2028 but, like Verstappen, has exit clauses placed in his deal which centre around the team's performance following the 2026 regulation changes.

McLaren

The papaya squad have F1's newest champion Lando Norris committed to the team until at least the end of the 2027 campaign, whilst team-mate Oscar Piastri is locked in until 2028.

Red Bull

Despite Verstappen's quit threats, strictly speaking he is the only driver that is contracted to Red Bull for next year. Isack Hadjar was only given a one-year deal, but Red Bull are expected to give him another season to prove what he can do.

Alpine

Alpine have had a brilliant start to the 2026 season, and that was highlighted by Franco Colapinto's sixth-place finish in Canada. After a difficult 2025, it looks likely at this stage that he will be given another contract extension for next year, while his team-mate Pierre Gasly is already contracted with the team until the end of 2028.

Racing Bulls

Red Bull's sister team are one of the teams who as it stands don't have a single driver contracted beyond the end of this year. Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad are both desperately trying to prove to Red Bull and Racing Bulls that they have a long-term future in F1.

Haas

Bearman has been linked with a move to Ferrari, and if this happens, Haas could be looking for two new drivers for 2027. The struggling Esteban Ocon's position in the sport is under intense scrutiny after several poor seasons in a row, first with Alpine and then with Haas. He's only contracted until the end of 2026, as is Bearman, but if the young Brit doesn't get his move to a bigger team then Haas will be very keen to re-sign him.

Williams

Williams have one of the most talented driver lineups on the grid, but Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz will be wanting a lot more from their team, currently driving a car only good enough to reach the lower end of the points-paying positions. Albon has at least another year on his contract after 2026, but Sainz may well be looking for pastures new.

Audi

New outfit Audi are another team in danger of losing both of their drivers. Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto are two highly sought-after drivers, but both are out of contract at the end of this year. Their faith in the project's ability to provide faster cars as the years go on will be crucial in deciding whether or not they want to sign a new deal.

Cadillac

Cadillac will continue to have highly experienced drivers Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas in their cars in 2027, having signed them both on multi-year contracts.

Aston Martin

Both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are out of contract at the end of this year, but the Spaniard has already told media that if he doesn't feel he has had an opportunity to return to the top of the order in Adrian Newey's machinery, he will not want to retire until he has proved he can be competitive once again. Stroll is on a rolling contract due to his father owning the team, and will be able to stay if he wishes to.

Current F1 driver contracts with expiry dates

The full rundown on current driver deals looks like this heading into 2027:

*An asterisk indicates that this driver's contract is set to run until at least the year given, if not longer, but that an official end date may not have been given publicly due to the announcement simply stating a 'multi-year contract' had been awarded.

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Written by

Sam Cook - Digital Journalist

Sam Cook is a talented young sports journalist and social media professional who now specialises in Formula 1, having previously worked as a football journalist and a local news reporter for a variety of different brands.

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