F1 2027 Silly Season: Seven Seats Left After Verstappen Ends Rumours

The 2026 Formula 1 silly season has taken a decisive turn, but it is far from over. Max Verstappen's decision to remain with Red Bull until 2030 has removed the biggest uncertainty from next year's grid, while several other leading drivers have also secured their places. Yet seven seats remain officially open, leaving the lower half of the grid facing a final scramble before the 2027 season.

Verstappen had emerged as the biggest domino in the driver market despite being contracted to Red Bull until 2028, with an exit clause potentially allowing him to leave if the team failed to meet certain performance conditions. Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren were all discussed as possible destinations, but each had complications of its own. With Verstappen now committed to Red Bull, the market has largely settled at the front - leaving the unresolved battles further down the grid to determine who completes the 2027 lineup.

Max Verstappen staying at Red Bull changes everything

Verstappen was never supposed to be the centrepiece of the 2026 silly season. His Red Bull contract originally ran until 2028, but the team's struggles brought the possibility of an earlier departure into play.

The four-time world champion entered the summer break outside the top two in the Drivers' Championship, triggering speculation that an exit mechanism in his contract could become relevant.

There was no shortage of potential destinations. Ferrari already had Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc tied down, while Mercedes and McLaren were understood to have plans for their 2027 lineups.

Ultimately, Verstappen opted to stay.

His new agreement runs through 2030, guaranteeing that he will remain at Red Bull for 2027 and removing the biggest potential transfer from the market.

The decision also leaves Red Bull with one significant question still unanswered: who will partner Verstappen?

Red Bull's second seat is still a major question

Isack Hadjar is currently contracted only through the end of 2026, meaning Red Bull still has a vacancy to resolve.

Hadjar has nevertheless strengthened his case during a difficult season. The Frenchman has performed well alongside Verstappen despite the team's lack of competitiveness, and that could work in his favour.

Red Bull's second seat has been notoriously unstable in recent seasons, with Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda all finding themselves caught up in the team's ruthless driver programme.

For once, however, the uncertainty is not around Verstappen.

It is around who gets the opportunity to drive alongside him.

Mercedes appears settled after Russell's uncertainty

Mercedes also looked like one of the teams capable of becoming central to the Verstappen saga.

George Russell technically has a deal running into 2027, although there has been flexibility around his options. His position had appeared vulnerable at points this season as team-mate Kimi Antonelli established himself as the stronger Mercedes driver.

Antonelli, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the most valuable young drivers on the grid.

The Italian leads the championship at the summer break and has arguably done enough to make the question of his expiring contract far less concerning. Ferrari could eventually become an obvious destination given his nationality, but that is not expected to affect Mercedes' 2027 plans.

With Verstappen staying at Red Bull, Russell's position also looks considerably safer.

Ferrari have arguably the clearest lineup

Ferrari are among the teams with the least uncertainty heading into 2027.

Lewis Hamilton is contracted through at least the end of next season and has transformed his fortunes after an uncomfortable start to his Ferrari career. He is now challenging Antonelli for the championship and looks firmly established in Maranello.

Charles Leclerc is even more secure.

The Monegasque driver recently signed a long-term extension that runs until at least 2030, giving Ferrari one of the most stable pairings on the grid.

That effectively ended another potential chain reaction in the driver market: had Verstappen moved to Ferrari, one of Hamilton or Leclerc would have potentially become available. With Verstappen staying put, there is no such domino.

McLaren's champion pairing survives the Verstappen threat

McLaren also emerged from the Verstappen speculation with its lineup intact.

Reigning world champion Lando Norris is contracted through 2027 and has been with McLaren's system for almost a decade. He has maintained an edge over Oscar Piastri during the current season and is reportedly in talks over a major new contract.

Piastri has an even longer deal, running through 2028.

The Australian would have been the obvious candidate to become the odd man out had McLaren pursued Verstappen, potentially opening the door to a switch to Red Bull.

That scenario is now off the table.

Both Norris and Piastri therefore look set to remain together for 2027.

Aston Martin's big decision is Fernando Alonso

One of the biggest unresolved questions involves Fernando Alonso.

The two-time world champion is out of contract at the end of 2026, although indications are that he remains interested in continuing in Formula 1 beyond his current deal.

A move to Alpine had previously been floated because of his relationship with Flavio Briatore, but that option effectively disappeared after Alpine confirmed Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto for 2027.

Alonso's decision now appears relatively straightforward: remain with Aston Martin and attempt to capitalise on the team's future project, or retire from F1 at the age of 45.

The attraction of staying is obvious. Aston Martin's technical project has been closely associated with Adrian Newey, and Alonso will be hoping that the team's long-term investment eventually produces a car capable of challenging at the front.

Lance Stroll, meanwhile, is also out of contract but his position remains difficult to assess given his father's ownership of the team.

Haas has one of the biggest battles left

Haas is another team with two seats technically open for 2027.

Ollie Bearman has impressed during his first full season and remains highly regarded by Ferrari, but with no obvious vacancy at Maranello, Haas remains the most logical destination for him.

Esteban Ocon faces a much less comfortable situation.

The Frenchman has been outperformed by Bearman and is among the drivers under the most pressure to retain his seat. Several potential replacements have been linked with the team, including Ferrari junior Rafael Camara, McLaren reserve Leonardo Fornaroli and Toyota-backed Ryo Hirakawa.

Ocon's future could therefore become one of the more important pieces of the remaining driver market.

Racing Bulls could trigger another Red Bull reshuffle

Neither Racing Bulls seat is currently confirmed for 2027.

Liam Lawson's contract expires at the end of 2026, although he has enjoyed a stronger season than his turbulent Red Bull experience might have suggested. He has outscored rookie team-mate Arvid Lindblad and remains in contention for another season.

Lindblad, meanwhile, has adapted impressively to his first F1 campaign and could have done enough to earn a second year.

The Red Bull family is notoriously willing to make aggressive driver decisions, however, meaning neither seat can be considered completely secure until the contracts are signed.

## Audi, Williams and Alpine have already settled

Some of the market's uncertainty has already disappeared elsewhere.

Williams have committed to Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. Sainz signed a reported multi-year contract that could be worth up to €30 million per season, although his deal is understood to contain exit clauses.

Audi also have a confirmed pairing in Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto for 2027.

Alpine have settled on Gasly and Colapinto, while Cadillac will continue with Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas.

That leaves the market concentrated around a handful of teams rather than the grid-wide uncertainty that existed earlier in the year.

The 2027 F1 grid: Seven seats remain

With the major dominoes now largely settled, the 2027 grid currently looks like this:

The seven outstanding seats are therefore at Red Bull, Racing Bulls, Aston Martin and Haas.

And while Verstappen's decision has removed the biggest question from the equation, those remaining vacancies could still produce some significant changes.

The focus now shifts from where the biggest stars might go to which of the next generation can force their way onto the grid - and whether veterans such as Alonso and Ocon can hold off the challenge.