The current outlook for the 2023 Formula 1 season with the confirmed drivers and teams as well as all driver changes
What does Mick Schumacher’s sporting future look like? Will Sebastian Vettel continue at Aston Martin? And which drivers will get the cockpits that are still open? Ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 season, there are still a number of unanswered questions about the driver market. We give you an overview of which teams already have their drivers for 2023 and where there are still vacancies!
By the way, some drivers are set for years: Max Verstappen, for example, has signed a very long-term contract with Red Bull, Charles Leclerc will stay with Ferrari in the medium term. Other drivers, on the other hand, have to fear for the continuation of their Formula 1 careers.
Here is the complete overview of the drivers and teams of Formula 1 2023 with all confirmed drivers – to browse through in the photo gallery (see below) and as an overview in text form.
Mercedes: Both cockpits have been allocated. Lewis Hamilton signed a contract extension in July 2021 up to and including 2023. George Russell will also remain a Silver Arrows driver in 2023 because he also has a multi-year contract.
Red Bull: Max Verstappen sealed his medium-term future before the start of the 2022 season by signing a contract extension with Red Bull – until 2028! No one else in the field has that much planning security. Sergio Perez is also still on the grid: he extended his contract during the 2022 season for another two years up to and including 2024.
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc has already signed a long-term contract in 2019 until the end of 2024 and is therefore also in a Ferrari in 2023. The same goes for Carlos Sainz: he got the contract extension with a term of two years during the 2022 Formula 1 season. So he, too, is set for 2023 and the year after.
McLaren: Lando Norris will remain a McLaren driver for the foreseeable future after signing a long-term contract extension in 2021. The exact term is not known but could extend to the end of 2025. His current teammate Daniel Ricciardo will leave the team at the end of the season despite a contract that runs until 2023. He will be replaced by compatriot Oscar Piastri, who will be allowed to join McLaren after a tug of war with Alpine.
Alpine: Esteban Ocon will remain with Alpine beyond the 2022 season. In 2021, he was guaranteed a cockpit up to and including 2024. It is currently unclear who will drive the second car. On 2 August, Alpine announced the promotion of Formula 2 champion Oscar Piastri, which he denied only a short time later with the words “I will not be driving for Alpine in 2023”. His move to McLaren was confirmed at the beginning of September. In October, Alpine unveiled Pierre Gasly as their new Formula 1 driver.
AlphaTauri: Pierre Gasly had a valid contract for the 2023 season. At the end of September, they also confirmed Yuki Tsunoda for another season. But then they backed out: because Gasly got a chance to switch to Alpine, AlphaTauri let him go – and brought Nyck de Vries, the surprise man from Monza, back into the team. The double change was announced almost simultaneously in October before the Japanese Grand Prix.
Aston Martin: The racing team was quick to fill the gap left by Sebastian Vettel’s retirement from F1 after the 2022 season, announcing the signing of former world champion Fernando Alonso just four days later. Alongside him, Lance Stroll will remain in the team, which team boss Mike Krack confirmed at the same time. But that was only a formality anyway: as chairman of the board of Aston Martin, his father Lawrence Stroll also holds the reins at the Formula 1 team of the same name.
Williams: Nicholas Latifi’s three-year contract at Williams expires after the 2022 season and will not be extended. In exchange, Alexander Albon has signed a new multi-year contract and will remain with the team “2023 and beyond”. His new team-mate is currently still open.
Alfa Romeo: Valtteri Bottas has signed an explicit multi-year contract with Alfa Romeo for the 2022 season. The exact term is not known, but in any case still covers the 2023 season. Guanyu Zhou has also been confirmed for 2023, so there is no change to the driver pairing.
Haas: On his return to Formula 1, Kevin Magnussen has signed a multi-year agreement with Haas. This means he should continue to race for the US team in 2023. The contract of his Haas teammate Mick Schumacher, a Ferrari Academy driver, expires at the end of 2022. Engine supplier Ferrari may fill one of the two Haas cockpits with an in-house junior.
Teams and drivers for the 2023 Formula One season:
Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton / George Russell
Red Bull: Max Verstappen / Sergio Perez
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc / Carlos Sainz
McLaren: Lando Norris / Oscar Piastri
Alpine: Esteban Ocon / Pierre Gasly
AlphaTauri: Nyck de Vries / Yuki Tsunoda
Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso / Lance Stroll
Williams: Alexander Albon / ?
Alfa Romeo: Valtteri Bottas / Guanyu Zhou
Haas: Kevin Magnussen /