With Kimi Antonelli having secured his maiden F1 Drivers' Championship and George Russell helping Mercedes complete the double by claiming the Constructors' Championship, there is a growing sense that attention is already turning towards the 2027 season, despite three races still remaining in the current campaign.

Those races are the Las Vegas GP, the Qatar GP and the Abu Dhabi GP. However, many drivers and their teams will already be using the final stretch of the season as something of a dress rehearsal for next year's ambitions.

The 2027 campaign will also mark the final year of several drivers' current contracts, with 11 deals set to expire, potentially paving the way for a major reshuffle further down the line.

That means next season presents an opportunity for teams to reassess their line-ups, while drivers will have a chance to prove they are worth keeping or put themselves in the shop window for potential new suitors in a highly anticipated silly season.

Kimi Antonelli

Mercedes

While the reigning world champion's contract is among those set to expire, with one F1 insider even tipping him to replace Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, it would seem foolish for Antonelli to walk away from his comfortable position at Mercedes.

With Toto Wolff firmly in his corner, the Silver Arrows could be well-placed to dominate the coming years. And if it is titles that the Italian and his current team value above all else, then this partnership looks a long way from coming to an end.

George Russell

Mercedes

Antonelli's right-hand man, George Russell, is also nearing his contract expiry. But team principal Toto Wolff has repeatedly confirmed that Russell's seat was never under threat and that his multi-year extension predated the shifting driver market chatter.

A lot of that speculation around his uncertain future ended when Max Verstappen committed to a new deal with Red Bull this season, having previously been linked with Russell's seat at Mercedes. Long-term stability is the order of the day for the team, it would appear.

Lewis Hamilton

Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton, now 41, has made no secret of his desire to continue racing into the early 2030s, with the prospect of competing in the upcoming African Grands Prix among his biggest motivations. Whether the seven-time world champion will be given the chance to see out those ambitions with Ferrari, however, is another matter entirely.

The former Mercedes frontman appears to have turned a significant corner following his disastrous debut season with the Scuderia. But does he have what it takes to end Ferrari's wait for a drivers' title, stretching back to 2007? Frederic Vasseur will ultimately have the final say, although the situation is made all the more complicated by the growing tension between Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc, with Ferrari seemingly continuing to favour the Monegasque.

Fernando Alonso

Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso holds the record for the longest career in Formula 1 history. Since debuting at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix, he has gone on to compete in 444 races across a 25-year tenure.

While the Spaniard admitted earlier in the season that he was frustrated with 2026 regulations and pondered his future, he confirmed he still feels fast, motivated, and passionate about racing. Whether that remains the case after another full season remains to be seen.

Isack Hadjar

Red Bull

Isack Hadjar extended his contract with Red Bull for the 2027 season, and currently looks safe in his seat. The 21-year-old was promoted to the senior team this season after a rookie year with Racing Bulls and has managed to be closer to Max Verstappen on pace than any teammate since Daniel Ricciardo in 2018.

His best result came with third place finishes at the Monaco Grand Prix and Brazilian Grand Prix. Still very much a young up-and-coming talent, even more is expected from the Frenchman in the future.

Alex Albon

Williams

Alex Albon is locked in at Williams through the end of the 2027 season, but his future beyond then is not an open-and-shut guarantee. Unlike his teammate, Carlos Sainz - who signed a longer multi-year deal - the Thai driver's extension is structured specifically so that it's short-term.

He has already noted his 'wait and see' approach, as Albon wants to see tangible performance improvement in his car next year before committing long-term. He is yet to earn a win in F1, and with his two third-place finishes in 2020 a distant memory, moving on could be wise given he currently sits 19th in the standings.

Nico Hulkenberg

Audi

Nico Hulkenberg has been racing for 17 years next season, and with him now being 38 but without the performance levels of his peers, questions continue to linger about when he will announce a retirement.

Signing on for a one-year extension at Audi, options will be assessed again this time next year. But the German's enjoyment of the sport is the real motivation for him to carry on.

Gabriel Bortoleto

Audi

Gabriel Bortoleto has a multi-year, long-term contract with Audi that keeps him with the team well beyond 2027 , serving as a core pillar of the manufacturer's project, which is targeting world championship contention by 2030.

Currently placed 16th, the team have a long way to go. But if the 22-year-old can continue his quick rise through the ranks, then perhaps he can have them dreaming soon enough. He won the FIA Formula 3 title in 2023 with Trident Racing and followed it up by capturing the FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2024 (including a memorable last-to-first win in the Monza feature race).

Franco Colapinto

Alpine

Argentine driver Franco Colapinto joined Alpine as a reserve for 2025 before stepping into the race seat for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix as a replacement for Jack Doohan.

He was retained for this season and has since scored 27 points across 20 Grands Prix so far this season, working with Pierre Gasly to help the team to P6 in the Teams' Championship. Not bad going for a team that has struggled in recent years.

Lance Stroll

Aston Martin

Lance Stroll is among the drivers with the most podium finishes without ever winning an F1 race. That misfortune doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon, with the Aston Martin star sitting 21st this season, having DNF'd on 13 occasions.

Aston Martin officially confirmed an unchanged driver line-up of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso through the 2027 season (marking their fifth consecutive year as teammates), and there is an option for their partnership to continue in 2028 - though many believe Stroll should look elsewhere if the car's performance issues continue to weigh him down.