Piastri to McLaren? Ricciardo to retire? – Explaining F1’s 2023 driver market

Formula 1 returns this weekend with the Belgian Grand Prix, as championship leader Max Verstappen looks to extend his advantage over the chasing pack.

Traditionally, the summer break is known as ‘silly season’, where rumours surrounding drivers’ futures are rife as the 20 most coveted seats in motorsport are fought over.

And the last few weeks have certainly lived up to expectations, with a shock retirement, surprise transfers and even a rebellious rookie dominating the headlines.

With that in mind, Metro Sport takes a look at which drivers will be/could be racing for every team in 2023, starting with the four that have already confirmed their line-ups for next season:

Love him or hate him, Max Verstappen is set to be an F1 driver for a long time, with his contract running until 2028, while Sergio Perez will remain his Red Bull teammate until at least the end of 2024 after signing a new deal shortly after winning the Monaco Grand Prix in May.

Both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. are contracted to Ferrari until 2024 and will hope their fortunes with the Scuderia will improve over time, after seeing their championship bids fizzle away through little fault of their own.

When will Sir Lewis Hamilton retire? Not before the end of 2023 when his contract expires at the very least, while teammate George Russell will be on the grid for a while thanks to his ‘long-term contract’ with Mercedes, the exact details of which are under wraps.

This is where things get a little complicated. Lance Stroll essentially has an indefinite contract with Aston Martin, courtesy of his father Lawrence Stroll being the team owner.

Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement prior to the Hungarian Grand Prix in July, and just days later the team