Silly season in Formula 1: Calm before the storm?

Lewis Hamilton

Team boss Toto Wolff sounds like a broken record. Every Grand Prix, the media ask the Austrian: 'When is Lewis Hamilton finally going to sign a new contract with Mercedes?' Even in Belgium, Wolff had it recorded that it is currently still a matter of lawyers putting all the agreements on paper. When will that be ready? Nobody knows.

So officially, Lewis Hamilton does not have a seat for next season, as Mercedes currently has a spot vacant. For now, anyway, there is no indication that the two sides won't continue their deal. And if there does turn out to be a hitch, Mercedes will have a problem. After all, all the top drivers are already contracted for 2024(Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris). At the extreme, Mercedes could switch to reserve driver Mick Schumacher. Only, the German - although welcomed with open arms - did not impress enough at Haas at the time to call him a sensible choice.

Daniel Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo is playing the long game. By stepping into the AlphaTauri as early as this season, the Australian hopes to convince Red Bull Racing that he belongs in Sergio Perez's car. Team boss Christian Horner has already revealed that Ricciardo is not an option for Red Bull before '24, possibly in 2025. In the meantime? Most likely, Ricciardo will then try to come out for AlphaTauri - or whatever the team is called - next season as well.

Ricciardo does have competition for that seat, after all:

Liam Lawson

The New Zealander was placed by Red Bull in Formula 2, in the DTM and this season in the Japanese Super Formula. Apparently, there is plenty of confidence in the test and reserve driver that the Austrians do not want to part with him. At the same time, Helmut Marko and co have also made no moves to give Lawson a chance in Formula 1.

The New Zealander's performance is not in doubt: in DTM, he was on his way to the championship until he was knocked off the track by a competitor in the last race. He is also competing for the title in Super Formula. Will the next step be AlphaTauri after all?

Guanyu Zhou/Theo Pourchaire

Valtteri Bottas has a 2024 contract with Alfa Romeo (from next season, it returns to the Sauber name), his colleague Guanyu Zhou is yet to agree a new commitment with the team. The Chinese driver came into Formula 1 without many expectations, but at times shows that he would certainly not be out of place in the premier class of motorsport. On the other hand, Zhou will not grow into an absolute top driver.

However, Theo Pourchaire does have that potential. The only 19-year-old Frenchman is a Formula 2 frontrunner and part of the Sauber Academy. The question is not so much whether the Swiss will give him a chance in F1, but when. Giving Pourchaire mileage before Sauber switches to Audi's factory team (from 2026) seems logical. But that could also only happen during the '25 season, when Audi's intended first driver - namely Carlos Sainz - also enters the driver market.

Logan Sargeant

Well, Logan Sargeant. After the departure of Nicholas Latifi, Williams hoped to have two level drivers in the cars. While Alexander Albon is indeed performing superbly, rookie Logan Sargeant currently lacks the level for Formula 1. Not surprisingly, as the American was not a high-flyer in the Formula 2 step-up class either.

Sargeant may be in luck: if he were to be sidelined, what decent driver is available as a replacement? Mick Schumacher, reserve driver at engine supplier Mercedes? The Schumacher who caused more crashes than points with a Haas? Besides, so Sargeant is an American and Williams' American owner - investment company Dorilton Capital - is no doubt fine with having a compatriot in one of their cars from a commercial point of view.

Kevin Magnussen/Nico Hulkenberg

Nico Hulkenberg can speak of a successful return to Formula 1. After years of inactivity, the German does not appear to have lost his speed, and almost every Grand Prix he trumps his teammate Kevin Magnussen. Hulkenberg does not have a contract for 2024, but negotiations for a new commitment are ongoing. Magnussen does have one more season with the US team.

Whether he will serve that out given his current form? Steiner said he was happy with his drivers. And yes, he saw no reason to make any changes. On the other hand, he also said, "We want to announce the driver duo before the summer break." We are in that summer break, and no white smoke has come.

Conclusion

If there are going to be personnel changes on the grid for 2024, they will be small ones. At the top teams, almost certainly nothing is going to change. After 2024, though, a number of top drivers' contracts do expire, for example, George Russell, Sergio Perez, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. The summer of '24 could be much more interesting than the current one.