F1 Drivers That Will Move To New Teams At The End Of Their Contracts

The Formula One 2024 grid is filled with drivers that have uncertain futures beyond the current season and two drivers have so far confirmed they will seek pastures new ahead of 2025.

There are a range of drivers that could join them in searching for a contract at a new team, but for now, nobody else has announced a forthcoming exit. 

Here we will look at the drivers that will be moving on to fresh opportunities after the 2024 season, as well as where their next destination could be.

Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz’s exit was indirectly confirmed by Ferrari’s remarkable acquisition of Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season and beyond.

The team will retain Charles Leclerc at his expense –  who is expected to be Max Verstappen’s strongest opposition in this year’s championship battle. Betting UK offers Leclerc at 13/1 to win the Drivers’ title with Sainz offered as a 275/1 outsider and that alone is strong justification that Ferrari is maintaining the driver with superior winning potential. 

Paddy Power’s odds calculator can be used to understand bets of all formats and units on the F1 season including lines focused on how Sainz and Hamilton will perform in the remaining Grand Prix events before their contracts expire. 

The original talk initially after Hamilton announced his switch to Ferrari was that Sainz would make a direct swap with him for his Mercedes seat. However, Toto Woolf has since ruled that out which means he will have to move to a team outside of the big three. 

Alpine could have been a serious option for Sainz if not for their mechanical issues which have tarnished their reputation this year. Moving to be the face of Williams could also be a possibility for the three-time GP winner, however, moving to Sauber’s soon-to-be-rebranded Audi team could make the most sense at this point.

Sainz will likely have to spend 2025 not being competitive at the front of races regardless of which realistic option he chooses. With the Audi takeover set to come into play ahead of the 2026 season, Sauber could represent his greatest opportunity as big improvements are expected to coincide with the 100% stake in the Swiss operation. 

Esteban Ocon

Esteban Ocon announced his end-of-season Alpine exit in the aftermath of the Monaco GP and that has left him with ample time to negotiate a switch before his contract runs out. Ocon will likely have several suitors from the midfield backwards – with the top three and McLaren having already effectively confirmed their rosters for 2025. 

The Frenchman’s future will likely lie at one of Haas or Williams which would arguably be a step back. Ocon may be tempted by the opportunity to be the leading experienced driver at a developing team which could ultimately be more beneficial for his long-term improvement than staying at Alpine.

Ocon could also be on the radar of the soon-to-be Audi team although he will likely only be pursued if Sainz does not agree to join their lineup alongside Nico Hulkenberg.

There is plenty of drama set to play out in the F1 world besides the on-track action in the remainder of 2024. Sainz and Ocon will likely announce where they will race next year before the championship has concluded, although they will surely not be the only drivers to make moves before the start of next season.