Formula 1: 3 new drivers who could end up driving in 2019

A total of 18 active Formula 1 drivers entered the 2018 season with contracts that expire at the end of the year. Which new drivers could replace some of them in 2019?

Only two active Formula 1 drivers entered the 2018 season with contracts that extend beyond the conclusion of the 2018 season. The other 18 drivers will need new contracts in order to continue driving in the sport next year.

The only two drivers who entered the 2018 season with contracts that extend beyond the conclusion of the year were Scuderia Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen. Last year, both of these drivers signed contracts to remain with their respective teams through at least the 2020 season.

With so much uncertainty surrounding the 2019 driver lineup as a result of the fact that there are only two signed contracts among drivers that cover them through at least the 2019 season, there is sure to be quite a bit of movement throughout the field among active drivers before the 2019 season begins.

There is also a good chance that several of the drivers who are currently active will no longer be driving in the sport next season, thus meaning new drivers would have to be signed to contracts. Who might those new drivers be, and how many will there be?

Here are three currently inactive drivers who could potentially become full-time Formula 1 drivers in the 2019 season.