Formula 1: 2020 Silly Season rumors – who ends up where?

Only half of next year’s Formula 1 grid has been confirmed. Which drivers will end up landing in which empty seats for the 2020 season?

We are in the midst of the 2019 Formula 1 summer break, and by default, we are in the middle of Silly Season. So far, only 10 of the 20 seats on next year’s grid have been set.

Lewis Hamilton is set to return to Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport while Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc are set to return to Scuderia Ferrari. Max Verstappen is set to return to Aston Martin Red Bull Racing and Carlos Sainz Jr. and Lando Norris are set to return to McLaren.

Additionally, Daniel Ricciardo is set to return to Renault, Kimi Raikkonen is set to return to Alfa Romeo Racing, Kevin Magnussen is set to return to Rich Energy Haas and George Russell is set to return to ROKiT Williams Racing.

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So who will occupy the other 10 positions on the grid?

Valtteri Bottas is currently driving alongside Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. Mercedes have the option to renew his contract, but they could also replace him with reserve and test driver Esteban Ocon, who was left without a ride this season after driving for Force India for two years.

If Mercedes re-sign Bottas, that could set up a move for Ocon to either replace Nico Hulkenberg at Renault, Romain Grosjean at Haas or Robert Kubica at Williams. But if they do not re-sign him, they want a “soft landing” for him.

Alexander Albon recently replaced Pierre Gasly at Red Bull Racing, as the underperforming Gasly was demoted back to Toro Rosso. Naturally, the team would like Albon to have success to make their decision for next year easy.

But if he doesn’t, they could bring back Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat, who drove for the team in the 2015 season and in part of the 2016 season. If they don’t do that and Ocon replaces Bottas, Bottas could also be an option despite the fact that he is not currently within the Red Bull Racing organization.

If Red Bull Racing retain Albon or sign Bottas, Toro Rosso’s lineup could remain the same next year. Kvyat would likely be back, and assuming Gasly performs like he did at the team last year, they would have no reason not to re-sign him.

That said, if Gasly doesn’t perform well at Toro Rosso or if his poor performance at Red Bull Racing lingers above the heads of those calling the shots at the Faenza-based team, Albon could end up back with the team if he doesn’t perform well at Red Bull Racing.

But regardless of how these drivers perform throughout the remainder of the season, Toro Rosso second-year engine manufacturer Honda could have a say in the matter as it pertains to the team’s lineup next year.

The Japanese manufacturer would like to have a Japanese driver competing in Formula 1, and reigning Super GT champion and Super Formula champion Naoki Yamamoto is the odds-on favorite to be that driver if that is the route they decide to take.

Yamamoto is eligible for a superlicence, and Honda would also like him to drive for Red Bull Racing or Toro Rosso in a practice session before the 2019 season concludes, likely for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit in October given his experience at that particular track already.

If Renault don’t re-sign Hulkenberg and they don’t land Ocon, Formula 2 and Renault test driver Jack Aitken could be in the mix for a promotion to the works team. If Haas don’t re-sign Grosjean and they don’t land Ocon, test driver Pietro Fittipaldi could be in line to join the sport’s lone American team.

Racing Point’s lineup appears to be set for next year, although we are still awaiting official confirmation of that. The team have reiterated that they are happy with both Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll.

As for Alfa Romeo Racing, questions surround the future of Antonio Giovinazzi. He has not performed all that well this season, and while he has shown progression, it would not be surprising to see him be replaced.

There have been rumors that ex-Formula 1 driver and current IndyCar driver Marcus Ericsson could return to the team next year since McLaren’s full-time entry into IndyCar via a partnership with Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports may result in him losing his ride with the latter.

Because of Alfa Romeo Racing’s relationship with Ferrari, however, Ferrari have the right to select one of their two drivers. Giovinazzi was their selection for this year, whereas before Ericsson left the team, he was always Alfa Romeo Racing’s (then Sauber’s) selection.

A Formula 1 promotion for Ferrari Driver Academy member and Formula 2 driver Mick Schumacher would probably be a bit premature, and it may not even be possible if he does not secure enough superlicense points in Formula 2 this year despite previous rumors that he could make the jump.

Finally, as for Williams, retaining Robert Kubica is always an option, but given his lack of pace this season relative to rookie teammate George Russell, don’t be shocked to see the Grove-based team turn elsewhere. Even if they don’t land Ocon, they could look to sign Formula 2 and Williams test driver Nicholas Latifi.

While the potential paths that this year’s Formula 1 Silly Season could take seem relatively clear in general (compared to last year, at least), there is certainly a lot of room for driver movement across much of the grid. So which drivers will end up driving for which teams in the 2020 season?