Formula 1: Early 2021 driver lineup prediction
By Asher Fair
Haas
Kevin Magnussen – Kevin Magnussen has been the better of the two Haas drivers in each of the last two seasons and is well-positioned to sign a contract extension with the team for 2021 and perhaps beyond. The only question is will the Kevin Magnussen-Romain Grosjean duo last for a fifth consecutive season?
Romain Grosjean – Romain Grosjean has been with Haas since they entered Formula 1 in 2016. On multiple occasions, that relationship was speculated to end in the near future, specifically during the 2019 season given his massive struggles. But year after year, the sport’s lone American team bring him back, and provided he isn’t involved in any run-ins with Magnussen this year, they’ll probably do it again. Plus, Haas haven’t been too keen on promoting younger drivers in the past. Will they hire a pay driver to replace him?
Williams
George Russell – Amid rumors that the Mercedes junior driver would be looking to make the move up to the Silver Arrows factory outfit in 2021, Williams confirmed that they have George Russell under contract through the 2021 season. Assuming that is accurate, meaning that Mercedes don’t opt to bring him up even if his contract does contain an opt-out clause, he is set to return to Williams next year.
Nicholas Latifi – We should be 11 races into his rookie season by now, but we have only seen Nicholas Latifi complete one Formula 1 race. The 2019 Formula 2 runner-up figures to give George Russell more of a run for his money than Robert Kubica did a year ago, and given the financial strain with which the team are dealing, they likely won’t want to part with his backers after only a year.