Formula 1: 2021 Silly Season driver lineup prediction

With several seats still up for grabs despite quite a few recent driver confirmations, how will the 2021 Formula 1 grid look?

Despite a hoard of driver confirmations for the 2021 Formula 1 season and beyond during the 17-race 2020 season and even before it began back in early July, there are still quite a few seats up for grabs on the 2021 grid.

In fact, only 14 of the 20 seats at nine of the sport’s 10 teams have confirmed drivers for next year, while the other six seats at five teams remain vacant. One team have yet to make any confirmations for next year.

So who will compete where in 2021?

Here is our 2021 Formula 1 Silly Season driver lineup prediction.

Mercedes

Valtteri Bottas: CONFIRMED
Lewis Hamilton: Yes, there are rumors of retirement, some of which are justified, but Hamilton has said that he and the team simply haven’t found the time to discuss moving forward and that a deal will get done if he wants to return. There is no reason for either side to end what has been arguably the most successful driver/team pairing in Formula 1 history, especially not after this 2020 record-breaking season. This should be a matter of when, not if, especially with a record-breaking eighth world championship in sight potentially in 2021, and anything otherwise would be a surprise. But should he retire, don’t sleep on Sergio Perez taking his seat.

Red Bull

Max Verstappen: CONFIRMED
Nico Hulkenberg: Alexander Albon hasn’t performed quite as well as many had hoped in his first full season with the team after replacing Pierre Gasly, and Red Bull may look to recruit externally because of it with nobody else ready to compete alongside Verstappen. Perez is reportedly seen as an option here, but Verstappen, the team’s clear top driver, is reportedly keen on having Hulkenberg as his teammate. Perez has significant backing, but would signing him cause other issues given his teammate history?

McLaren

Lando Norris: CONFIRMED
Daniel Ricciardo: CONFIRMED (from Renault; to replace Carlos Sainz Jr.)

Aston Martin (Racing Point)

Sebastian Vettel: CONFIRMED (from Ferrari; to replace Sergio Perez)
Lance Stroll: Let’s be real. This is more — far more — of a surefire bet than Hamilton returning to Mercedes. The fact that this is still considered to be “not confirmed” is almost laughable. Stroll’s father Lawrence owns the team, and it has already been confirmed that Vettel, who was inevitably going to sign, is set to replace Perez, not Stroll. Again — when, not if.

Alpine (Renault)

Esteban Ocon: CONFIRMED
Fernando Alonso: CONFIRMED (from retirement; to replace Daniel Ricciardo)

Ferrari

Charles Leclerc: CONFIRMED
Carlos Sainz Jr.: CONFIRMED (from McLaren; to replace Sebastian Vettel)

AlphaTauri

Pierre Gasly: CONFIRMED
Yuki Tsunoda: Tsunoda is a member of the Red Bull Junior Team and has positioned himself well for a promotion to Formula 1 with a solid season in Formula 2 driving for Carlin. The 2018 F4 Japanese Championship champion is positioned to unseat Daniil Kvyat at the Red Bull sister organization.

Alfa Romeo

Kimi Raikkonen: CONFIRMED
Antonio Giovinazzi: CONFIRMED

Haas

Nikita Mazepin: Haas won’t be bringing back either driver, Kevin Magnussen or Romain Grosjean, of what is currently tied for the longest tenured pairing in Formula 1 with that of Mercedes. With Haas needing cash and Nikita Mazepin’s billionaire father Dmitry, the core shareholder and chairman of Uralchem Integrated Chemicals Company, keen to get his son from Formula 2 to Formula 1 as soon as possible, expect him to join the sport’s lone American team.
Mick Schumacher: Schumacher is also in contention for a rookie Formula 1 drive next year, with three Ferrari Driver Academy members, himself, Callum Ilott and Robert Shwartzman, sitting toward the top of the Formula 2 standings and vying for a seat, but only one is slated to receive a promotion. As the points leader, Schumacher is in the best position for a promotion, and driving for the Ferrari-powered Haas team makes the most sense with Alfa Romeo set to retain both of their drivers. Louis Deletraz serves as a Haas reserve and test driver and is in his fourth season of Formula 2 competition, but he has not yet shown to be ready for a promotion to the sport’s top level. This move also leaves Ilott and Shwartzman on the outside looking in, considering the fact that Ferrari have no plans to promote more than one of this trio next year.

Williams

Nicholas Latifi: CONFIRMED
George Russell: CONFIRMED, multiple times, amid rumors

OUT

Alexander Albon: from Red Bull
Daniil Kvyat: from AlphaTauri
Sergio Perez: from Racing Point (CONFIRMED)
Romain Grosjean: from Haas (CONFIRMED)
Kevin Magnussen: from Haas (CONFIRMED)