Formula 1: What we know about the 2021 driver lineup

While the 2021 Formula 1 driver lineup has not yet been solidified, here is a brief rundown of what we know about it so far.

The 2020 Formula 1 season is quickly approaching its end, as 15 of the 17 races on the coronavirus pandemic-shortened schedule have been contested since the delayed season finally got underway nearly four months after it was originally scheduled to in early July.

Silly Season for the 2021 season has been in full swing for several months. In fact, multiple driver lineup changes were confirmed even before the 2020 season finally got underway.

There are still four open seats remaining on the 20-car grid for next year, as 16 drivers have already been confirmed across all 10 of the sport’s teams. Four teams still have one seat to fill, while all teams have confirmed at least one driver.

So what do we already know about the 2021 Formula 1 driver lineup?

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The four teams that still have one seat to fill are Mercedes, Red Bull and AlphaTauri and Haas. Valtteri Bottas is set to return for a fifth consecutive season after signing a one-year contract extension earlier this season.

Max Verstappen is set to return for a sixth consecutive season with Red Bull after signing a multi-year extension prior to the 2020 season that runs through the 2023 campaign, and Pierre Gasly is set return for a third full season with AlphaTauri after recently signing an extension.

Haas are the only team that are set to completely clean house. Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean have been teammates since the 2017 season, with the latter having competed for the team ever since they entered Formula 1 in 2016, but they are both out after 2020.

Formula 2 driver Nikita Mazepin has signed with the team and is expected to be paired with fellow Formula 2 driver Mick Schumacher, although that hasn’t been confirmed.

As for the other six teams, they are all set. Here’s what we know.

At Racing Point, which are set to be rebranded as Aston Martin next year, Lance Stroll is set to return and Sebastian Vettel is set to move on from Ferrari to replace Sergio Perez.

Set to replace Vettel at Ferrari alongside Charles Leclerc, who signed a multi-year extension that runs through the 2024 season before the 2020 season began, is Carlos Sainz Jr.

Sainz is set to be replaced at McLaren alongside Lando Norris by Daniel Ricciardo, who is set to be replaced at Renault alongside Esteban Ocon by Fernando Alonso. Alonso retired after the 2018 season and is set to come out of retirement to compete again next year.

That leaves Alfa Romeo and Williams. Alfa Romeo and Williams are not set to make any driver changes, as Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi are set to return for a third season together at the latter while George Russell is set to return for a third season at Williams and a second season alongside Nicholas Latifi.

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The 2021 Formula 1 season is scheduled to get underway on Sunday, March 21 at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit with the Australian Grand Prix, a race which was axed from the 2020 schedule as a result of the pandemic after having been scheduled to get the season underway. There are still two races remaining on this year’s schedule on Sunday, December 6 and Sunday, December 13.

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