Formula 1: Who lands in the 2 remaining open seats?

Following the 2020 season, two seats are still open in the 2021 Formula 1 driver lineup. Which drivers will end up taking them?

The 2020 Formula 1 season has come to a close, and there are still two open seats remaining for the 2021 season, which is scheduled to get underway on Sunday, March 21 at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit with the Australian Grand Prix.

Eight teams have completely solidified their driver lineups for next year, with Haas and AlphaTauri being the most recent two to do so.

Haas confirmed Formula 2 drivers Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, and AlphaTauri confimred the worst-kept secret of the year by signing Formula 2 driver Yuki Tsunoda to compete alongside Pierre Gasly.

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Two other teams have confirmed half of their two-car lineups.

Mercedes have signed Valtteri Bottas through the 2021 season and Red Bull have signed Max Verstappen through the 2023 season.

While the entire 2020 driver lineup had been solidified by this time last year — in fact, several weeks before this point in 2019 — none of the teammates for these two drivers have been confirmed for next year.

So who will end up in these two seats in 2021?

Mercedes

Despite the fact that Valtteri Bottas signed an extension more than four months ago and Lewis Hamilton hasn’t yet done so, it is evident that Hamilton wants to return to the team after winning a record-tying seventh world championship, and Mercedes want him back.

The only question from Mercedes’ perspective in terms of contract negotiations is whether or not George Russell’s performance in the Sakhir Grand Prix “capped” Hamilton’s value. Even if so, it is also clear that Mercedes have no plans to promote Russell, who is under contract with Williams through 2021, before 2022. They will likely be back with the same lineup for the fifth straight year.

Red Bull

All eyes are on Red Bull following a report from Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz that Sergio Perez, who is set to lose his ride at Racing Point (now Aston Martin) to Sebastian Vettel, is expected to be confirmed within the next week, replacing Alexander Albon as Albon moves to a new role as the team’s test and reserve driver.

The suggestion of Perez and Albon “sharing the ride” was floated as well, but the simplest solution would be signing Perez on a one-year deal and either keeping him on for 2022 if he meets the team’s needs or swapping a more developed Albon back in. Regardless, Nico Hulkenberg appears to be out of the mix.

The 2021 season is scheduled to get underway Sunday, March 21 at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit with the Australian Grand Prix, which was slated to open up the 2020 season for the 23rd time in the last 25 years but ended up being canceled altogether as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.