Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Ollie Bearman
Charles Leclerc has been with Ferrari for six years now, and he appears to be committed long into the next set of regulations. He signed an extension for many more years last season, and it will likely last beyond 2027. Considering the fact that the Monegasque driver has stuck with the Maranello squad for this long, he could look to spend the rest of his career in red.
Ollie Bearman had quite an impressive career as a Ferrari junior driver and made a name for himself while filling in for Carlos Sainz in Jeddah last season. While the British driver’s tenure at Haas has not been nearly as successful, there have been improvements he has made as a driver. Bearman can easily get a chance at Ferrari to replace Lewis Hamilton down the line, especially if he performs well next season under the new set of regulations.
Mercedes: George Russell and Kimi Antonelli
As it appears Max Verstappen will not leave Red Bull after the 2025 season, the expectation is that George Russell will be handed a new deal that keeps him with the team until at least the end of 2027. However, Toto Wolff will once again be seething to sign Dutch driver come next season. While Russell could find himself in a situation similar to Carlos Sainz Jr. right before the start of last season, Verstappen may opt to go elsewhere once he has options.
As for Kimi Antonelli, he is a project Mercedes are willing to commit to over the long term. He will likely be under contract until at least the end of 2027 once his new deal comes in, and he is not the first option to leave in the event a Mercedes driver must depart.