The big F1 driver market questions remaining after Max Verstappen's new deal

The perception in the Formula 1 paddock following Max Verstappen’s Red Bull contract extension was that it had effectively killed the driver market. 

Add to that the news that both Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon have committed their futures to Williams, and Thursday’s announcement that Franco Colapinto has been retained by Alpine, and a total of four openings for 2027 have closed in less than two weeks. 

It leaves Fernando Alonso as the major piece left to be added to the driver market puzzle, with the two-time world champion weighing up whether he wants to continue in F1 next season. 

The 45-year-old has faced questions over his future and whether he will retire from F1, with his Aston Martin contract expiring at the end of the year. 

Alonso previously suggested that he would decide around the summer, but speaking at the Dutch Grand Prix, he made it clear he is not setting a timeline to make a final call.  

“I don't have any. I just came from holiday, so I will see in the next days or weeks or months,” the Spaniard replied when he faced questions on when he will make a decision. 

Alonso has insisted that Aston Martin’s competitiveness, and the success of the team’s upgrades, will not play a factor in what he decides to do. 

“I will be with this team in one role or another for the long term,” he added. “It's not about myself or about who is driving next year, or if I am driving next year or three more years. I don't know.

“Sitting with Lawrence and Adrian and the needs for the team is for me to drive. I will consider. I will be happy if I can be more valuable in another position.

“But I need to drive something. That's something for sure. I need to race. I need to feel the adrenaline. I am a competitor.

“I have all the challenges in my head, as I said many times to win one day Dakar or to try again Indy 500 or whatever is coming next.

“Also winning in Formula 1 a third world championship, that will be obviously the ultimate dream.

“Is that possible? I don't know how long it will take to achieve that performance for this team. It's going to be a very long time.”

Everything is currently pointing towards Alonso staying for at least one more year, which would keep things unchanged at Aston Martin. 

Liam Lawson’s impressive showing as a last-minute stand-in for the injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull might have given the team a bit of a selection headache for 2027. 

Lawson is having a strong season at Racing Bulls and appears to be doing enough to keep his seat alongside Arvid Lindblad at Red Bull’s sister team next year. 

The Kiwi’s performance after being thrown in at the deep end at Red Bull at Zandvoort will have done himself no harm.

Red Bull could have a face a difficult decision given that junior driver Nikola Tsolov is having a brilliant campaign in Formula 2. Tsolov currently leads the championship and if he were to seal the title, he would have a strong case to earn F1 promotion in 2027. 

It’s ultimately a nice problem for Red Bull to have after the team’s recent driver struggles. 

Yuki Tsunoda, who has been something of a forgotten man after losing his Red Bull seat at the end of 2025, has also put himself back on the F1 radar. 

Tsunoda replaced Lawson at Racing Bulls and caught the eye as he narrowly missed out on points at Zandvoort. The Japanese driver might have just given some teams food for thought, including Haas, where Esteban Ocon is on shaky ground. 

Team principal Ayao Komatsu has declared that Haas isn’t “in any rush” to decide upon its driver line-up for next season and continues to support both Ocon and team-mate Ollie Bearman amid a tough season. 

Ocon is under pressure to keep his seat and the vultures are circling, with reigning F2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli and Ferrari junior Rafael Camara among the frontrunners competing for the seat. 

Other contenders include Toyota-backed Ryo Hirakawa and Jack Doohan, both of whom are Haas reserve drivers, while Tsunoda has thrown his hat into the ring.