F1 2025 driver line-up: Will Carlos Sainz join Williams and who will replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes? All the latest news and rumours

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With the 2024 Formula One season well underway, attention for many is already turning to 2025 - and a more topsy-turvy driver line-up than usual.

While this season saw many teams keep their same pairing, next year is looking very different - with a whole host of star drivers out of contract, and plenty of young talent knocking on the door of the world's premier racing series.

Some teams have a confirmed line-up for 2025, while many other teams are still keeping their options open - with Carlos Sainz's next move likely to start a chain reaction down the grid.

As recently as this weekend in Montreal, RB signed Yuki Tsunoda up for another year, and the next few days and weeks are set to provide further information on who goes where.

Here, Mail Sport takes a look at each team to see who is already confirmed, and what's most likely to happen next... 

There are plenty of question marks over the make-up of the 2025 Formula One grid right now

Red Bull

CONFIRMED: Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez 

Current constructors champion Red Bull are all set for 2025, with Sergio Perez this week putting pen to paper on a new two-year contract, taking him through 2025 and 2026.

The news of a multi-year deal came as something of a surprise, with the Mexican struggling for pace this season despite being in the fastest car on the grid. That sentiment was strengthened here in Montreal on Saturday, when he qualified a worrying P16.

As for Verstappen, he's got another year on his deal, but there's plenty of speculation over what happens beyond that. The team have lost star designer Adrian Newey, and there's been some whispers that the three-time world champion may look elsewhere.

Three-time world champion Max Verstappen is tied down for at least 2025 with Red Bull

Sergio Perez's form has been poor, but he this week signed another two-year deal at Red Bull

Ferrari 

CONFIRMED: Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton

Fair to say it's all eyes on the red cars come 2025, when Lewis Hamilton switches the silver of Mercedes for the Prancing Horse of Ferrari - a lifelong dream of his.

Hamilton hasn't had the greatest season so far, but - despite their struggles in Montreal this weekend - Ferrari look good, and both will hope it's a match made in heaven.

On the other side of the garage, the team have put their long-term faith in Monegasque Charles Leclerc, who is tied down for 'several more seasons' at Maranello. Carlos Sainz is out - but more on that later. 

Charles Leclerc has endured a tough weekend in Montreal, but his future is with Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton will be swapping the silver of Mercedes for the red of Ferrari for 2025

McLaren

CONFIRMED: Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri 

Perhaps the most stable and impressive pairing on the grid comes in the form of Brit Lando Norris, and Australian Oscar Piastri, and McLaren were the first of all 10 F1 teams to have their 2025 line-up locked in.

Both drivers are having brilliant seasons, the car looks to have improved massively since the opening race, and they should be in contention for this year and beyond.

In terms of contracts, McLaren have been a little coy on dates, but both drivers are definitely tied up beyond the start of 2026 and into the new technical regulations. 

Lando Norris is one of the most impressive young drivers on the Formula One grid

Oscar Piastri is flying in his second season and has been tied down long-term by McLaren

Mercedes

CONFIRMED: George Russell, TBC

At Merc, it's all change for the first time in a while. After 11 years with the team, Hamilton is off to Ferrari, leaving Russell as the No 1 driver. The former Williams man is on pole in Montreal this weekend, and has been asserting his authority as the stand-out driver in the team this season.

As for who will join him, that is perhaps the most talked-about position in F1. It was initially anticipated that Carlos Sainz might come in - making it a straight driver swap between Mercedes and Ferrari - but it is now becoming clear that young superstar Kimi Antonelli is in the driving seat, pardon the pun.

The 17-year-old - yes, you read that correctly - is currently racing in F2 for Prema, while also conducting a private F1 testing programme on the side. Some believe he would be better-served further down the grid with a team like Williams at such a young age - much like Russell's path to the top - but he is now the overwhelming favorite for the big drive at Merc.

Team principal Toto Wolff is a huge fan of the young Italian, who is perhaps the biggest prospect the sport has seen since Max Verstappen burst onto the scene. Whether or not he's ready for F1 yet remains to be seen. 

George Russell qualified on pole in Montreal and is Mercedes' No 1 driver going forward

Kimi Antonelli is only 17 years old, but the most likely replacement for Hamilton at Mercedes

Aston Martin

CONFIRMED: Fernando Alonso, TBC*

*Lance Stroll

While it's not officially official, it would be a huge surprise if Aston Martin changed their current driver line-up for 2025. Fernando Alonso is tied down until the end of 2026, taking him through until the age of - at least - 45.

On the other side of the garage is Lance Stroll, son of team owner Lawrence, and it's widely believed that he is on a rolling, year-by-year contract. Therefore, it's not certain that he'll be on the grid, but he's been there for three seasons so far - and doesn't show any signs of leaving any time soon.

If he were to exit, Aston Martin have been on the up for the last few years, and there would be no shortage of drivers queuing up for a highly-coveted spot in the sport. 

Fernando Alonso will be 45 by the time he reaches the end of his current Aston Martin contract

The details of Lance Stroll's deal are unclear, but he is widely expected to stay for 2025

RB

CONFIRMED: Yuki Tsunoda, TBC 

At Red Bull's sister team, Tsunoda has just been signed up to a contract extension, tying him down for at least 2025, with an option for 2026 too. It's on the other side of the garage that question marks remain.

Right now, it's Daniel Ricciardo, and we await further news on whether he'll stay. When he returned to the team, he was being talked up for another chance at the big team alongside Verstappen, but that has since waned given his poor form.

Here in Montreal, he's enjoying an impressive weekend, but will need a consistent upturn in form to quell talk of an impending F1 exit. If they were to look in another direction, Liam Lawson is the obvious candidate. He's been in and around the paddock in Canada all weekend - don't forget about me, Mr Horner - and is a hugely talented young star who needs a chance soon.

There's a couple of other young Red Bull options - Ayumu Iwasa and Isack Hadjar to name two - but anyone other than Ricciardo or Lawson would be a huge shock.

Yuki Tsunoda this weekend extended his RB deal, but Daniel Ricciardo's (left) future is unclear

Liam Lawson has been a regular face in the paddock in Montreal as he awaits news of 2025

Alpine

CONFIRMED: TBC

Perhaps the most interesting and wide-open team on the grid right now is Alpine, with the French constructor yet to confirm anyone for 2025. What we know for definite is that Esteban Ocon definitely won't be sticking around.

Pierre Gasly still has a chance to stay, but is out of contract and the team need to make a decision on whether he's done enough to keep his seat, or whether they want to completely start again. For the sake of some continuity, it seems likely that he will remain for 2025 - but we await further news.

In terms of Ocon's replacement, Jack Doohan is the front-runner. The Australian former Red Bull junior driver is currently the reserve man at Alpine, and he's another face who has made himself a regular in the F1 paddock this season, and that's the case here in Montreal this weekend too.

Mick Schumacher is another good option for the team - he's currently driving an Alpine hypercar in the World Endurance Championship and had made it very, very clear behind the scenes that he is eyeing an F1 return. In terms of marketing value, they could also do a lot worse than bringing the son of seven-time world champion Michael back to the sport.

In truth, it may be that Alpine see what happens elsewhere and keep their options open before confirming what they do next. If I were a betting man, I'd say the most likely outcome is Gasly and Doohan for 2025. 

Esteban Ocon (R) is leaving Alpine, and he could be replaced by Australian Jack Doohan (L)

Pierre Gasly is out of contract but could yet stay at Alpine beyond the end of 2024

Haas

CONFIRMED: TBC (Mail Sport report that Oliver Bearman will join for 2025)

The current pairing of Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen is definitely being broken up, with both drivers out of contract, and Hulk already confirmed to be heading to Sauber - soon to be Audi - in 2025. 

While it has not been officially confirmed, Mail Sport reported earlier this weekend that young Brit Oliver Bearman is the first man they've tied down for 2025, after he impressed in Jeddah when replacing Carlos Sainz for one race earlier this year.

The 19-year-old is set to earn between £250,000 and £300,000 in his first season in the sport - and we wait to see who will join him in the Haas garage.

There is still a chance that Magnussen will be retained for another season - again, coming back to that aforementioned continuity aspect - while Ocon coming in for 2025 is another solid option for the team.

Elsewhere, depending on what happens at Sauber (more on that to come), Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu could both be searching for a drive. 

Oliver Bearman is joining Haas for his first season in Formula 1, as revealed by Mail Sport

Kevin Magnussen could yet be retained for 2025, but he is out of contract come December

Williams

CONFIRMED: Alex Albon, TBC 

At Williams, James Vowles is heading up a long-term project that is already seeing plenty of positive steps forward. Alex Albon has 2 points in the standings, and is set up nicely for some more in Montreal later today, and they have set their sights on Carlos Sainz to create a very exciting driver line-up for 2025.

That would mean current No. 2 Logan Sargeant finds himself on the outside looking in from 2025, but he hasn't done enough to prove his worth to the team as they try to storm up the grid under new ownership.

Earlier this weekend in Montreal, Vowles told reporters that his No. 1 target for 2025 is Sainz, and now it's all about convincing the outgoing Ferrari man that he should make a big step down the grid to join them.

If they can't lock down Sainz, and he goes elsewhere (Sauber is the other main option) then they'll likely be looking at Theo Pourchaire, or Aston Martin's Felipe Drugovich.

If, for some reason, Antonelli doesn't get the Mercedes drive, then he appears a shoo-in at Williams given their connection. The team have applied for the young Italian to get his superlicense when he turns 18 this summer, and one potential option is that he replaces Sargeant straight away and gets six months at Williams before taking the step up to Mercedes for 2025. 

Young Thai driver Alex Albon is tied down long-term to a 'multi-year deal' with Williams

James Vowles has been very clear that Carlos Sainz (right) is his No. 1 target for the other seat

Sauber (Audi from 2026)

CONFIRMED: Nico Hulkenberg, TBC

Right now, all that's clear at Sauber is that Nico Hulkenberg is coming in, with the team looking ahead to their tie-up with German manufacturer Audi from 2026. Who joins him is the big question mark right now.

Sainz would be their perfect driver for 2025 and beyond, but Williams is looking the more likely option for the Spaniard. Mick Schumacher is another candidate - again, note the German connection - while Ocon and Bottas may also be on their radar.  

It's looking like they'll hold fire until the rest of the grid becomes more clear before they make their decision. Right now, it's all on Sainz and waiting to see where he signs. 

Nico Hulkenberg is leaving Haas and joining Sauber - soon to be Audi - from the 2025 season

Mick Schumacher - son of F1 legend Michael - is desperately looking for a return to the sport