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The 2023 F1 season features 20 drivers on the grid. It is astounding to see, however, that out of these 20, as many as seven drivers will be out of contract at the end of the season. The 2022 F1 season featured a very interesting silly season that kicked up a storm during the summer break.
This time as well, with some prominent names out of contract at the end of the season, things could get spiced up a little. In all, seven drivers are out of contract at the end of the 2023 season. Let's take a look at who these drivers are.
#1 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Lewis Hamilton's contract has been the talk of the town for a while now. The Mercedes driver was supposed to get this wrapped up last season already but this has meandered into 2023. Not only that, but the car's underperformance has also put things under the scanner. There have been rumors of Hamilton possibly moving to Ferrari.
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There have even been rumors of possible unrest at Mercedes as the F1 legend is not happy with the direction the car's development has taken. Hamilton's future is up in the air as it seems that his contract situation is not a priority for him or the team. It will be interesting to see what the future holds as the silly season will kick into gear soon.
#2 Kevin Magnussen (Haas F1)
Kevin Magnussen's two-year contract, which he signed with Haas at the beginning of last season, will end in 2023. The Danish driver has been Guenther Steiner's favorite ever since he's come back. He was the primary points scorer last season and even helped Haas secure its first-ever pole position.
Having said that, the 2023 F1 season has been a bit of a surprise as Magnussen has been somewhat outclassed by Nico Hulkenberg in qualifying. A contract extension should not be an issue at Haas, but with Daniel Ricciardo lurking in the background, it would not be a surprise if the Australian swoops in at Haas.
#3 Nico Hulkenberg (Haas F1)
Nico Hulkenberg was brought back to F1 by Haas on a one-year contract. The German has already proven in the first three races that he's not lost his speed at all. After outclassing Kevin Magnussen in the first three races and scoring his first points of the season in Australia, a contract extension does not appear to be a far-fetched thought, unless the German wants to switch teams.
#4 Logan Sargeant (Williams F1)
The young rookie was promoted to F1 on a single-year contract. The first three races might not have yielded any points as such but Logan has proven himself to be a meaningful upgrade from Nicholas Latifi. A renewal for the 2024 season should not be a surprise, unless Williams has someone else in mind to fill the seat.
#5 Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo)
The Chinese driver got his extension with Alfa Romeo last season. In his second season with the team, he's already scored his first points for the team and has even been the better of the two Alfa Romeo drivers. For now, Zhou appears to be ticking all the boxes that could help him secure a seat for next season. It does remain to be seen how prominently he features in Andreas Seidl's vision.
#6 Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)
Yuki Tsunoda has had two one-year extensions so far in his career. This time around, even though three races is a small sample size, Yuki has shown a lot of promise. He's showing maturity, speed, and even a level of team leadership skills.
With Gasly leaving, it does appear that the Japanese driver has been able to step out of that shadow and get on with the job. He's been the better driver at AlphaTauri, especially if we compare him to Nyck de Vries, and should ideally get an extension for next season.
#7 Nyck de Vries (AlphaTauri)
The Dutch driver was signed by Red Bull for its sister team with the aim of bringing experience to the team. De Vries surely has a wealth of experience after driving in multiple categories and testing various cars last season. The on-track performance has not been up to the mark though.
The Dutch driver has been the understudy of Yuki Tsunoda in that respect and has trailed him in almost every session. There is a level of pressure on de Vries, as a 28-year-old rookie does not get the kind of leeway that a 20-year Tsunoda did in his early days. In terms of pressure, the Dutch driver might be one of the more vulnerable drivers out of the 7 on this list.
