Lewis Hamilton is one of seven drivers on the Formula 1 grid whose current contracts expire 12 months from now.
After a 'silly season' to remember in 2022, the situation is primed for another potential swathe of driver moves in the coming year. Some new signings made in recent times only have short-term deals to begin with, while others are coming to the end of longer deals signed years ago.
One of them is Hamilton, who originally looked set to consider retirement at the end of the 2023 season. But that now looks unlikely to happen, given his recent pledge to sign a new deal with Mercedes to most likely keep him in F1 beyond his 40th birthday.
Others, however, will be less comfortable about their place in F1. Mirror Sport has compiled a list of those whose current deals expire at the end of the 2023 season – and assessed their chances of earning a renewal.
Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes
As mentioned, the Brit's future is likely to be set in stone in the coming weeks. A new contract with Mercedes is expected to be little more than a formality, given both the driver and the team have publicly stated that they want to strike a deal.
Despite a year to forget for Mercedes in 2022, Hamilton will hope – perhaps even expect – to be back in the title fight next season. How long he chooses to carry on racing in F1 will most likely depend on how competitive the Brit and his team remain in the coming years.
Nico Hulkenberg – Haas
One of the bigger surprises of silly season this year was the return of the German to the F1 grid. Without a race seat since 2019, it seemed Hulkenberg's time in the sport was over – but his experience and desire to get back on the grid made him an attractive hire for Haas.
He is also a beneficiary of Mick Schumacher's struggles, which ultimately led to Haas making that change. It remains to be seen how competitive he will be after such a long time without regular racing, but as long as he stays out of trouble and can prove his fitness, there's no reason why 'Hulkenback' can't be extended.
Kevin Magnussen – Haas
The most unexpected change on the grid for the 2022 season was the return of Magnussen to his old team, just weeks before the start of the season. After coming in at short notice to replace the ousted Nikita Mazepin, the Dane made an immediate statement with an excellent fifth-place finish on his second Haas debut.
The team could not sustain their bright start but still had a much improved season, compared to the previous two. Magnussen scored the lion's share of points and also secured his maiden – and Haas' first – ever F1 pole position in Brazil. He needs only maintain his 2022 form next year to make a contract extension pretty likely.
Logan Sargeant – Williams
F1's newest debutant faces a tricky task in 2023. On a personal level, expectations will be high given he is the first American to hold a race seat in 15 years – during an era in which there are now three races in the US per season after the sport's huge growth in popularity across the pond.
Plus, he faces that challenge racing for a Williams team which was comfortably the worst on the grid this year – and which does not currently have a team principal after the surprise departure of Jost Capito. Sargeant will do well to shine amid these circumstances, but hopes are high that he will do well alongside Alex Albon.
Yuki Tsunoda – AlphaTauri
The Japanese racer admitted himself that he was surprised to get a second year in F1, after making a lot of mistakes in his debut campaign. So he may well be even more shocked to have been given a third in 2023, despite still not exactly setting the world alight this year.
So 2023 will most likely be a make-or-break year for Tsunoda's F1 career. Red Bull are ruthless when they have to be and they have a lot of junior drivers on the books who will be chomping at the bit for his AlphaTauri seat if he cannot do enough to prove why he should keep it.
Nyck de Vries – AlphaTauri
AlphaTauri have nothing set for the long-term when it comes to their drivers. De Vries earned his seat for 2023 after a stellar debut when filling in for Albon at Monza this year – without that surprise Williams appearance, he may never have reached F1 despite being 2019 F2 champion.
But now he has the opportunity, he will need to grasp it with both hands. AlphaTauri have made it clear neither of their drivers will be number one until they prove it, so as well as being his team-mate, Tsunoda may also be the Dutchman's biggest rival when it comes to securing a seat for 2024 and beyond.
Zhou Guanyu – Alfa Romeo
The only F1 debutant in 2022 did not score many points, but did have his chances hampered by a litany of reliability problems suffered by Alfa Romeo, particularly with their Ferrari-supplied power units. All in, it was difficult to assess just how well Zhou did.
That's a good enough excuse for your debut year, but the second season is the one in which a racer must begin to make their mark. China's first ever F1 star will know he must up his game if his career in the sport is to be a long-term one – particularly with Audi likely to make some changes when Sauber becomes their works team from 2026.
