Four F1 drivers racing to save their seat ahead of 2026

Statistically, Lance Stroll is among the drivers most dominated by their teammate, with Fernando Alonso out-qualifying the Canadian in all 16 races so far – a common metric used to determine which drivers could be at risk.

Of course, he remains unlikely to move on due to his father, Lawrence Stroll, staying in position as the Aston Martin F1 team's executive chairman.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton also finds himself under major pressure after being comprehensively outshone by Charles Leclerc with Ferrari.

However, for all Hamilton's self-flagellation, describing himself as "useless" during a recent interview, he is tied down until the end of 2026 and won't retire on a £50 million-per-season deal.

So, who are the drivers most under threat of losing their seat for next season? Which stars are nervously watching their contracts approach crunch time, and who is essentially racing for their livelihood as we approach the end of 2025?

RadioTimes.com brings you the four Formula 1 drivers racing for their seat in 2026.

George Russell (Mercedes)

We hear you shouting at your screen: "but Max is staying at Red Bull!" and I respond by asking you to show me George Russell's 2026 contract. We haven't seen it yet.

The most likely resolution to the George Russell saga is that he will remain at Mercedes beyond the end of 2025 alongside young hot-shot Kimi Antonelli, but until an announcement is made, Russell's future remains uncertain.

The British driver's deal expires at the end of the season, and team principal Toto Wolff had been making more than a few overtures to Verstappen amid behind-the-scenes turmoil at Red Bull.

However, Verstappen's performances have nullified a potential exit clause from his Red Bull contract, meaning he is no longer available to Mercedes this summer.

Russell is likely to take a sceptical view of his future with a team that has flirted with the prospect of ousting him for the reigning world champion. Recent reports have suggested Russell is unhappy with the situation – and you can understand why.

Russell has enjoyed one race win, six podiums and 13 top-five places in 16 races so far. He is fourth in the standings, only behind the McLarens and Verstappen. A driver with those figures, far ahead of his teammate, fighting at the business end of the grid, should not be under threat.

Again, Russell is unlikely to leave Mercedes this summer, but he is racing to position himself as an 'elite' driver between now and December to make himself either undroppable or highly desirable to another big fish.

Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)

One of the most disappointing storylines of the season has unfortunately revolved around the misadventures of Yuki Tsunoda, who has been thoroughly dominated by teammate Verstappen.

Promoted to the senior Red Bull team after just two races due to then-boss Christian Horner terminating Liam Lawson's deal, Tsunoda has fared little better.

The Japanese driver has been out-qualified in 14 of 14 races by Verstappen with a mean average gap of 0.6 seconds separating the drivers in qualifying, the largest disparity on the grid.

He is 19th in the standings with just 12 points to his name, peaking at ninth place this season, while teammate Verstappen fights at the sharp end of the grid alongside the McLarens.

With Tsunoda not tied down beyond the end of the season, new team principal Laurent Mekies told reporters a decision would be made after the final race and may see this as an opportunity to put his stamp on the Red Bull team.

It's difficult to see how Red Bull could justify keeping Tsunoda in the second seat without a dramatic surge in form, but things could get even worse for Tsunoda with no obvious back-up plan given the form of the Racing Bulls reserve team (more on that next...)

If Red Bull feel Tsunoda has found his ceiling, would another big team be willing to take a chance on Tsunoda? He is on the way out, but how he performs in the final few weeks could determine where he lands – if he lands anywhere at all.

Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)

Liam Lawson's departure from Red Bull felt cold and clinical, despite probably being the right call given Lawson's 0.88-second mean gap to Verstappen in two qualifying sessions.

It was hard not to feel sorry for Lawson, who had produced some nifty performances to climb the ladder, up through the Racing Bulls ranks and into the Red Bull cockpit, only to be abruptly dumped back on Racing Bulls' doorstep after two weekends of the campaign.

It's fair to say Isack Hadjar has cemented his place as Racing Bulls' brightest light in 2025, out-qualifying Lawson 11-3 and creeping up to ninth in the standings following a remarkable third-place finish at Zandvoort recently. But that doesn't tell the whole story of Lawson's campaign.

Lawson has recorded four top-eight finishes in the last nine races, that's the same number as Hadjar has achieved in the entire season, and has regularly finished ahead of Tsunoda on race day.

If Lawson can punch in a handful more top-10 finishes by the end of the season, Tsunoda's route back to Racing Bulls may be closed off.

That said, it's likely Racing Bulls may dip back into the pool of young drivers coming through, meaning Lawson is fighting off competition on several fronts. All he can do is drive, drive, drive and hope he can convince the top brass of his worth.

Franco Colapinto (Alpine)

Only two drivers are yet to record a single point in Formula 1 this season. Jack Doohan, and the man who replaced him at Alpine, Franco Colapinto.

The 22-year-old has endured a subdued campaign with few highlights or show-stopping finishes to shout about, barring 11th place at Zandvoort. He is the only current driver on the grid yet to breach the top 10 in 2025.

Colapinto has been out-qualified 7-3 by teammate Pierre Gasly, who has lodged a finish as high as sixth, this term. It's not all doom and gloom for Colapinto, however.

Following the Italian Grand Prix, Alpine's de facto team principal Flavio Briatore told Sky Sports: "It's not decided yet, but at the moment I think Franco is doing a good job."

"He suffered a bit from his inexperience at the start, like many of the rookie drivers. In the last three or four races, he's been much more consistent, without making any major mistakes.

"Maybe it'll be Franco, we'll see. We have four or five more races to judge. It is November we need to make a decision."

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