Air goes out of F1 ‘silly season’ after superstars’ monster deals

Formula 1’s silly season is supposed to thrive on scarcity - with only 22 seats on offer, usually the uncertainty keeps every contract rumour alive until the last possible moment.

However, the 2027 driver market has felt a lot more like a ‘sensible season’.

The paddock’s biggest variables removed themselves early as star drivers Max Verstappen and Lando Norris chose loyalty and signed mega-deals that secure their futures with Red Bull and McLaren respectively, to 2030 and beyond.

It has been a while since we’ve seen this level of long-term commitment from top drivers in F1, and it means the available seats for 2027 are dwindling by the day.

By the time Verstappen’s decision officially landed, what remained of the market was mostly a matter of teams exercising their pre-developed options rather than making any new decisions.

Further down the grid, stability is reigning supreme.

As the top four teams - Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull - are all keeping their primary line-ups intact, the midfield was forced to settle quickly.

Read more

Norris has signed a monster new deal. This is what it means for Piastri

Mercedes is yet to lock in their championship leader Kimi Antonelli, but it’s hard to imagine the team won’t take on their young protégé for a multi-year deal.

Williams quickly locked veteran drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon down, but in truth, neither driver had anywhere more meaningful to go.

Elsewhere, both drivers for Audi, Cadillac and Alpine are firmly locked in until at least the end of next season.

Right now, the wider Red Bull family has its usual three unconfirmed seats up for grabs across its two teams, providing the last pocket of drama as Liam Lawson waits to see if his senior Red Bull call-up will be extended into Monza or not.

Unless veteran of the grid Fernando Alonso unexpectedly walks away from Aston Martin, Haas possesses what is likely the only other viable vacancy on the grid if they dump Esteban Ocon.

This lack of excitement coincides with teams finally reaping the benefits of their fine-tuned junior programmes.

It gives an air of nostalgia to the 2024 season where no drivers shifted from their teams, and it appears the days of the truly ‘silly’ seasons might be fading.

Teams are now able to simply call upon the next bright talent in their internal pipelines. Unfortunately, this means upcoming drivers’ careers could be determined by nothing more than great timing - leaving them to wither away on the vine which is F1’s congested talent pool.

As the stagnant driver market lingers beyond 2026, it looks to be another year of locked doors for Formula 1.