Only a couple of days after Formula 1’s summer break ended, Williams has made the opening move of the silly season by confirming that Alex Albon will remain with the team for a sixth consecutive season in 2027. This is the first of what is expected to be a series of announcements over the coming weeks, and while many of them will probably confirm that drivers are staying where they are, the grid could still spring a few surprises. As is often the case, heavily publicised multi-year contracts can include options that are not always as watertight as they appear.
Although the Albon announcement is not a complete surprise, considering the strong relationship between the Thai driver and Williams, his place was not absolutely certain, especially given how difficult the 2026 season has been. That is also why there remains a major question mark over the future of Carlos Sainz, and whether he may feel that better opportunities lie elsewhere.
After finishing fifth last year, Williams has dropped back in the order and has frequently been ahead of only Cadillac and Aston Martin—and the latter moved forward again after introducing its Hungary upgrade package. Williams has its own update package lined up for next month’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, although both Albon and Sainz have indicated that it is unlikely to be as significant as the one Aston Martin brought.
In spite of a frustrating campaign, Albon continues to believe in the team and team principal James Vowles, and he says he can see a broader pattern of progress since joining in 2022. “I think one tough year doesn't paint a full picture of the story that I've had with Williams, and I've seen progress year-to-year,” Albon said. “Of course, it's been a frustrating year so far, but it doesn't make me not believe in this team, and its ambitions, and what I believe the team can achieve.”
The driver is convinced that the struggles of this season will ultimately help the team in the long run. “Even though it's been a tough year, the response of the team back at the factory, and the work that's been put in to understand our issues, has been huge. In many ways, it has felt like we've needed this tough moment to really accelerate some of the aggressive plans to fix some core problems within the car that have plagued us for years,” he said. “I haven’t seen the team sink their teeth into something so aggressively in the way they have this year, so I really do believe we're going to find the reasons why we've been going through these issues.”
So where could we see driver changes in 2027? At the top four teams, there do not appear to be any major shocks on the horizon, with Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull all expected to continue with unchanged line-ups—although there are still lingering doubts over whether Max Verstappen wants to commit to another season at RBR under the current rules. If he chooses to leave, the entire market would be thrown wide open.
Elsewhere, Audi has still not confirmed its drivers, but keeping Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg would appear to be the most logical outcome. There is far less certainty at Haas, where Ollie Bearman seems safe but Esteban Ocon’s seat remains under scrutiny; McLaren junior Leonardo Fornaroli has already tested for the American-owned team and must be considered a serious contender.
Franco Colapinto has also not yet been confirmed at Alpine, but the Argentine’s improved performances in 2026—along with the commercial value he brings—should strengthen his case. Even so, Fernando Alonso has been linked with a return to Alpine and to his long-time mentor Flavio Briatore, in what would be his fourth spell with the Enstone-based outfit, if he decides not to continue at Aston Martin.
If Alonso does leave—or, perhaps more likely, retires—it would create what could unexpectedly become a very desirable seat. A few weeks ago, Aston Martin would not have looked appealing to any driver on the grid, but the Hungary upgrades suggested that the team is now moving in the right direction, and it is easy to conclude that the 2027 Adrian Newey-Honda package could represent a much bigger leap forward.
But would it be enough to tempt a superstar? It is worth remembering that over the last six seasons, Lawrence Stroll has hired only two team-mates for his son Lance: multiple world champions Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso. He would likely want another proven race winner to replace Alonso, and that is a very short list—so it is not difficult to speculate that Sainz could be one of the few realistically available drivers who fits that description.
As always, anything is possible at Racing Bulls. Both current drivers are delivering solid points-scoring performances, but Formula 2 championship leader Nikola Tsolov is building momentum within the Red Bull system. If the team decides to promote the Bulgarian, Liam Lawson may be more exposed, given that he has already had his opportunity with the senior RBR team, while Arvid Lindblad continues to improve rapidly in his rookie season.
Finally, the most obvious expectation is that Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas will remain at Cadillac for another year. However, owner Dan Towriss showed by removing team boss Graeme Lowdon that he wants results sooner rather than later; after enduring the first season’s growing pains with two experienced drivers, he may decide the time has come to place a young superstar in the car to add fresh excitement.
