2022 F1 drivers and teams

Update: Ferrari extends Carlos Sainz contract to 2024

Updated Thursday 21^st April 2022. Carlos Sainz Jr. will remain with the Ferrari F1 team until the end of 2024. With his original two-year deal due to expire at the end of the 2022 season, it means Sainz will stay with the team from Maranello for an additional two years alongside team-mate Charles Leclerc, who will stay with the team until the end of 2025.

“I feel confident and hugely motivated after this renewal,” said Carlos, “as it shows the trust in me and now I can’t wait to get in the car, to do my best for Ferrari and to give its fans plenty to cheer about.”

F1 drivers and teams 2022

Update: Hulkenberg to stand in for Vettel in Jeddah

Updated 10:00 Friday 25^th March 2022. Nico Hulkenberg will again replace Sebastian Vettel racing for Aston Martin in Formula 1. The four-time F1 champion missed the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix after testing positive for Covid-19 and will now miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after failing to recover fully in time.

While Hulkenberg will be more prepared to drive the Aston Martin AMR22 than his outing in Bahrain, before which he had never driven the car, this will be the first time he’s subbed during the Covid era at a circuit he has never driven before. To help he flew from Bahrain to the UK in mid-week to use Aston Martin’s simulator and familiarise himself with the high-speed Jeddah Corniche circuit.

Update: Hulkenberg replaces Vettel at Bahrain

Updated 09:45 Thursday 17^th March 2022. Nico Hulkenberg will return to Formula 1 for first time in two years to fill in for Sebastian Vettel after the four-time World Champion tested positive for Covid-19.

Hulkenberg will race for Aston Martin and in Formula 1 for the first time since 2020, when he filled in for both Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll when the then Racing Point drivers tested positive.

Vettel is now the ninth F1 driver to test positive for Covid-19 and his test comes just a week after Daniel Ricciardo missed the entire pre-season test after a positive test.

The grid has been relatively stable for several years now, with no new teams joining since Haas and no teams leaving since Caterham and Marussia departed. Panthera Team Asia had announced that it was to join the F1 grid in 2021, and then delayed it to 2022, but there is literally no information available on them now (other than a small mention on Wikipedia) so we’re happy to say they won’t be arriving.

The only major change expected for 2022 then will be Red Bull switching from Honda power to... Honda power with a different name. The Japanese auto giant is quitting F1 (again) after 2021 and Red Bull will be taking the production of engines in house, after agreeing to take on the programme and recruiting a new division (mostly from Mercedes). Alfa Romeo also renewed its headline sponsorship deal with Sauber, meaning the team will remain on the F1 grid in 2022. While neither Sauber or Aston Martin has technically confirmed an engine for next season, it would be astonishing if there was a change from Ferrari and Mercedes respectively.

Update: Ricciardo to race in Bahrain

Updated 12:00 Wednesday 16^th March 2022. Daniel Ricciardo has been cleared to race in the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix after recording a negative Covid-19 test. The Australian McLaren driver had been unable to take part in any of the final F1 test at the Sakhir circuit and McLaren was given access to fellow Aussie Oscar Piastri in case he couldn’t race. But the eight-time F1 race winner will now be able to partner Lando Norris in the McLaren MCL36.

Update: Kevin Magnussen returns to Haas for 2022

Updated 18:00 Wednesday 9^th March 2022. Kevin Magnussen will make a shock return to Formula 1 in 2022, replacing the departing Nikita Mazepin, whose contract was cancelled following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Danish driver will drive the VF-22 for the first time at the Bahrain pre-season test as part of a new “multi-year” contract with Haas. Magnussen has raced 119 times in F1, and was part of the American team previously between 2017 and 2020, before he and team-mate Romain Grosjean were dropped for Mick Schumacher and Mazepin. Magnussen will partner Schumacher in 2022 with Pietro Fittipaldi staying as reserve driver.

Update: Nikita Mazepin loses Haas F1 seat

Updated Friday 4^th March 2022. Nikita Mazepin has lost his F1 seat at Haas following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Russian driver’s seat was largely funded by his father Dmitry’s large stake in Russian chemicals firm UralKali. The contract between UralKali and Haas has also been terminated.

The move follows the removal of all mentions of team sponsor UralKali from the Haas cars at the first F1 shakedown test in Barcelona, the cancellation of the Russian Grand Prix and the effective banning of Russian drivers from racing in Britain (the ban on Russian-licenced drivers racing in Britain announced by MSUK this week had effectively banned Mazepin from racing at the British round of F1).

The Russian invasion has caused international outcry and is also believed to be affecting the now delayed entry list to the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Update: Zhou replaces Giovinazzi

Updated Tuesday 16th November 9.25am: Alfa Romeo has confirmed that Guanyou Zhou will become the first Chinese driver to race in Formula 1 when he joins the team for the 2022 season. The 22-year-old, who remains in contention for the 2021 F2 title, has tested F1 cars before, after coming up through the ranks as a Renault and then Alpine junior driver. 

The move means that Alfa Romeo will continue to match an experienced racer with one from the junior ranks, with Zhou set to race alongside Mercedes refugee and ten-time F1 race winner Valtteri Bottas in 2022.

The new confirms that current driver Antonio Giovinazzi will not return to the team for the 2022 season. The Italian Ferrari junior driver had been racing for the rebadged Sauber team for the last three seasons.

Speaking after the announcement Zhou said: “I dreamt from a young age of climbing as high as I can in a sport that I am passionate about and now the dream has come true. It is a privilege for me to start my Formula 1 career with an iconic team, a team that has introduced so much young talent into Formula 1 in the past. Now the dream is reality."

Zhou becomes the 20th and final driver to be confirmed for the 2022 season.

Update: Haas confirms unchanged driver line-up for 2022

Updated Thursday 23^rd September 2021. The Haas F1 Team has confirmed that it will field an unchanged line-up in Formula 1 in 2022. Both Mick Schumacher and his current team-mate graduated to the top level of single-seater motorsport with Haas at the start of 2021 and have endured tough first seasons. While Schumacher has often beaten his Russian team-mate he has suffered several crashes in his debut year, while the second Haas car has been seen regularly facing the wrong way throughout 2021.

Their debuts have only been made tougher by Haas’s decision to focus completely on the new 2022 regulations, leaving the current machine falling further and further back from the field. While both drivers had been all-but confirmed for ’22, especially with lead-sponsor Uralkali’s continued backing, Haas was yet to formally confirm the seats.

The news means that only one seat remains unfilled for 2022. Alfa Romeo has chosen to delay announcing who will partner Valtteri Bottas at the team until it knows more about the outcome of the Formula 2 title race.

Update: Vettel and Stroll confirmed at Aston Martin

Updated 18:00 Thursday 16^th September 2021. The Aston Martin F1 team has confirmed that it will stick with an unchanged line-up for its second season in Formula 1.

The former Racing Point/Force India/Spyker/Midland/Jordan outfit was renamed Aston Martin for 2021 after Lawrence Stroll bought both the F1 team and the manufacturer.

Four-time F1 champion Vettel left Ferrari to join the team, alongside Stroll’s son Lawrence, and has since taken the team’s first podiums.

The announcement means that only one space is really left on the grid for 2022, with both Haas seats expected to remain the same only the driver for the second Alfa Romeo seat, alongside Mercedes refugee Valtteri Bottas is yet to be confirmed.

Update: Alex Albon joins Williams for 2022

Updated 13:30 Wednesday 8^th September 2021. Alex Albon will return to Formula 1 in 2022 after signing for Williams to replace the outgoing George Russell.

Russell, who will replace Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton’s team-mate next season, leaves Williams after three years at the Grove team. Former Red Bull driver Albon had been strongly rumoured as his replacement, especially after Red Bull announced it was working toward finding the Thai driver a seat for 2022.

Williams confirmed today (8th September) that Albon will join current driver Nicholas Latifi in the line-up for 2022.

Update: George Russell to race for Mercedes in 2022

Updated 10:20 Tuesday 7^th September 2021. Mercedes has announced that George Russell will partner Lewis Hamilton in its F1 team for 2022, confirming possibly the worst kept secret in F1 and finally bringing to an end one of the longest running contract sagas in F1’s recent history.

Current Mercedes-AMG junior driver Russell has been racing for Williams for three seasons now, impressing with a series of qualifying results that dragged a slow car into the latter stages before backing that up with a pair of points finishes in the last few races, including his first F1 podium at Spa.

The news follows confirmation that Valtteri Bottas will end his five-year association with Mercedes at the end of the season to join Alfa Romeo.

Williams has yet to confirm its driver line-up for 2022, with both former Red Bull driver Alex Albon and Mercedes-affiliated, new Formula E champion Nyck De Vries rumoured to be in contention.

Update: AlphaTauri retain Gasly and Tsunoda

Updated Tuesday 7^th September 2021. AlphaTauri, the junior Red Bull team based in Italy, has announced that it will retain the same driver line-up as in 2021 for the 2022 F1 season. The pairing of Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda have had contrasting seasons in 2021. Gasly has cemented his place as one of the best up-and-coming talents in F1 with multiple strong drives, while Tsunoda impressed early on with some battling drives, but a series of mishaps combined with poor races and some angry radio responses have left a few question over his temperament.

The announcement closes off an avenue for numerous Red Bull-affiliated drivers, including former top team driver Alex Albon and F2 racers Liam Lawson, Jehan Daruvala and Jüri Vips. Albon seems the most likely of the four to get a 2022 F1 seat, with Williams seeming his most likely destination now.

Valtteri Bottas to race for Alfa Romeo in F1 2022

Updated 12:45 September 6 2021. After much speculation and intrigue Valtteri Bottas confirmed that he will be leaving the Mercedes-AMG F1 team at the end of 2021 and joining Alfa Romeo. The Finn had been racing for the Brackley-based German team since 2017, after replacing outgoing champion Nico Rosberg, but failed to fully challenge team-mate Sir Lewis Hamilton as the Briton went on to extend his tally of F1 titles from three to seven. 

There had been much speculation as to whether Bottas would be given another one-year deal by Mercedes, given young-gun George Russell is also on the team's books and has been pushing his claim for a place hard in 2021, with incredible qualifying results over his first two years at Williams now joined by a brace of points-scoring finishes, including a podium at the rain-affected Belgian Grand Prix. It is expected that Russell will be confirmed at Mercedes shortly.

Bottas has signed a "multi-year" deal with the former Sauber team, after speculation he might return to old team Williams.

"A new chapter in my racing career is opening," said Bottas. "I'm excited to join Alfa Romeo for 2022 and beyond for what is going to be a new challenge with an iconic manufacturer.

"Alfa Romeo is a brand that needs no introduction, they have written some great pages of F1 history, and it's going to be an honour to represent this marque.

"The potential of the set-up in Hinwil is clear, and I am relishing the opportunity to help lead the team forward up the grid, especially with the new regulations in 2022 giving the team a chance to make a leap in performance.

"I'm grateful for the trust the team has put in me, and I cannot wait to repay their faith. I'm as hungry as ever to race for results and, when the time comes, for wins.

Kimi Räikkonen to retire at the end of 2021

Updated 9:15am 2^nd September Kimi Raikkönen, the 2007 F1 World Champion, announced yesterday (1^st September) that he will retire from the sport at the end of the 2021 season. The Finn, who has won 21 races in his F1 career, will complete his 19^th F1 season in 20 years this year, having missed the 2010 season following Ferrari's signing of Fernando Alonso. Räikkönen remains the last driver to win the title for the Scuderia and won his last race with the team at the Circuit of the Americas in 2018 before leaving to return to Alfa Romeo – the team with which he began his F1 career in 2001, when they were called Sauber.

No replacement for Räikkönen has been announced yet, with the likes of Valtteri Bottas, Nyck De Vries and Alex Albon all rumoured to be in contention.

Update: Perez to stay at Red Bull for 2022

Updated 14:30 Friday 27^th August. Sergio Pérez will stay at Red Bull for the 2022 F1 season. The Mexican, who scored his first win for Red Bull at the 2021 Azerbaijan GP, his second F1 victory, said: “I’m really happy to be continuing with a great team like Red Bull into the new era of Formula 1 and it’s a great opportunity for me. Everyone starts from zero next year with the new regulations, so my only goal is to go all the way to the top with Red Bull.

"It always takes time to get on top of everything when you join a new team but things have worked well this season and I really enjoy being a part of the Red Bull family. We’ve been working hard to deliver results so it’s great to see the team have faith in me for the future.

“We have so much more to achieve together and we still have a great challenge on our hands this season so I really hope we can finish the year on a high and carry that momentum into 2022. I want to thank all my supporters around the world and especially those in Mexico. From my sponsors to my fans, they have been so enthusiastic since I joined Red Bull so I really hope we can reward them by reaching the top and winning the title.”

The 2022 season will be Pérez’s 11^th in Formula 1, and he’ll sit alongside team-mate Max Verstappen once again, whose contract with Red Bull ends at the end of 2023.

“Checo is a highly respected Team member and his experience and race-craft are invaluable as we fight for the Constructors’ Championship,” said Red Bull boss Christian Horner. “His integration into the wider Team has been seamless and we have been impressed by his performances during the first half of the season which demonstrate what he’s capable of in our car.”

Update: Alpine F1 confirms Alonso for 2022

Updated 09:30 Tuesday 26^th August 2021. Alpine has confirmed that two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso will be racing for the French team in Formula 1 in 2022.

The former Renault, McLaren and Ferrari driver joined Alpine after two years away from Formula 1 racing in the World Endurance Championship, 24 Hours of Le Mans and at the Dakar Rally with Toyota.

Alonso returned to Le Mans this weekend to demonstrate Alpine’s 2017 F1 car, following the team’s first F1 victory at the Hungaroring the previous week. That made Alonso the first person to ever drive a modern F1 car round the full Circuit de la Sarthe route.

The news of a new contract for the Spaniard comes just weeks after he recorded his best result in F1 since leaving Ferrari in 2014. Alonso’s battling fourth-place finish in Hungary was acknowledged as a key part of team-mate Estaban Ocon’s first ever F1 victory, with Alonso holding up a charging Lewis Hamilton just long enough to leave victory out of the Briton’s grasp.

While no mention has been made of Alonso’s presence with the Alpine team beyond 2022, the company did confirm that it was evaluating an entry into the World Endurance Championship’s latest LMDh and LMH formulae and that Alonso was a potential driver for that project should it happen.

Speaking about the new contract Alonso said: “I’m very happy to confirm the contract extension with Alpine F1 Team into 2022. I felt at home the moment I returned to this team and have been welcomed back with open arms. It is a pleasure to work again with some of the brightest minds in our sport at Enstone and Viry-Châtillon.

“It’s been a tricky season for everyone, but we’ve shown progress as a team and the result in Hungary serves as a good example of this progression. We’re targeting more positive memories for the rest of this season but also crucially from next year onwards with the new regulation changes coming into Formula 1.

“I have been a big supporter of the need for a level playing field and change in the sport and the 2022 season will be a great opportunity for that. I am looking forward to the rest of this year and racing alongside Esteban in 2022 for Alpine.”

Ten drivers have clear contracts for 2022. Esteban Ocon is confirmed at Alpine having signed a three-year deal, as is Fernando Alonso having signed on for 2022. Sebastian Vettel has a multi-year deal at Aston Martin and so does Max Verstappen at Red Bull, while Sergio Pérez will stay with Red Bull until at least the end of 2022. Lewis Hamilton has recently signed on to remain at Mercedes for at least two more years. The Ferrari pairing of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. are both confirmed for 2022 as are McLaren’s Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo.

That leaves Haas, Alfa Romeo, AlphaTauri and Williams without a single driver confirmed for the 2022 F1 season. Haas is expected to retain Mick Schumacher and their second driver, while Alfa Romeo looks increasingly like retaining its pairing of Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Räikkonen.

Yuki Tsunoda initially impressed at the start of his debut season with AlphaTauri but has faded over the following races, leaving a few questions over his future, with Pierre Gasly also yet to commit to AlphaTauri for longer than the end of the 2021 F1 season, meaning there could be a whole new line-up in the Red Bull junior team next year.

Williams is waiting on George Russell to decide where his future lies, with the young Englishman continuing to impress and definitely in with a chance of a jump to Mercedes in 2022, should the team from Brackley decide that Valtteri Bottas’s time is up. A decision on the future of Nicholas Latifi is also still to come. That leaves the final TBA on our list as the second Aston Martin seat, which we can easily put Lance Stroll’s name by, given his father’s stake in the team.

We’ll keep you updated with all the twists and turns of the 2022 F1 drivers market over the coming months. But who do you think deserves a seat in 2022?

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.