F1 silly season: Predicting the full grid the for the F1 2024 campaign

Silly season is well and truly here, and there are seven seats up for grabs on the F1 2024 grid as it stands in terms of drivers who are out of contract at the end of the year.

Of course, Formula 1 has its weird and wonderful ways and other moves are always possible too – just take Daniel Ricciardo being paid out of his McLaren contract a year early to make way for Oscar Piastri last year as a prime example of that.

With plenty already sorted and much more still to be done, we’ve taken a look at the F1 2024 seats and our writers have predicted who might fill them. (Before you start, we know AlphaTauri and Alfa Romeo are due to have different names next season, but we’re going on the teams as they’re known now for the sake of consistency…)

PlanetF1.com’s writers predict the F1 2024 grid

Henry Valantine

I still think there could be some kind of silly season madness to come from somewhere here, and unless he signs with Mercedes soon, I still have a feeling Lewis Hamilton might have something to do with it. Count me in for a seat swap with Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, just to see how crazily the world of F1 would react to such news, if nothing else. (This will no doubt come back to bite when he signs his long-awaited Mercedes extension minutes after this goes out…)

But then there’s the Palou factor too. If he’s turned away from his McLaren IndyCar deal for next year, there must be a very good reason. If a seat is available, he could make a formidable partner for Alex Albon at Williams. But I predicted before the season Mick Schumacher would go there for 2024, and I’ll stand by that for now.

Christian Horner didn’t rule out keeping Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri (or their rebranded form) in 2024, and I think that could be a pretty realistic outcome.

Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
Mercedes:乔治·拉塞尔和Charles Leclerc
Aston Martin:Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Ferrari:Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz
McLaren:Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
艾尔pine:Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly
Williams:艾尔ex Albon and Mick Schumacher
Haas:Nico Hulkenberg和徐怀钰Tsunoda
艾尔fa Romeo:Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu
艾尔phaTauri:Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson

Thomas Maher

After last year’s mid-season driver chaos, I’m predicting a much more chaste affair this season with most of the teams sticking with their line-ups for 2024.

Sergio Perez will stay on for the final year of his contract, while Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes will finally thrash out whatever it is slowing things down. It’s at Williams I’d predict change, with Logan Sargeant losing out to Mick Schumacher as the Mercedes link-up bears fruit – perhaps with Toto giving mates’ rates to James Vowles for the engines.

But I think the big story will be a series swap for Alex Palou, with the IndyCar Champion having reneged on his deal with McLaren for 2024. You don’t do such things without good reason, so I’m predicting he’ll arrive in F1 with the new look AlphaTauri – Red Bull were eager for Colton Herta last year, after all.

I reckon Daniel Ricciardo will do enough for Red Bull to lose faith in Yuki Tsunoda, leaving him a free agent for Haas to scoop up as I think they’ll look to replace Kevin Magnussen – Guenther Steiner’s unwillingness to comment on wanting to keep Magnussen in stark contrast to how Hulkenberg is being praised. This will leave the door open for Liam Lawson to finally get his shot…

Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
Mercedes:Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
Aston Martin:Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Ferrari:Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz
McLaren:Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
艾尔pine:Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon
Williams:艾尔ex Albon and Mick Schumacher
Haas:Nico Hulkenberg和徐怀钰Tsunoda
艾尔fa Romeo:Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu
艾尔phaTauri:艾尔ex Palou and Liam Lawson

Sam Cooper

As far as a silly season goes, I think this year could be one of the least silly of them all with plenty of seats already sewn up. Of course, the big questions come at Red Bull and Mercedes but I am of the opinion that they will stay the same for 2024 as they are in 2023.

As for newcomers, I think Liam Lawson will be in the AlphaTauri as Daniel Ricciardo returns to a reserve role or maybe drops out of the sport while I am backing Haas to keep faith in Kevin Magnussen.

Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
Mercedes:Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
Aston Martin:Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Ferrari:Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz
McLaren:Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
艾尔pine:Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly
Williams:艾尔ex Albon and Logan Sargeant
Haas:Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen
艾尔fa Romeo:Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu
艾尔phaTauri:Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson

Jamie Woodhouse

I’m with Thomas on reckoning Palou is AlphaTauri-bound, or whatever they’ll be called by F1 2024, as Helmut Marko sends Christian Horner’s blood pressure through the roof with another roll of the dice on an experienced racer impressing outside of Formula 1.

I can see an Alex Palou-Yuki Tsunoda union coming together, with Daniel Ricciardo booting Sergio Perez out of his Red Bull seat.

Further down the grid, I’m going to stick my neck out for a few more rookies, with Ferrari junior and F2 star Oliver Bearman replacing Kevin Magnussen at Haas, Ferrari succeeding in sweet-talking Guenther Steiner to run a rookie again, as they prepare Bearman to maybe replace either Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz from 2025.

Théo Pourchaire meanwhile takes Zhou Guanyu’s spot at Alfa Romeo, while Mick Schumacher is snubbed at Williams in favour of Mercedes junior and current F2 title contender Frederik Vesti.

Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo
Mercedes:Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
Aston Martin:Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Ferrari:Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz
McLaren:Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
艾尔pine:Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly
Williams:艾尔ex Albon and Frederik Vesti
Haas:Nico Hulkenberg and Oliver Bearman
艾尔fa Romeo:Valtteri Bottas and Théo Pourchaire
艾尔phaTauri:Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Palou

Michelle Foster

Well now, this is an interesting one because how silly can my silly be? I’m going with a bit of logic mixed with a touch of heart but, sorry Lance, even I don’t have that much heart when Aston have learned this year there’s something to be said for past wow. So, hello, Danny Ric!

Meanwhile, welcome back to F1 Mick Schumacher, Williams’ newest signing, and a big hello to F1 Alex Palou, the new AlphaTauri man.

As for Guanyu Zhou over at Alfa Romeo, the only reason I’d keep Bottas instead of you is because of his experience. Aside from that, 6 of 1, half a dozen of the other, on the failed-to-impress scale. Welcome Théo Pourchaire.

Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
Mercedes:Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
Aston Martin:Fernando Alonso and Daniel Ricciardo
Ferrari:Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz
McLaren:Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
艾尔pine:Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly
Williams:艾尔ex Albon and Mick Schumacher
Haas:Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen
艾尔fa Romeo:Valtteri Bottas and Théo Pourchaire
艾尔phaTauri:Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Palou

Oliver Harden

Not much to see here, sadly, as Hamilton will sign his Mercedes contract extension and Red Bull will overlook any misgivings over Perez, choosing instead to recognise the part he played in the team’s latest title triumph.

Yet Perez should start 2024 skating on the thinnest of thin ice, which means it serves a purpose for Red Bull to keep Ricciardo around as a potential replacement in the event of any more early-season funny business between Checo and Verstappen (Tsunoda has done enough to resist Lawson until Perez’s exit triggers the next round of musical chairs).

At Haas, there is an argument that Magnussen should lose his seat – but history, specifically the Magnussen/Grosjean years, tells us this team tend not to make a change unless they absolutely have to. Alfa will remain stable for one more season before things start to get serious, which leaves Williams.

Commercial considerations may yet keep Sargeant in situ, but if this team is to be reborn under James Vowles the driver department represents an easy upgrade. Enter Palou, brought in to prove just how good (or otherwise) Albon really is in the team of the two Alexes…

Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
Mercedes:Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
Aston Martin:Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Ferrari:Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz
McLaren:Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
艾尔pine:Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly
Williams:艾尔ex Albon and Alex Palou
Haas:Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen
艾尔fa Romeo:Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu
艾尔phaTauri:Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo

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