Which drivers are in danger of losing their seat for 2026?

Austrian Grand Prix

Dates: 27-29 June Race start time: 14:00 BST on Sunday

Formula 1 returns to Europe for the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend following George Russell’s victory in Canada.

After their collision in Montreal ended the Briton, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris now lead by 22 points in the drivers’ championship.

How are the teams and drivers reacting to all of this while the FIA’s saga, and especially President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, is still in the news for all the wrong reasons? – Gareth

There is widespread dismay and discomfort within Formula 1 teams and drivers about the way the FIA is being run. However, they are not interested in making that too openly known.

The drivers occasionally express their disapproval of a particular topic, such as the swearing ban, especially George Russell in his capacity as the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association director.

But the team bosses, while usually willing to discuss their unease privately, very rarely say anything publicly. They simply don’t want to take any chances when the FIA is able to make their lives difficult, should it choose to do so, despite their concerns or objections.

Ayao Komatsu, the head coach of the Haas team, made an exception before the season when he said, “Don’t write it in a headline, Ayao says FIA is in a mess,” but that’s what everyone else thinks. That’s what everybody experiences. I’m at a loss for words. Is it not very good, then? Seriously”.

Why does Ferrari face such harsh criticism from the Italian media? Surely this puts more pressure on the team. – Martin

Ferrari’s status in Italy is unique compared to that of other domestic teams.

They are regarded as a national team and as such the population feels invested in them and their performance. People believe they have a right to voice their opinions on how they are doing because they care.

It is a component of what makes Ferrari unique, and why it is the most competitive team in the world.

It comes with the territory and anyone who thinks it doesn’t is deluding themselves. Additionally, it is important to point out that the media is not responsible for supporting an F1 team. It is required to publish a report and conduct a rigorous and objective examination of it.

This question presumably arises from the remarks Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur made in Canada following reports in two leading newspapers in Italy on the eve of the race weekend that his position was in question.

Vasseur expressed regret by saying, “I don’t know the target. I don’t understand the goal, and this is where I don’t understand the purpose. Perhaps it’s for them the only way to exist. Perhaps this is the cause more than anything. But the team is actually being seriously harmed.

” It’s not like this that we’ll be able to win a championship. At least not with a journalist of this caliber nearby.

Vasseur’s anger is understandable, I suppose. Although he said his main concern was not himself, because he knew the scrutiny that came with the job, but the other staff members whose names periodically appear in the paper, either directly or indirectly, by individuals from other teams being linked with Ferrari.

The problem is that these reports were published in Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere della Sera, two of the most renowned Italian sports publications. also on the same day.

I’m told they were not coordinated, and that would be highly unlikely anyway, given they are rival publications.

Ferrari entered the year believing and saying they could compete for the title after coming close to winning the constructors’ championship last year. And so far, they have fallen far short of that.

Which of the current F1 drivers is likely to lose their seats in the upcoming year? – John

The two Red Bull teams are the obvious starting points. If Yuki Tsunoda’s performance doesn’t significantly improve, he’s almost certainly going to be dropped by Red Bull.

The expectation is that Isack Hadjar will replace him alongside Max Verstappen, assuming the Dutchman stays where he is, following the Frenchman’s impressive start to his career at Racing Bulls.

Briton Arvid Lindblad, who is third in the championship and is competing for the first time this year, has a good chance of becoming a member of Racing Bulls. Liam Lawson’s ability to maintain his seat there is a mystery.

The drivers at McLaren, Ferrari, Williams, Aston Martin, Haas and Sauber/Audi are all tied in for next year.

Mercedes and Alpine are left with that.

George Russell and Kimi Antonelli’s seats at Mercedes are likely to stay that way. Although if Verstappen was to become available, that could obviously lead to a change there.

Pierre Gasly is under contract at Alpine, but there are still many open seats.

Mercedes showed a significant upturn in performance at the Canadian Grand Prix, with George Russell securing the win. Do you think this anomaly stems from a particular circuit, or do you think it represents a real change in their standing in the market, especially given recent aerodynamic improvements? Edele

All Mercedes ‘ rivals expected the team to be competitive in Canada – because they were last year, and because the circuit characteristics suit their car.

Mercedes’ issue has been caused by tire overheating. Tires have typically crossed a threshold due to long corners, abrasive track surfaces, and hot temperatures. Canada had only one of those.

After the race, team principal Toto Wolff said, “I thought it was when I was wearing a pullover that there had some sort of correlation with our performances because that means it’s cold.” And we’ve been dominant even at 50C today.

“We’ve had some things changing on the car, we have a new rear suspension. I’m really pleased how the team handled these issues, both with the trackside team and back at the factory, with the car. However, I suppose you should examine the track layout.

” Montreal was always good to us, it lacks the typical high-speed corners where we suffer more in the heat. Number one is one, and number two is a lot of smooth asphalt, which is less abrasive and therefore less harmful to our car, which has overheated and rear tire degradation.

The new rear suspension aims to improve anti-lift, thereby enhancing aerodynamic stability, maintaining consistent rear downforce, and increasing rear grip.

Extreme amounts of rear anti-lift and front anti-dive are one of the key success elements of this year’s McLaren. Mercedes wants the same outcome, therefore.

What do you think about how the continent is faring as a grand prix? – Nick

F1 is still keen to have a grand prix in Africa, to make it a truly global world championship. However, it’s becoming challenging to locate the ideal location.

The FIA has accepted final design proposals to upgrade the circuit to Grade One status, the highest international standard required for hosting Formula 1, according to Kyalami in South Africa, according to a statement released last week.

It added:” Selected works will be actioned pending the successful outcome of South Africa’s place on the Formula 1 calendar and Kyalami being selected as the preferred hosting venue. “

In other words, it only performs the necessary work if it is awarded a contract to host F1. And that is far from the truth.

There is a rival bid in South Africa, for a street race in Cape Town. No one is able to provide the necessary funding.

Rwanda’s president Paul Kagame hosted the FIA prizegiving in Kigali in December last year, and its country popped up as a potential host country. But although a new F1-standard track is being built by the new airport there, the chances of the race happening have receded.