Formula One is heading towards one of its strangest contract markets in years.

For 2027, only eight drivers have a confirmed seat locked in, leaving 14 seats technically open across an expanded 22-car grid

That number matters because 2027 will not be a normal season of gentle rotation

The open seats are not empty today, of course. Many are filled by drivers with deals for 2025 or 2026, or with plausible paths to stay. But “likely to continue” is not the same as confirmed for 2027

Eight seats may be safe. The rest of the grid is still in play, and that makes the road to 2027 one of the most important contract battles F1 has seen in years