F1 Silly Season 2025 is in its full bloom as we go through the summer break. But what exactly is it? The phrase “silly season” originated in the UK. It essentially meant the news and headlines that would be marked as “silly” when the Parliament was not in session during July and August. It was silly because the headlines were less about politics and more about rumors.
Similarly, the F1 Silly Season means when the F1 calendar is going through July and August, and everyone is all about contracts and chaos. It’s the time when drivers’ contracts get renewed, new drivers are on the market, and drivers get dropped from their existing teams for the next season. So, in F1 Silly Season 2025, which driver is up for grabs by other teams, and where could they end up? Let’s find out.
F1 Silly Season 2025: Drivers On 2025 Grid Available Now
First off, in F1 Silly Season 2025, we have both Mercedes drivers, George Russell, and rookie Kimi Antonelli. Mercedes has shaken up things by not already renewing Russell’s or Antonelli’s contract yet. Is it a genuine delay? Or was it all on hope that Verstappen would join? Nobody knows. But for now, both Mercedes drivers are up for grabs by other teams.
As Russell mentioned earlier, before the summer break, this deal will not be happening in the summer break itself, and he’s not in a rush about anything. Moreover, Kimi Antonelli is too precious a gem to lose, as he’s been one of the best rookies on the grid in 2025. He even secured a podium and made history at the Canadian Grand Prix 2025.
Now, moving on, we have Franco Colapinto, who replaced Jack Doohan in Alpine earlier this season. He might get to keep his seat in Alpine; however, the contract hasn’t been renewed, and his future is unclear.
Then, we have Yuki Tsunoda, whose contract will expire at the end of the 2025 season. He’s enduring the worst run of Red Bull in history; however, officials say that he’s not completely off the list for the second seat if he pulls it off together in the second half of the season.
Next up in F1 Silly Season 2025, we have the Racing Bulls duo, Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson. Both their contracts will end in 2025, and none of their seats are confirmed yet.
Liam Lawson was demoted from Red Bull earlier this season when he was replaced by Yuki Tsunoda. Although it’s unclear if he will be promoted back to Red Bull after Tsunoda’s underwhelming performance.
He’s most likely to stay at the Racing Bulls itself if he doesn’t get replaced by Arvid Lindblad, a promising young driver in the Red Bull Academy who currently competes in F2. Meanwhile, Isack Hadjar is most likely to move up to Red Bull after a promising performance in 2025 so far.
F1 Silly Season 2025: Veteran Drivers Who Are Up For Grabs
Now that we have looked at the drivers already on the grid in 2025, let’s look at the veteran drivers still up for grabs for the 2026 season.
Starting off with Valtteri Bottas, who is currently a mentor and reserve driver for Mercedes. Although talks have been reported between him and Cadillac, it’s not yet confirmed where he will go, so he’s also up for grabs for other teams. Then we have Sergio Perez, who was dropped from Red Bull in 2024 after an underwhelming performance. However, he is not yet done with F1 and is in talks with Cadillac for their second seat.
Moreover, we have Mick Schumacher, Ryo Hirakawa, Jack Doohan, Arvid Lindblad, and Zhou Guanyu, who are also available for a seat in 2026. So, as F1 Silly Season 2025 takes another turn, all eyes will be on the teams to announce their 2026 lineup.
Also read: Who Could Be Rookie Of The Year In 2025? All Possibilities
