P1racenews AI automatic summary:
James Vowles expects the driver market to be lively in F1 2026
Williams F1 team principal James Vowles is preparing for significant driver market movements by the end of 2026, initiating early contract negotiations with current drivers to prevent uncertainty. Lewis Hamilton’s move from Mercedes to Ferrari in 2025 caused a domino effect in the driver market, leading Mercedes to consider various replacements. Ultimately, Toto Wolff chose Kimi Antonelli over Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz for the Mercedes seat. Sainz was left to choose between Alpine, Sauber, and Williams due to these changes. Williams’ current drivers, Sainz and Alex Albon, will see their contracts expire at the end of the following year. Vowles aims to secure his drivers early on to navigate the potentially busy driver market at that time.
