The 2024 Formula 1 season isn’t even 25% completed but already some drivers appear to be in trouble ahead of next year.
With a dozen drivers out of contract and three of the top five teams already having confirmed their line-up for 2025, albeit under the assumption that Aston Martin continue with Lance Stroll.
Speaking on The Race Podcast, journalist Edd Straw has suggested that two drivers are already in real danger of missing out next season.
Ferrari, McLaren and now Aston Martin can already look forward to 2025, putting more pressure on the teams below them.
Carlos Sainz is the man everyone is watching closely with several options on the table for him after losing his Ferrari seat.
He’s been linked with Audi which could spell trouble for their current drivers.
Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu are now in real danger of losing their seats after a pointless start to the season.
The team haven’t helped them with their in-race problems, but there’s plenty of hope that things will start to look up once Audi get more involved.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber from team principal to Audi future
Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu at risk of losing Sauber seats
It’s not easy to be optimistic right now if you’re a Sauber fan.
After four races, it’s not looking likely that they’ll be a regular points scorer this season.
With regulations not changing until 2026, they’re going to need to make some serious strides forward with their in-season upgrades and their winter development to stand a chance of changing their fortunes in 2025.
Unfortunately for their current drivers, they’re not in a brilliant position to convince the team they should be retained beyond this year.
Valtteri Bottas has made it clear that his number-one priority for next season is to stay with the team until they become Audi.
His teammate Zhou Guanyu is in a similar boat, but he and Bottas look like they’ll be losing their seats at the end of the year.
It’s hard to argue with that decision, especially considering the £30,000-a-week driver has qualified last in three of the first four races.
READ MORE: Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas’ life outside F1 from girlfriend to wine and gin
Sauber drivers are ‘teetering on the precipice’
Talking about the two current Sauber drivers, Straw said: “Well, they’re the ones teetering on the precipice of dropping out of Formula 1.
“I think it’s going to be very difficult because we’re going to have probably Ollie Bearman coming in, most likely at Haas, so there’s one person.
“Kevin Magnussen is certainly vulnerable to that, but if Hulkenberg does go to Sauber/Audi which seems like a very high probability, that could save Magnussen if they want an experienced hand.
“But then they might be tempted by a [Valtteri] Bottas type or maybe if they want to hit the Chinese market and push there then Zhou [Guanyu] could work.”
Described by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamiton as a ‘standout’ driver, Bottas would still be a decent option even if he and Zhou end up losing their seats.
If Mercedes wanted a stop-gap driver while Andrea Kimi Antonelli gets up to speed, they could re-sign the Finn.
Signing Carlos Sainz is Sauber’s top priority and Fernando Alonso re-signing with Aston Martin could boost their hopes of bringing in the Spaniard.
Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg appears to be the driver that could join the three-time race winner.
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