While nothing has been officially confirmed, the first casualty of the Formula 1 driver’s market is expected to be Logan Sargeant.
After being handed a contract after the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix by Williams, it’s safe to say Logan Sargeant hasn’t kicked on like team principal James Vowles would have expected.
The American has been linked with a move to IndyCar, while rumours won’t go away that he could potentially be replaced mid-season by Mercedes rising star Kimi Antonelli.
READ MORE: Williams driver Logan Sargeant’s life outside F1 from height to Donald Trump ties
In a column for BBC Sport, journalist Andrew Benson has shared the latest information he’s heard about the 2025 driver’s market.
There are still plenty of open seats on the grid for next year, but the shortlist of drivers each team is looking at appears to be shrinking.
That leaves several drivers sweating over their futures, especially with a handful of rookies preparing to join the grid.
Antonelli seems to be a shoo-in at Mercedes next year, while Oliver Bearman looks set to join Haas.
The way that the grid could shake out potentially leaves Esteban Ocon, Valtteri Bottas, Kevin Magnussen and Zhou Guanyu at risk of dropping out of the sport.
It would be a huge surprise if they all missed out, especially as most teams still appear reluctant to gamble on a rookie.
Quartet of F1 drivers alongside Logan Sargeant at risk of missing out on 2025 seat
Talking about the driver market situation, Benson said: “There is one seat available at each of Williams and Sauber, where Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg are already under contract respectively.
“Haas theoretically have two seats open but really it’s only one, as Briton Oliver Bearman is expected to get a permanent drive after he starred on his debut as a sub for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari in Saudi Arabia earlier this year.
“Sainz is the logjam in the driver market. Once he decides, the remaining drivers can slot into place.
“Logan Sargeant’s F1 career looks over. Of the rest – Ocon, Valtteri Bottas, Kevin Magnussen and Zhou Guanyu – at least one and possibly more is likely to lose out. It remains to be seen who that will be.”
Esteban Ocon
Of the quartet of drivers at risk of missing out, one aspect of Esteban Ocon’s future is by far the most certain.
He’s the only driver out of the group who has confirmed he’s leaving his current team at the end of the year.
While Martin Brundle has admitted he’s unlikely to ever drive for a top team, he does have options on the table.
Audi are big fans of Ocon if they can’t sign Carlos Sainz, but Haas appears to be his most likely destination.
READ MORE: Alpine driver Esteban Ocon’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
Valtteri Bottas
Sauber’s transition to Audi at the beginning of the 2026 season looks set to end their three-year association with Valtteri Bottas.
The Finn is the most successful of the available drivers in the market, having won 10 races in his career.
However, while several teams are fans of Bottas, he doesn’t appear to be anyone’s first choice.
He looks set to have to play the waiting game and see what opportunities arise in the future.
READ MORE: Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas’ life outside F1 from girlfriend to wine and gin
Zhou Guanyu
A pointless season for Sauber has left Bottas and his teammate Zhou Guanyu in a difficult position when trying to attract interest from other teams.
The Chinese driver has shown glimpses of promises during his Formula 1 career but doesn’t appear to be a standout candidate for a new seat at this stage.
He does, however, bring a huge amount of potential sponsorship and that could make Zhou a candidate for his old team Alpine.
Haas may also be a destination for Zhou but he seems to be behind other candidates for the American team.
READ MORE: Sauber driver Zhou Guanyu’s life outside F1 from height to net worth
Kevin Magnussen
The final driver in the quartet of missing out on a seat next year is Haas star Kevin Magnussen.
Magnussen admitted before the Spanish Grand Prix that Carlos Sainz was the cork in the bottle in the driver’s market although the Spaniard doesn’t look to be in contention for his Haas seat.
With Oliver Bearman likely to replace Nico Hulkenberg, Magnussen is in a head-to-head battle with Ocon to retain his seat.
His erratic driving has concerned the team, but Ocon’s not perfect either and team principal Ayao Komatsu will have to weigh up who will be the best mentor to the British teenager next year.
READ MORE: Haas driver Kevin Magnussen’s life outside F1 from wife and daughters to net worth
The post ‘Slot into place’: After Sargeant, four F1 drivers could now ‘lose out’ in 2025 driver market – journalist appeared first on F1 Oversteer.