A silly season in the Formula One driver market could well be on its way, with several drivers weighing up their futures in the sport.

Several drivers, including Liam Lawson, Fernando Alonso, and Franco Colapinto, are out of contract at the end of the year, which could trigger mass changes. Even top drivers in underperforming teams could be looking elsewhere; the speculation over Max Verstappen‘s future has certainly been interesting.

However, as the summer break continues, and we edge closer to the return of F1, could we see a twist in the driver market?

Williams‘ lack of performance this season is not only frustrating, but also seems to be incredibly disappointing after the expectations coming into the season.

Many thought they would continue this upward trajectory and have another strong campaign. Formula One writer Lawrence Barretto even predicted them to pick up their first win since 2012. This has, of course, turned out to be far from reality, as the team currently reside ninth in the Constructors’ Championship.

Bernadett Szabo via Reuters

There has been a clear regression, with the team missing pre-season testing in Barcelona and creating an overweight car. The mistakes have been costly, and have left them on the back foot. Too many times already this season it has been a battle to get out of Q1; a sad indictment of the predicament they find themselves in.

Even off the track they are embroiled in other difficult situations. The Guardian’s article about the confusing mystery over who owns the team exposed some of the issues, with allegations of sexism, racism, and expenses fiddling all prominent. Furthermore, the contract situation with their drivers could also be problematic, though, they are looking to solve it with one major move.

Carlos Sainz is free to leave Williams at the end of this year, though, there is an option to extend until either 2027 or 2028. The 31-year-old holds an interest in other projects like Alpine and Aston Martin, but this, of course, hinges on which direction these teams decide to go.

Williams are desperate to keep the four-time race winner, with Autosprint reporting that they are preparing a substantial offer. A reported €30 million (£25.7m) contract extension has been put on the table; a significant increase to his current deal of £9.8m a season.

Not only is it almost double his current salary, but it also would put him on more money than some of the sport’s most notable names. Fernando Alonso and George Russell would be lower, while the salary would be equal to that of Charles Leclerc.

It seems like a major risk for a team on the decline, but someone of Sainz’s quality could easily drag them out of the mess. His two podium finishes in a midfield car during the 2025 season really highlighted how he can help a team punch above their weight.

While this may not be possible currently, in the near future, could Sainz bring Williams back into a consistent point-scoring position?

Chelsea will not entertain the permanent sale of Mykhailo Mudryk this summer, GIVEMESPORT understands. The Blues will only consider a loan, and keeping the Ukrainian winger as part of the first-team squad has also not been entirely ruled out.

It is looking more likely Mudryk departs on a loan, though, due to a desire to get the 25-year-old regular minutes following 20 months out with a doping ban.

Mudryk tested positive for the banned substance meldonium while on international duty in November 2024, but this summer he agreed a settlement with the FA. Had Mudryk been tested today, new protocols for substance thresholds would have resulted in no Anti-Doping Rules Violation (ADRV).

Mudryk has already returned to training with the Chelsea first team

Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

As a result, Mudryk agreed to accept his ADVR and 20-month ban, since the new testing rules can’t be applied retroactively, while the FA decided to allow him to return to football immediately.

Mudryk, who has not played since November 2024, featured for the first time since returning to the Blues set-up in a pre-season friendly against Juventus in Hong Kong.

The €100million signing from Shakhtar Donetsk is now hoping for clarity on his future before the new Premier League season begins.

Several Premier League and European clubs have made inquiries, including Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg. Coventry City have also been credited with an interest, with manager Frank Lampard having worked with the Ukrainian briefly when he was caretaker manager at Stamford Bridge in 2023.

Mudryk continued to train away from Cobham during his ban in order to maintain his fitness levels and is now working on both reintegration and match sharpness.

Xabi Alonso speaks out on Mudryk’s future

REUTERS/David Klein

Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso had said last week that Mudryk’s future was still under discussion. “No decision has been made,” said the new Chelsea boss. “Everything has happened so quick, so the main thing is thinking about the person, to feel that he was back in the group dynamic, part of a team, and we need to assess. But for sure, he’s a special player. It’s a special case with him, so we need to be sensitive.”

Mudryk’s Chelsea contract runs until 2031, while an amendment to his contract was confirmed in a list of FA transactions in April last year.

Timeline of Mudryk’s Chelsea career:

January 2023 – Mudryk signs for Chelsea for £89m

October 2023 – Scores first Chelsea goal in 2-0 win over Fulham

March 2024 – Scores winning goal in the play-off against Iceland to send Ukraine to Euro 2024

December 2024 – Provisionally suspended by the FA for a positive doping test

June 2025 – Charged with breaking anti-doping rules

April 2026 – Banned for four years, to last until 2028

July 2026 – All charges were dropped and Mudryk was free to play again

Enzo Maresca is currently weighing up who to appoint as Manchester City’s next permanent captain following Bernardo Silva’s departure this summer.

However, an unusual rule introduced by Maresca at the Etihad Stadium has effectively ruled out star striker Erling Haaland.

Haaland has been at Man City for four years now, winning three Premier League titles, two FA Cups, one League Cup and the UEFA Champions League during that period.

In 198 appearances, the Norwegian has scored an astonishing 162 goals. He’s already won the Premier League Golden Boot award on three occasions and put pen to paper on an unprecedented nine-and-a-half-year contract with the Citizens in January 2025.

Why Haaland Won’t be Man City Captain Under Maresca

Despite the fact he’s committed his long-term future to Man City, it seems the captain’s armband won’t be heading Haaland’s way all the while Maresca’s in charge.

Asked if Haaland is a leading candidate to become City’s new skipper, Maresca told reporters, per BBC Sport: “Erling was one of the first to send a message when I joined the club.

“At Leicester and Chelsea I had a rule that when we scored the captain had to come to the bench, not to celebrate, but for instructions. But if he scores, then he can celebrate.

“If you saw the game [against K-League XI] on Wednesday, when we scored the first goal, Ruben [Dias] came over to the bench.

“I think even if it is two or three minutes, there is always something to adjust. At the moment, we have three or four [in the leadership group] and we are missing one. In the case of Rodri, see what happens.”

City’s Leadership Group and Most Likely New Captain

Rodri and Dias are part of City’s leadership group, alongside Haaland, but Maresca would prefer to have a captain who doesn’t score so many goals.

The Italian coach, who has taken over from the legendary Pep Guardiola, uses the little bit of time during a goal celebration to communicate valuable tactical instructions to his skipper that can then be passed on to teammates.

Because Haaland scores so many of Man City’s goals, Maresca would have far fewer opportunities to deliver touchline instructions if the club’s No. 9 was captain.

With 2026 Ballon d’Or contender Rodri likely to sign for Barcelona in the coming weeks, Ruben Dias appears to be the most likely candidate to become City’s new skipper.

However, Rodri will become a strong contender if his move to Camp Nou fails to materialise.