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As the F1 circus heads to the Hungarian GP, things are starting to get serious in the sport. We're just two races away from the summer break and this one is as significant as it could get. The driver market and the silly season have thrown up one surprise after another this year.
Starting with Lewis Hamilton who shocked the world with his move to Ferrari, the driver market has had quite a few intriguing developments. At the same time, however, the fact that as many as seven drivers are out of contract at the end of the season and have not had their futures resolved should tell you everything about the significance of the next two races.
While there are certainly a few drivers for whom the ball is in their court, it's not the case for everyone. For some, the next two races are their last desperate attempt to secure their futures before a decision is made.
As we head to the F1 Hungarian GP, here are three drivers who are racing for their careers.
Three F1 drivers who will race for their future at the 2024 Hungarian GP
#1 Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
It's pretty clear-cut when it comes to Sergio Perez. If he does not perform in the next two races and put on something that is compelling then we're looking at a scenario where he would be out of the seat come what may.
The driver's 2024 F1 season started somewhat steadily. He finished P2 behind Max Verstappen in the first two races. That time, however, also coincided with the phase where Red Bull was just in a different league from every other car in the field.
As soon as the competition caught up, we've seen Sergio Perez's run dwindle to the point where he's at serious risk of falling to P8 in the championship. With your teammate leading the standings by a mammoth margin, this is just not acceptable and by the looks of it, even Red Bull seems to agree.
The promotion to Red Bull was Sergio Perez's big career break - losing the drive mid-season is a real possibility and makes it all the more important for him to get a result.
#2 Daniel Ricciardo (RB)
Daniel Ricciardo is in a situation where if he nails these two races, he will be driving a Red Bull after the summer break. The Australian started the season on the wrong foot at RB, as while he expected to show how good he can be, he struggled to get the results from the car.
After a very poor start to the season, Daniel Ricciardo has shown glimpses of his old self. Dragging the RB to P4 in the Miami sprint was one of the standout drives from anyone this season. His qualifying in Canada was also impressive, although it came after Jacques Villeneuve riled up the Australian.
Hungaroring is a track where Daniel Ricciardo picked up his second F1 win. Spa is the track where he picked up his third win. His career and its possible trajectory now depend on how he performs on these two tracks.
#3 Logan Sargeant (Williams)
In the eyes of many, Logan Sargeant's F1 career is all but gone. There is, however, more to this than meets the eye because the American has been very unlucky this season. He's been forced to sit out of a race, drive a subpar chassis, use old parts on his car and whatnot.
Through all of this, there's a demand that he get a result out of the car and beat his F1 teammate as well in the process. The race in Silverstone was very interesting for the American because the performance was more or less there alongside Alex Albon.
Williams is still in a tricky situation where it might have to fall back on Valtteri Bottas as an option. With no pen being put to any paper, Logan Sargeant is still fighting for his F1 career as he tries to leave a mark before the summer break.
