How do driver contracts work?

[Kris Lawton]

Hi.

I'm slightly new to Formula One: I've been an avid fan for about 4 months and watched/read just about as much about it as I possibly can. There's still a few things I really don't understand, though.

How do the driver contracts work? Do teams offer drivers a contract, or do drivers go to teams looking for contracts? Does a driver get his contract renewed whenever he wants, or does he have to wait for the team to offer it to him? Do teams offer driver contacts that say "stay with us until we're unhappy with you" or are they straight-up "x years and you can't leave" kind of deals? Are there ever any contracts that last for less than a full season? A full explanation would be nice.

Thanks.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Pretty much a bit of everything you said there.
Depends on driver, team, and situation.