Robert Kubica will make a decision on his F1 return next month.

Renault face a difficult decision on their 2012 drivers with Vitaly Petrov, Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean also in contention.

And Kimi Raikkonen’s visit to Williams suggests he may be entertaining thoughts of a comeback. Here’s how the 2012 driver market is looking.

Red Bull

Mark Webber has signed another one-year extension but his place could go to someone else in 2013.

McLaren

Jenson Button was previously thought to have a contract for 2012 but it emerged a few months ago that it is contingent on an option being taken up by the team.

It would be a surprise if McLaren did not retain Button. He has out-scored Lewis Hamilton this year, there’s no obvious top-drawer candidate to replace him, nor a likely alternative destination for him in 2012.

Ferrari

Both drivers are under contract for next year.

Mirroring the situation at Red Bull, Fernando Alonso has a long-term deal, whereas Felipe Massa’s contract expires at the end of 2012.

Mercedes

Michael Schumacher reaches the last year of his three-year deal in 2012. However Nico Rosberg’s status for 2012 is unclear.

Renault

Renault previously said Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov have contracts for next year – but the situation is rather more complicated than that.

Kubica, who has been out of action all year following his pre-season rally crash, is expected to advise the team next month whether he will be able to race for them in 2012. Even if he is able to return, it remains to be seen whether he will still be as quick as he was.

Then there’s the question of whether Eric Boullier will try to make room for either of the team’s up-and-coming drivers.

Bruno Senna has made a good start to his time with the team. They’ve made positive noises about his performance and attitude, and the sponsors he’s helped bring to the team won’t hurt his chances either.

GP2 champion Romain Grosjean, who made a handful of starts for the team in 2009, is part of Boullier’s Gravity Sports Management programme and could make a full-time return next year.

Clearly, four into two won’t go. Renault may have the option of placing a driver at one of the teams they supply engines too. But either way Boullier has a tough call to make on his 2012 line-up.

Williams

Kimi Raikkonen’s recent visit to Grove raised much speculation but it’s far from clear whether his prospects of a 2012 return are realistic.

Raikkonen’s World Rally Championship campaign is clearly not going to plan.

He has already been excluded from the points standings for refusing to compete in the Australian round because he didn’t want to travel. He crashed out of last weekend’s French round on his way to the third stage in a collision with a competitor.

The 2007 F1 champion had clearly lost enthusiasm for the sport in his last season and was dropped by Ferrari with a year left on his contract. It’s hard to imagine he might recapture his passion for racing by trying to drag an FW34 into the lower reaches of the points.

But a return would undoubtedly be welcomed by his legions of fans, and F1 would have a record six world champions on the grid..

Pastor Maldonado has fared well in his first year of F1. He also brings vital funds from PDVSA to a team which has a lot of empty space on its livery. Rubens Barrichello is eager to continue into what would be his 20th season.

But Williams are making significant changes to their technical team and switching engine supplier, which could have a bearing on who they choose for 2012.

Adrian Sutil is another driver who’s been mentioned in connection with the team. And, according to Autosport, GP2 driver Giedo van der Garde is favoured by team sponsor MacGregor.

Force India

The team say they will confirm their driver line-up for 2012 in December.

Reserve driver Nico H?�??lkenberg clearly deserves a race seat somewhere.

But Force India’s combination of the increasingly experienced Sutil and impressive rookie Paul di Resta is working well for them. So Hulkenberg may have to look elsewhere.

Sauber

Sauber announced in July that Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez will be retained for 2012.

Perez tested for Ferrari last month and may be under consideration for Massa’s seat in 2013.

Reserve driver Esteban Gutierrez had an impressive first year in GP2 and will remain with ART next year for a crack at the title.

Toro Rosso

Toro Rosso have surprised many by retaining both drivers throughout the season so far. Daniel Ricciardo’s appointment at HRT has temporarily relieved the pressure on Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari.

But with Red Bull potentially needing a new driver in 2013, Toro Rosso may have to make room for a new face in 2012. It’s difficult to separate Buemi and Alguersuari on performance, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see one of them ushered aside to make room for Ricciardo.

Lotus

Jarno Trulli was recently confirmed with the team for 2012 and Heikki Kovalainen is expected to remain alongside him.

HRT

This team have been the last to confirm their driver line-up in the past two seasons, and financial considerations are likely to play a significant role in deciding who gets a seat.

Virgin

Securing the continued services of Timo Glock, despite their difficult first two seasons, was a coup.

Jerome D’Ambrosio has fared better than his predecessor alongside Glock but his place for next year has not yet been confirmed.

New drivers

Grosjean, Hulkenberg and Karun Chandhok are among the drivers with F1 experience looking for race seats next year. What of the up-and-coming talent?

Luca Filippi was this year’s GP2 runner-up but his considerable experience at that level may count again him – he has not had a rapid rise through the lower categories. He made his GP2 debut the same year as Lewis Hamilton and had some F3000 experience prior to that as well.

Ferrari development driver Jules Bianchi finished third in a patchy second season. Rumours have linked him to Force India’s third driver role if Hulkenberg goes elsewhere next year.

Robert Wickens, who leads the World Series by Renault points standings, had his first taste of F1 machinery in a straight-line aero test for Virgin last month. It’s between him and Red Bull development driver Jean-Eric Vergne for the championship.

Several of these names are likely to appear in the young drivers’ test at the end of the season. But will any of them land drives for 2012?

And who else will trade places in time for next season? Will we see Kubica or Raikkonen back on the grid? Have your say in the comments.

See the updated list of 2012 F1 drivers and teams

2012 F1 season



Images ?�?� Renault/LAT, McLaren, Renault/LAT, Ferrari spa, Red Bull/Getty images, Virgin Racing