2024 - A season in review

With 2023 being a season known for Red Bull's utter domination, those who were tired of hearing the Dutch anthem every Sunday crossed their fingers in the hope that 2024 would bring a change. They wanted more winners, more diverse teams at the front of the field, and, perhaps most importantly, an actual championship challenge. Tensions rose as the fans gathered on track or in front of their TVs to watch the season opener and then... Nothing changed. Max Verstappen claimed his first victory in a new car, finishing the race over twenty seconds before his teammate who came in second. The unbeatable Red Bull looked as fast as ever and it was easy to immediately predict a third double-championship in a row coming their way. 

But there was one difference between the two seasons that made itself known quite early on: this year, we didn't have to wait 16 races to see a driver from a different team cross the checkered flag first. Even though the second race was dominated by Verstappen, the third belonged to Carlos Sainz, who took the win in Australia, only a few weeks after missing a Sunday due to appendicitis. It was a monumental moment for Ferrari but it wasn't the race that began exposing the cracks in the RB20. Verstappen may have ended that weekend without points scored but he made up for it by winning in Japan and China. 

If there was one point that could be declared the true beginning of Red Bull's dominance coming to an end, it would be the Miami Grand Prix, a race widely regarded as the first of many that would see McLaren as the fastest team of the bunch. It ended with Norris taking his first-ever win and Verstappen coming in second, a good few seconds behind the Brit. Max did win the next race, this one held in Imola, but the victory wasn't as easy as it would have been at the beginning of the season as Lando spent the second half of it chasing after the Red Bull and would have possibly caught up to him had the race been a few laps longer. Either way, the upgraded McLaren was a car to watch out for.

After years of terrible luck on the streets he knew so well, Leclerc won the Monaco Grand Prix. Emotional as the win might have been, it was yet another victory 'taken away' from Red Bull, and, to compensate for it, the team went on to win in Canada and Spain. And then... Nothing more for a very long time. It would be months before Verstappen won again, an unexpected drought for the reigning world champion. Red Bull was no longer the dominant team. Tides were shifting and they seemed to be heading towards McLaren. 

The second half of the season was a flurry of unexpected wins, surprising podiums, and historical moments. Russell inherited his first win in 2024 on the Red Bull ring after a heated fight between Norris and Verstappen led to them making contact and falling away from the lead. Hamilton ended his long drought with a victory on his home circuit. For the last time with the team that he had been a part of for a better part of his career for the 9th time overall, he stood on top of the Silverstone podium. In Belgium, both Mercedes drivers were the winners for at least a while. Russell's risky strategy led to him finishing in front of his teammate, but upon inspection, his car was found to be underweight. He was disqualified and the win went to Hamilton

Norris wasn't the only McLaren driver to get their maiden win during the season: Hungary saw his young teammate, Piastri, crossing the finish line first after some controversial team orders. Then, at Verstappen's home circuit, Norris took his second win, fuelling the slowly brewing championship challenge.

By that point, it was clear that McLaren had one of, if not the, quickest cars on the grid. Even when its two drivers were not winning, their pace was always incredible, and it seemed that on a good weekend, they were unstoppable. That was why everyone was surprised to see that, even though they managed to lock out the front row in Monza, it was Leclerc who won to the utter joy of all the Tifosi. He then went on to win in Austin after being barely beaten to it in Azerbaijan by Piastri and witnessing Norris' dominant drive in Singapore. For his teammate, Sainz, the second half of the season also wasn't fruitless: he got his last win as a Ferrari driver in Mexico. 

For the first time since he entered Formula 1, Lando Norris could see the driver's championship within his grasp. With only a few races remaining, he was still quite a few points off from Verstappen but with McLaren seemingly getting quicker with every weekend and the Red Bull falling away, his odds were better than many people were willing to admit. The crucial race turned out to be the one in Interlagos. Norris qualified on pole and Verstappen had to start from the back of the grid after an unlucky qualifying and an engine penalty. While it seemed like the perfect opportunity for the young Brit to close the gap between the two of them, it turned out to be just the opposite. Verstappen all but secured his fourth WDC after a phenomenal driver saw him moving into the lead and winning for the first time since the Spanish Grand Prix. And even though Verstappen didn't win in Vegas, that honor went to Russell, he scored enough points during that race to secure the championship before the season came to an end. 

After that fight was resolved, the attention of everyone moved to the fight of the constructors. Throughout the season Red Bull fell away from the top and was no longer a viable contender. McLaren led the leaderboards and had an advantage over Ferrari in second, but the Italian team wouldn't give up without a fight. Verstappen won in Qatar, but with Leclerc coming in second and Sainz 5th, the gap between the two teams decreased to only 21 points, leaving the title fight to be resolved in Abu Dhabi. It seemed all but certain to be heading to McLaren after its drivers qualified on the front row, while Leclerc had to start the race from the very back of the grid, but if there was one conclusion to be taken from Brazil, it was that nothing was sure until the checkered flag waved. Sainz spent the race chasing Norris after Piastri fell back due to a collision with Verstappen and Leclerc made up 16 places by the time the race ended. Still, it wasn't enough. In the end, it was McLaren who took home the constructor's trophy. 

With 7 multiple-race winners, the season was anything but boring. Unlike in 2023, going into a race weekend no one could be sure who would end up on the top steps of the podium, and who would have the upper hand on track. And with one more year to go before the regulations change, 2025 promises to be equally as, if not more so, exciting. Will it deliver on the hopes?