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F1 2024 season – Year in review

After a total of 24 races – starting with the Bahrain GP on March 2 and ending with the Abu Dhabi GP on December 8 – numerous clashes, crashes, and some fiery controversies for good measure, we’ve wrapped up yet another adrenaline-fueled F1 season, the 74th one to be more precise.
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13 January 2025

After a total of 24 races – starting with the Bahrain GP on March 2 and ending with the Abu Dhabi GP on December 8 – numerous clashes, crashes, and some fiery controversies for good measure, we’ve wrapped up yet another adrenaline-fueled F1 season, the 74th one to be more precise. 

Now that all the action and drama on the racetrack (and in the pits) has been left in the rearview mirror and with almost three months to go until the start of the 2025 championship, we have plenty of time to recall the past, hit the replay button and analyze things with a clearer and more focused mind. 

So, let’s take a look back at what has happened so far and remember the most memorable moments, good and bad, that have marked the F1 calendar in 2024

Verstappen’s victory 

To no one’s surprise, triple reigning champion Max Verstappen started the season as the clear favorite, and after winning seven of the first ten races, it seemed like everything was going to be smooth sailing for the Red Bull driver. However, far from being a reiteration of the absolute dominance we saw in 2023 and 2022, this year’s run proved a lot more challenging for Verstappen and the team. 

RBR didn’t have the fastest car overall anymore, being outclassed by rivals at McLaren in terms of speed in most races. This drop was particularly notable in mid-season, when Max started to lose ground, going ten races without a win between the Spanish GP in June and the Brazilian GP in November. 

However, even without this advantage, the Dutchman still managed to pull off an impressive performance and kept scoring valuable points in all races. Although the gap between Verstappen and the other drivers started to close, the head start he got during those early races allowed him to stay in the lead even as the going got tough. 

In the end, Verstappen gave us a lesson in control, focus, and driving mastery as he remained unfazed by the losing streak or the drama that unfolded around him with the accusations faced by team principal Christian Horner and the departure of chief technical officer Adrian Newey who has been largely credited for the success that Red Bull has been enjoying in recent years.   

Despite the tough competition, Verstappen’s robot-like precision and consistency made the difference, and his fifth position in the Las Vegas Grand Prix, one of the newest additions to the F1 calendar, sealed his victory and ended Norris’ hopes of winning his first championship, with two races to go until the end of the season. His peers pointed to his flawless performance, relentless determination, and the ability to take advantage of every opportunity to advance his standing as his main strengths. 

And just like that, Verstappen added another F1 title to his tally, becoming world champion for the fourth time in a row and adding his name next to that of F1 legends Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel, both with the same number of championship wins. 

McLaren’s comeback 

While Verstappen might have won with a comfortable margin, he wasn’t the only driver to shine on the track this year. Although he stated he was not truly ready to enter the battle for the title against Max Verstappen, McLaren’s Lando Norris proved himself a worthy opponent, sticking close behind the four-time champion all throughout the season, with a 63-point gap separating the two drivers after the last race. 

Norris also took the final win in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, securing the Constructors’ Championship title for McLaren – a performance that has eluded the British team for the past 26 years. This could mark a major turning point for the Papaya team as the end-of-the-year standings have a major impact on the team’s future evolution, with the winner taking home around $140 million. 

Hamilton’s transfer 

The seasonal driver migration came with some interesting swaps and farewells this year. Daniel Ricciardo was replaced by junior driver Liam Lawson at RB in September, while Kevin Magnussen and both Sauber drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu will be leaving the grid in 2025. A fresh wave of new drivers is coming to the Grand Circus to replace them, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli singing with Mercedes, Gabriel Bortoleto joining Sauber, and Jack Doohan taking over Esteban Ocon’s seat at Alpine. 

But the most surprising F1 news so far has come from 7-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who announced he will end his 12-year partnership with Mercedes and switch over to Ferrari for the upcoming season. This means that Carlos Sainz will also change teams and will be racing for Williams in 2025. Hamilton has a two-year agreement with the Scuderia, but there are rumors he might not complete the full length of his contract. 

End-of-the-season feud 

The Qatar GP gave us one of the most interesting disputes in a while. After the qualifying session, George Russel complained to the stewards that Verstappen was driving unnecessarily slowly, causing the Dutchman to receive a one-place penalty and lose the pole position in favour of the Brit. Verstappen didn’t hold back his frustration and disappointment over the decision and his peer’s behaviour and accused the Mercedes driver of lying and being two-faced. The tension between the two drivers escalated, and the teams’ principals, Christian Horner and Toto Wolff, also got involved in the argument, exchanging a few snarky remarks themselves.  

All in all, it’s been a great year for F1 and fans across the globe, with plenty of intense races where we got to enjoy the captivating interplay of speed, strategy, cutting-edge technology, and driving prowess. We hope that this quick racing recap serves both as a reminder of all the entertainment that the 2024 F1 season has produced and as an incentive to tune in to a new thrilling Formula 1 championship in 2025. 

 

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