The world of Formula One is filled with fast cars, jet setters, international races, and intense competition. Each year, the twenty best formula racing drivers, divided into ten teams, compete in the F1 year-long season, spanning 20-24 races held in many different countries to find out who will get the title of World Champion and which team will reign victorious over the other nine. As I’m writing this, the 2024 season is more than halfway over, with only six races remaining out of 24, but this has definitely been a season that will be remembered for years to come. This season came as a complete shock to fans who claimed that the 2023 season turned out to be very predictable and, at times, even a little boring. In 2023, the Drivers Championship, and therefore the World Champion, was decided within the first few races when Max Verstappen absolutely dominated each circuit with the Red Bull car. In contrast, the 2024 season has been full of twists and turns since the third race on the calendar and ever since then it’s been one surprise after another. We are witnessing a three-way championship battle and, to fully understand why this is such a shocker, it’s better to look at each driver’s individual journey.
- Max verstappen
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Max Verstappen had a historic season in 2023, winning 19 out of the 22 races of the year, an achievement that no driver had been able to claim before, as reported by Mike Seymour. Seymour also reports that Red Bull have set up incredibly high expectations for themselves and the other teams that are going to be hard to live up to. This is exactly what has happened during the 2024 season. Red Bull isn’t winning consistently as they previously had in 2023, Verstappen has missed out on a few podium appearances due to problems with the pace and overall performance of the car, and he’s had one DNF at the start of the season when his car suffered a brake issue. “However, with the gaps amongst the field closing in as the campaign has progressed, the Dutchman and his team’s position at the top has come under threat from a number of their rivals,” Anna Francis reported in an article for F1 media. I do hope that Red Bull can figure out any issues that might be hindering the performance of the car so that fans get to see the winning side of Verstappen once more before the season ends since he is, in my opinion, one the most skilled drivers on the current grid. Verstappen could still be the winner of this year’s Drivers Championship since he is currently in the lead, regardless there are two other drivers who could take this fourth championship victory from him.
- Lando norris
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McLaren’s Lando Norris has been the wildcard of this season. He got his first Grand Prix win this year in Miami, has won two more races in Zandvoort and Singapore, and is now second in the Drivers Championship. McLaren is also currently ahead of Red Bull in the Constructors Championship, which is the team competition rather than the individual one. According to the Podium Finish, McLaren has come a long way since their 2023 season which started out terribly for them until they managed to surprise everyone with successful upgrades that helped both drivers score points by the second half of the season. They haven’t stopped surprising us since. Many fans are cheering for Norris to win the Championship, and I honestly believe he can do it if he continues improving as the season goes on. Max Verstappen, whom Norris is chasing for the Championship lead, has faced a decline in performance whilst Norris’ appears to be steadily improving.
- Charles leclerc
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Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is currently running third, but he is a fan-favorite and many people are rooting for him to finally win his first Championship, myself included. Leclerc has had an eventful year in 2024. He won his home race, the Monaco Grand Prix, for the first time, which was a very emotional win for him as he’s stated it was a goal of his to finally win in front of his home crowd, and he hadn’t had a lot of luck on that track in previous years. He also grabbed the win at the Italian Grand Prix, Ferrari’s home race, with a bold strategy that many of us still can’t believe paid off. Waiting for Leclerc to cross the finish line at the Italian Grand Prix was one of the most nerve-racking moments that I’ve experienced as a fan of this sport. He has a longer way to go to surpass Verstappen in points than Norris does, but Leclerc has managed to do the impossible this season so I wouldn’t count him out of the Championship fight just yet.
Who will win?
At this point in the competition, it’s anybody’s game. Verstappen is still in the lead, but only by 52 points, with a gap of 86 points between him and Leclerc, who’s third. Verstappen’s performance has improved over the last few races but he still has yet to score another win, and Norris seems to be on a steady climb. Leclerc has fallen behind, largely due to unsuccessful upgrades to the car and questionable strategy calls from Ferrari that have cost him key places during the races. Ferrari’s pace hasn’t been as consistent as Red Bull and McLaren’s, which have contributed to Leclerc’s distance from the other Championship contenders. As much as I would like to predict who will win this year, there is no clear way to tell. One thing I have learned from this season is that anything can happen in this sport, and the only thing guaranteed is the unpredictable. The last race is in December, and I truly can’t wait to see if we will be celebrating Norris or Leclerc’s first Championships or if Verstappen will get his fourth consecutive win.