Formula 1 (F1) halfway season round up: The season nobody expected but wanted
When the 2024 F1 season rolled in, most people were imagining yet another singular team and driver-dominated performance. Instead, halfway through the 2024 season what we have is a mercurial grid with team performances differing from Grand Prix to Grand Prix.
As a long (long) time F1 fan, while others may be biting their nails every race, I find myself thoroughly entertained every time it’s “lights out and away we go”. Here’s my take on the 2024 season so far.
Red Bull F1 missteps
Table of Contents
Just to be clear I used to be a die-hard Red Bull fan during the Sebastian Vettel days, and I’ve witnessed the ebb and flow of the team throughout the years and there’s no beating Red Bull’s resilience when it comes to competitiveness. If you look at the historical data and how the team has stayed in contention through various regulation changes, beating out established teams like McLaren, Williams, and Mercedes goes to show the talent within the Milton Keynes outfit.
2024 though has shown the crack in the team’s otherwise unified facade. It started with the team principal Christian Horner’s issue that showed the divide between the team’s power figures, and seemingly just ate away at the team’s competitiveness so far. Not to mention the earth-shattering news that F1 wunderkind Adrian Newey is leaving the team after this season and is already linked to teams like Ferrari, Aston, or McLaren.
Sergio Perez meanwhile has been the subject of speculation, already in danger of being replaced during the summer break. His performances this year have ranged from mediocre to downright dismal, coming from a guy who just signed a fresh contract.
Red Bull started out so well in 2024 and dropped off with the rest of the field catching every race. I haven’t seen a season like this since 2010 when the championship came down to the final race with 4-5 drivers still in contention. We’ve also seen in the past few races how Verstappen’s veneer of coolness has evaporated with his multiple showings of frustration and on-track shenanigans.
There’s still half a season to go and Verstappen is still leading by a considerable amount in the standings, so not all is lost, but the field is kicking the doors down and taking no prisoners in the meantime.
McLaren and Mercedes-AMG are back!
McLaren is one of the most storied and successful teams in F1, there’s no denying that they are a legacy team in this sport. In recent years, however, the team has seen some drastic drops and increases in how well the cars perform, in a sense, the ingredients were there but the consistency seemed to not exist.
2024 has shown just how the outfit has turned the tables on the whole F1 field by becoming not just competitive but even besting Red Bull by considerable margins during some races. Not to mention that the 2 drivers piloting their cars have world championship caliber etched into their DNA.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have been mega this season, taking the fight to the top teams without a hint of trepidation. It has even at times caused internal tension (ahem Hungary) but they have stayed the course and are on track to take the fight for the top of the standings till the end of 2024.
Mercedes-AMG meanwhile has finally regained their step in F1, with a forgettable past 2 seasons, the Brackley team has bounced back to give Lewis Hamilton and George Russell wins in 2024. With Lewis making the move to Ferrari in 2025, it’s imperative they rally and show that he may regret his decision, which leads me to…
What in the world are Ferrari and Aston Martin doing?
When the 2024 F1 season started, Ferrari and Red Bull seemed to be the ones to duke it out. As time passed though the Italian team seemed to regress and at times looked miles away in terms of pace. It really is befuddling considering both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are both race winners in 2024.
I am married to a Ferrari die-hard and I know people who are true Tifosi, and every race they all have this sense of accepting that both the Scuderia cars won’t perform well. We’ve also seen on multiple occasions how a good qualifying performance isn’t consolidated to a podium finish during Sunday’s race.
Others like McLaren and Mercedes are already leaps and bounds better in terms of pace during this phase of the season, this is worrying for fans and the drivers. Charles Leclerc is the face of the team, and team principal Fred Vassuer pulled the ultimate switcharoo at the beginning of the season by nabbing Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes.
If they don’t get their act together then it’ll be the same old same old again, a team in contention always and eventually floundering as the season progresses.
Aston Martin meanwhile has seemed confused and lost this 2024 season after emerging as a quick competitors last 2023. It’s surprising to see how the team has failed to capitalize on the momentum they built last year, and with the huge stacks of money owner Lawrence Stroll is throwing at the team.
We’re seeing grumpy Fernando Alonso rear its ugly head again, and Lance Stroll is… well Lance Stroll.
Food for thought: Ferrari’s last drivers champion came in 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen, they’ve been close to glory again since then but have failed to convert. SINCE 2007.Â
2024 is one big silly season
Ever since the changing of the old guard, the new F1 overlords have been keen on making F1 a true spectacle again. We’ve seen that with the success of bringing in new fans through the Netflix Drive to Survive series.Â
These new changes have thrust the usually secretive and political world of F1 into the spotlight for all fans to see (and argue about).Â
Fans of old will recall how F1 used to be isolated from the fans and media, only providing the odd soundbite, sterilized interviews, and orchestrated driver personalities. With social media now and forever being a huge part of the sport, we’re seeing issues and dramas usually swept under a rug become front-page items immediately.Â
It started with the Christian Horner debacle and the Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari bombshell that triggered season-long musical chairs finding out where each driver will drive come 2025.Â
All these things are front and center for all to see and are actually improving the spectacle of the sport. Who wouldn’t want drama in sport right?
What is also becoming apparent is that these phenomena are creating personas for the multiple characters in the F1 world, drivers are now being labeled as good or bad, and team principals are being exposed as effective or ineffective.Â
These things were not possible in the late ’90s and early 2000s when I was already an avid F1 fan, I’m glad to see the world can peek into the inner workings and nuances of daily F1 issues and politics.Â
The pressure of the court of public opinion is always a slippery slope, but we’re seeing prideful individuals in the paddock cave into the pressure by axing drivers or team personnel.Â
It’ll be interesting to see how the new era of F1 progresses with the new era of fans it has accumulated.Â
2024 Phase 2 predictions
With a topsy-turvy field having been established before the summer break, it’s essential more than ever that teams double time on developing the best cars for the 2nd half of the season.
Every point earned is now more valuable than ever in dictating the final outcome of the 2024 standings come the last race of the season.
I see that the final order will not be sorted out until the very last race of 2024, and this time it may not just be between 2 drivers, it seems there are about 3 to 4 drivers within a shot for the glory of being crowned World Champion.Â
With the mid-rear teams, it’s vital that they perform and build well to carry momentum into 2025 to up the game so to speak.
I doubt the summer break will be a restful one.Â
