- The 2024 Formula 1 season concluded with the waving of the checkered flag at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
- Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen claimed his fourth Drivers' Championship
- McLaren claimed its first Constructors' Championship in 26 years
- Several drivers won't be returning in 2025
The 2024 Formula 1 World Championship, with its record calendar of 24 races, concluded on Sunday with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, held under the lights at the Yas Marina Circuit.
McLaren's Lando Norris won the race, helping ensure his team secured the 2024 Constructors' Championship—McLaren's first since 1998, when David Coulthard and Mika Häkkinen drove for the team.
Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen at the 2024 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Photo via Getty Images
Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen clinched the 2024 Drivers' Championship at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, made possible by his haul of nine wins this season. Norris finished second overall with four wins, while Ferrari's Charles Leclerc came third with three wins. The title is the fourth consecutive for Verstappen, and means he has joined an elite group of drivers with four or more championships under their belts. Others include Alain Prost (four), Sebastian Vettel (four), Juan Manuel Fangio (five), Lewis Hamilton (seven), and Michael Schumacher (seven).
Despite Verstappen's multiple victories, Red Bull only finished third in the Constructors' Championship, behind Ferrari, due to the poor performance of its other driver, Sergio Perez. Perez finished sixth in the Drivers' standings and failed to win a single race. While he scored four podium finishes in the first five races, his performance dropped significantly afterward, causing him to miss out on a podium spot for the remainder of the season. This decline has fueled widespread rumors that Perez may be dropped from Red Bull next season.
Oscar Piastri (left) and Lando Norris
In contrast, both of McLaren's drivers delivered strong performances in 2024. Norris' teammate, Oscar Piastri, secured two wins and consistently placed near the top. A similar narrative applies to Ferrari's lineup of Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, though their partnership will change next year with Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari. Hamilton will replace Sainz, who moves to Williams, while Hamilton's current seat at Mercedes-Benz AMG will be filled by the talented but inexperienced Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Once-dominant Mercedes had a mixed season. Hamilton and George Russell achieved strong finishes in some rounds, breaking their early-season drought, though their pace faltered in the latter part of the season.
Oliver Bearman
A standout driver this year and a potential future star is Oliver Bearman, a Ferrari reserve driver who scored six points in his debut at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and another point at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Bearman stepped in for Sainz at Ferrari in Saudi Arabia and Kevin Magnussen at Haas in Azerbaijan. His impressive performances earned him a 2025 seat at Haas.
Bearman will be joined at Haas by Esteban Ocon, who leaves Alpine at the end of the season. Ocon's former Alpine seat will go to Jack Doohan, who already replaced him at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, finishing a respectable 15th. Bearman and Ocon will replace Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg at Haas. Magnussen currently lacks a seat for next season, while Hülkenberg is set to join Sauber, which will transition to Audi in 2026.
Valtteri Bottas (left) and Zhou Guanyu - Photo via Sauber
Hülkenberg will partner with newcomer Gabriel Bortoleto at Sauber. They will replace Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, both of whom are without seats for next season. Neither Bottas nor Zhou scored points in 2024.
The end of the season may mark the final F1 appearances for several drivers. In addition to Franco Colapinto, Zhou, and Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo is also without a seat for the new season. Ricciardo was dismissed from RB at the Singapore Grand Prix, with Liam Lawson taking his place. Lawson, who participated in five F1 races in 2023 as a substitute for an injured Ricciardo at AlphaTauri (rebranded as RB in 2024), scored some points and remains a strong candidate for 2025. While his future isn't confirmed, Lawson is likely to stay with RB or potentially replace Perez at Red Bull.
Liam Lawson - Photo via RB
Looking ahead to next season, Red Bull may no longer be the fastest team. Their pace has already declined since mid-season, and they will also lose star aerodynamicist Adrian Newey to Aston Martin. Additionally, Hamilton driving for Ferrari could prove to be a game-changer.
2024 F1 Drivers' Championship standings
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing – 437 points
2) Lando Norris, McLaren – 374 points
3) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari – 356 points
4) Oscar Piastri, McLaren – 292 points
5) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari – 290 points
6) George Russell, Mercedes-Benz AMG – 245 points
7) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-Benz AMG – 233 points
8) Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing – 152 points
9) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin – 70 points
10) Pierre Gasly, Alpine – 42 points
11) Nico Hülkenberg, Haas – 41 points
12) Yuki Tsunoda, RB – 30 points
13) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin – 24 points
14) Esteban Ocon, Alpine – 23 points
15) Kevin Magnussen, Haas – 16 points
16) Alexander Albon, Williams – 12 points
17) Daniel Ricciardo, RB – 12 points
18) Oliver Bearman, Ferrari – 7 points
19) Franco Colapinto, Williams – 5 points
20) Liam Lawson, RB - 4 points
21) Zhou Guanyu, Sauber – 4 points
22) Logan Sargeant, Williams – 0 points
23) Valtteri Bottas, Sauber – 0 points
24) Jack Doohan, Alpine – 0 points
2024 F1 Constructors' Championship standings
1) McLaren – 666 points
2) Ferrari – 652 points
3) Red Bull Racing – 589 points
4) Mercedes-Benz AMG – 468 points
5) Aston Martin – 94 points
6) Alpine – 65 points
7) Haas – 58 points
8) RB – 46 points
9) Williams – 17 points
10) Sauber – 4 points
2024 F1 season race winners
Bahrain Grand Prix – Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Australian Grand Prix – Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
Japanese Grand Prix – Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Chinese Grand Prix – Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Miami Grand Prix – Lando Norris, McLaren
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Monaco Grand Prix – Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Canadian Grand Prix – Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Spanish Grand Prix – Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Austrian Grand Prix – George Russell, Meredes-Benz AMG
British Grand Prix – Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-Benz AMG
Hungarian Grand Prix – Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Belgian Grand Prix – Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-Benz AMG
Dutch Grand Prix – Lando Norris, McLaren
Italian Grand Prix – Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Singapore Grand Prix – Lando Norris, McLaren
United States Grand Prix (Austin) – Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Mexican Grand Prix – Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
Brazilian Grand Prix – Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Las Vegas Grand Prix – Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Qatar Grand Prix – Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Lando Norris, McLaren
