We are nine races into the Formula 1 calendar. By the average F1 season’s standards, we should be almost halfway through the season but 2024 is set to be the longest F1 season in history, with 24 races in total. With that being said, we are barely scratching the tarmac surface.
Luckily, 2024 has proven to be a chaotic and competitive season compared to last year, where Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s dominance hogs the spotlight. With an average of more than 10 seconds clear to the P2, the only real action last year was from P2 onwards.
Maybe the rest of the packs are catching up, maybe Red Bull is caught resting on their laurels or maybe, Max Verstappen prefers his sim racing to the real one. But this season is heating up fast and there is a possibility that the pendulum might swing to the other side of Red Bull and Max Verstappen.
So, nine races in, here’s my six interesting takes of the season so far:
1 – Hamilton In Red Next Year
The first surprise of the season happened off the track, back in February even before the pre-season testing began. In shocking news, Lewis Hamilton, the 7-time world champion will be parting ways with the Silver Arrows and joining The Prancing Horse next year.
The news is shocking on multiple levels.
First, it was announced so early in the year before the season began. The news definitely ruffled a lot of feathers. Suddenly, Sainz was left with no seat for the next season and this surely sent him scrambling to perform.
Charles Leclerc will have to level up his game to show that he is the number one in the Maranello outfit.
The timing of the news is also perfect for a meme storm after the release of the latest season of Netflix’s Drive To Survive. In Episode 6, Toto is confident that Hamilton won’t be leaving the crumbling empire only to be slapped by the news. What a slap!
With how the current season unfolds, it seems like Hamilton has the last laugh since Ferrari is now challenging the top spot again and Mercedes is further declining to the likes of Aston Martin.
2 – Lando Takes His First Wins
The number 1 man in the Papaya orange sealed his first-ever win in the Miami GP. It was Lando Norris’s 110th attempt after being on the podium sixteen-time, finishing in second place for eight of them.
McLaren has definitely been upping their game prior to Miami GP but they managed to introduce a timely game-changing upgrade during the weekend.
Although Norris only managed a P4 start, his brilliant tyre management and strategic pit-stop calls helped him to secure the top podium. After the safety car resumes, Norris manages to fend off Verstappen advances and pulls 7.1 seconds ahead by the time he crosses the checkered flag.
With nine races in, Lando finished five of them on the podium and is currently third in the driver’s standings.
3 – Leclerc Breaks the Monaco’s Curse
Speaking about first wins, Leclerc finally sealed his first home win in Monaco GP. Although the Monegasque managed to secure pole position in 2021 and 2022, he failed to convert both into wins – which the F1 world dubbed the Leclerc home curse.
Despite Monaco GP being touted as iconic, the race itself provides lackluster entertainment due to the narrow circuit coupled with huge modern F1 cars which prevent overtaking. The Sunday race only features 4 total overtakes, with Lance Stroll featuring in two of the four.
The real fun mostly fell on Saturday, during the Qualifying sessions. Once again, Leclerc secured pole position with the reigning world champion, Max Verstappen only managing P6, struggling to control his slippery car.
Max – pillow.
4 – Off-Track: Adrian Newey Left Red Bull
Off the track, Adrian Newey, Red Bull’s Chief Technical Director announced he will be leaving the team after the season concludes.
2024 will be his 19th year with Red Bull in his over three decades of being involved in F1. Hailed as one of the best F1 car designers and the “man who can see air”, Newey-designed cars have won 12 Constructors Championships and 13 World Drivers Championships.
Any team on the paddock would be dying to have his service. However, it looks like Adrian may be taking a break from Formula One for a while before getting back on it.
On a side note, Adrian has been my F1 hero and inspiration. After reading his biography “How To Build a Car” in 2017, I started to follow Red Bull and Adrian closely.
5 – Seatless Sainz
With Hamilton moving to Ferrari next year, Sainz is in an awkward position with no seat for next season. However, it is a blessing in disguise as he got the whole season to prove his worth to other top teams in the paddock.
There’s no doubt about his skill. A smooth operator and the only driver to break Red Bull’s dominance last season. This season, he repeated the wins in the Australian GP back in March, after being out on appendicitis just the week before.
Sainz has nothing to lose and he’s out with revenge. His drive is more energetic and he’s been more aggressive in team strategy. Carlos is literally driving to survive and this is what makes this season interesting.
As of today (June), Williams has made a clear intention of signing him. But signing with Williams means he will once again be chasing for points instead of podiums.
6 – Cracks In The Bull’s Dominance
At the beginning of the season, it seemed Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s dominance would continue and it is business as usual. However, after nine races, the dominance looks under threat.
RB20 seems to be struggling with ride height issues and the car is unable to ride the kerb, much to Max’s annoyance. It is Max’s sheer willpower, talent, and experience that kept them alive while Sergio Perez is clearly struggling with only 4 points scored in the last 3 races.
That’s it, six interesting takeaways so far as we are nine races into the season. The championship is still wide open with Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren all vying for the top spot.
As Red Bull’s dominance is starting to break, we as F1 fans, will surely love to see how all of this plays out.
