Image shows a red formula 1 car on a racing track.

Atlas Scholes

As the winter break comes to an end, we look back at the 2023 F1 season to see what we can expect from the Formula 1 2024 schedule.

The 2023 season of Formula 1 saw Red Bull dominate, as they made history by winning all but one race. Max Verstappen earned an impressive total of 575 points. 

As the much anticipated pre-season testing creeps up on us, we are reminded of where we were a year ago. Nobody could have expected the wild turns we got to witness in what was an action-packed year.

McLaren’s Year

Pre-season testing for the 2024 season starts on the 21st February. Following the final race in Abu Dhabi last year, standouts such as McLaren have given us lots of discussion as we head into 2024. 

Unfortunately, McLaren started their 2023 season in Bahrain in much worse shape than they thought. In a shock result, 0 points were scored and rookie driver Oscar Piastri gained a DNF.

“2024 could hold some incredibly exciting battles”

The rest of the season continued in a similar fashion until the Austrian Grand Prix. The team made huge upgrades for the race, with Lando Norris taking home a P4 position.

McLaren have since launched a ‘Whatever It Takes’ campaign, following their livery reveal. It identifies that the team are aware of their standard last season, but are doing “whatever it takes” in order to fight for the Championship title in 2024.

The Sprint Calendar

The 2024 sprint calendar has also seen some changes. China and Miami are hosting the first two sprints of the season, alongside Austria, Austin, Brazil and Qatar. 

Sprint weekends always provide an extra bit of excitement for the calendar, with some teams coming in with surprise performances.

Whilst success is expected from the Scuderia Ferrari team, sprint weekends tend to hold an extra impressive bite. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc tends to perform exceptionally well during these weekends and consistently brings a fight to the Red Bulls. 

Rookie driver Oscar Piastri, who races for McLaren, took his first Formula 1 win in the Qatar sprint. 2024 could hold some incredibly exciting battles during these short, speedy races. 

We can also expect to see the second Las Vegas Grand Prix, which provided exhilarating high-speed battles down the famous Boulevard. Fans were surprised by the last minute overtake by Leclerc on Sergio Perez to clutch P2e.

Finishing Contracts

Off the track, we have lots of drivers whose contracts are ending at the end of the 2024 season. There are lots of rumours as to what contracts have been agreed. These include talks of another five-year contract for Leclerc and Perez signing for one-year before moving to Audi.

“The shuffle could cause some pressure on drivers.”

There could also be a potential shift in the Alpha Tauri team, with rookie driver Liam Lawson supposedly in talks for the 2025 season. 

Here is the full list of drivers whose contracts are running out:

  • Sergio Perez
  • Charles Leclerc
  • Carlos Sainz
  • Fernando Alonso
  • Lance Stroll
  • Esteban Ocon
  • Pierre Gasly
  • Valterri Bottas
  • Zhou Guanyu
  • Yuki Tsunoda
  • Daniel Ricciardo 
  • Kevin Magnussen
  • Nico Hulkenberg
  • Alex Albon
  • Logan Sargeant

Typically, the contract renewals happen mid-season, over the summer break. The shuffle usually puts pressure on drivers, particularly those who need to perform in order to secure their seat for the following year. 

Impressive Performances

With the incredible season that Red Bull had, there were very few times that the team were outperformed. However, the Singapore Grand Prix saw the legacy-building RB-19 fail to reach expectations. 

Carlos Sainz performed strategically throughout the race, after taking pole position ahead of Russell and Leclerc. He provided the McLaren of Norris with enough of a gap to not allow an advantage, saving his former teammate from the Mercedes of Russell.

However, this wasn’t the only time the Ferrari drivers took strategy into their own hands to risk their positions for the good of the team. In the final race of 2023, Ferrari and Mercedes were in a last-race battle to secure P2 in the championship.

In a desperate attempt to win the position, Leclerc was prepared to sacrifice his P2 in the race to Sergio Perez. His decision was made in the hopes of creating enough of a gap between Russell and Perez to cancel out his five-second penalty. 

It’s these strategic moments between the drivers that create an incredible atmosphere during the last laps of the races. The nail-biting moments delivered during the final few 2023 races have created further excitement for the season ahead.

We are likely to see history being made in 2024. With McLaren closing in on Red Bull, there are battles brewing on the track.

To view the full Formula 1 2024 schedule, click here.

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Featured image courtesy of Randomwinner via Pixabay. No changes have been made to this image. Image license found here.

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