Over the last decade of Formula 1, we rarely had a close fight for the World Drivers Championship title. In 2021, Max Verstappen broke the domination of Lewis Hamitlon, and then he started dominating F1. The 2023 season was his absolute peak, and the Dutchman broke numerous records on his way to the 3rd consecutive F1 title. But this year is much more different, and we absolutely love it!
Will the WDC slip away from Max Verstappen?
Max Verstappen started the season strong, winning 4 out of 5 races. He was beaten only by Carlos Sainz in Australia, when his Red Bull car broke down, and Max had to retire. The gap was huge, and people already started crowning Max as the champion of 2024. According to F1 betting sites, he still is the favourite to take the Championship, but the odds are not looking as good as couple races ago.
Everything has changed since the Miami Grand Prix, and all the fans of the butterfly effect theory can point the single moment that flipped the whole season upside down. Lap number 23 of 57, when Max Verstappen knocked a bollard in turn 14 with his front wing, caused a Virtual Safety Car, which gave a huge advantage to Lando Norris, who was yet to stop at that time, who won his first F1 race, and started his comeback to the championship fight.
Of course, this was pure bad luck, and cost Max only a few points in the tally, but it was the first weekend in many months, when Max lost the race on track. Not due to a DNF, not because of a driver crashing into him, but he lost it on pure pace.
Holding the advantage
Currently, Max Verstappen has 51 points lead in the Championship fight, and with only 6 races left in the season, it’s likely he will maintain the gap. Even if he was not to win any more races this season, Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc or Oscar Piastri should win all the races, and ideally only one of them should lead the charge for the Championship.
Battle for Second
Although the Championship may be held on to by Max Verstappen, the battle for the 2nd place will be intense. Both Ferrari and McLaren are trading 1st places, and their driver lineup is very close. Although, Lando is in the best position to take 2nd place, the recent win from Piastri poured some gasoline into the fire. And neither of the Ferrari drivers can be crossed out too.
Charles Leclerc won 2 races this season, both considered his home Grand Prix.. The Monaco Grand Prix, and the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. But Leclerc’s strength is not in the races which he won, but in his consistency. Only twice outside the points, and the lowest he finished within TOP10 is P5. Carlos Sainz is far more behind currently 2nd Norris, so his position is the most difficult, but again, it’s not impossible
Constructors’ battle
If you think the battle for World Drivers Championship is tense, you clearly did not follow the Constructors battle. After the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, McLaren took the lead in the WCC for the first time since the 2014 Australian Grand Prix. It took the Papaya team over a decade to bounce back to the top, but their car is absolutely the best on the grid currently, and the strong due of Norris and Piastri delivers the results.
Although they are losing the battle to Max Verstappen, their consistency put McLaren in the prime spot for a potential charge to the Championship. Red Bull can blame only themselves for keeping Sergio Perez in the team. The Mexican driver has been a pain in the neck since the 5th round in Imola, and despite averaging 8th place finish in the last 12 races, Red Bull didn’t decide to replace him with Liam Lawson or Daniel Ricciardo throughout the season.
Now, Red Bull seems to be plummeting down the order, as Max is unable to gather all the points for the team and bring them back to the Championship fight. At first, they were overtaken by McLaren, now they are within the reach of Ferrari, and considering the momentum, it’s the Tifosi of Scuderia who can have a big smile on their faces.
Predictions for the 2025 season
Ferrari on the charge
Ferrari regained some momentum by winning the Italian Grand Prix, and taking 2nd in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, as well as their P5 and P7 finish under the lights in the Singapore Grand Prix, despite an awful qualifying session. The team seemed to be losing in the development race in the midpoint of the season, but the package of improvements brought to Monza seemed to have worked wonders.
Knowing that Lewis Hamilton will be joining the Scuderia in 2025, Ferrari will be extremely competitive. Two strong drivers, who can always deliver great results, combined with the “Grande Machina” is a connection as Spicy, as the Schumacher – Barichello duo in Ferrari prime years.
Season of truth in McLaren
McLaren will start the 2025 season in their absolute best shape in many years. Lando and Oscar are not as powerful due as Charles and Lewis, but their car seems to have the advantage over the rest of the grid. If they can stop losing points through strategic problems and Lap 1 issues, they will be able to report themselves as the title contenders from the 1st lap of the 2025 calendar.
Collapsing Red Bull
Red Bull’s 2025 F1 season could turn into a bittersweet chapter. With team spirit and morale on the decline, the years of domination are over, and RB is now showing signs of internal fractures. The tension is palpable, and the mood around the garage isn’t what it used to be. Despite their technological edge, the cracks in communication and collaboration are widening.
Max Verstappen, may well be eyeing the door after the season, as the tension between him and Marco have been growing steadily. The rumors of his departure swirl, fueled by a sense that Red Bull’s reign is faltering. It feels like the house of cards is collapsing, with Verstappen possibly driving his final season for the team. If this truly is his swan song with Red Bull, it could be a dawn of the 9 season he spent with the team.
The loyalty at one point must be questioned, because Max has been overperforming for the team, and it doesn’t seem like anyone can have any concerns whether the Dutchman gave his best. With an uncompetitive season, he will likely maintain the WDC lead, but he cannot push the team to P1 in constructors alone.
What to expect from the rest of the 2024 F1 season?
It’s possible that Abu Dhabi will deliver us a great season finale, similar to the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where Sebastian Vettel took his first championship, but there were 4 contenders entering the final stage. For all the F1 fans, it would be the best to have a final race worth the big finale.
