As the crowd dispersed home and the final car crossed the chequered line at Abu Dhabi last weekend, we said our final goodbyes to many of our favourite drivers. This has us all looking back on another thrilling yet totally unpredictable season that saw McLaren rising through the construction ranks and of course, cemented another World Championship for Verstappen.
The 2024 season has been a record-breaking and thrilling year, featuring 24 races across iconic and new venues, including the return of the Chinese Grand Prix after a hiatus since 2019.
Lando Norris claimed his maiden F1 victory at the Miami GP, showcasing McLaren’s resurgence. In turn, alongside teammate Piastri, contributed to Team Papaya’s first construction championship since 1998. Despite his obvious great fortune of being stuck in front of the SC, his performance for the remaining 24 laps absolutely can not be undermined. A great deal of precision, caution and just overall good driving landed him on the top step in May. Verstappen appeared to be taking on his inevitable win until the race was spun around the midpoint (literally).
Unfortunate for Sargeant, who DNF’d his home race (and one of his last), but incredibly fortunate for Norris, who gained almost an entire lap advantage. Norris jumped from P6 to race leader in a matter of minutes, capitalising on a mid-race Safety Car to pit and then eased away from the Red Bull driver, with at one point an entire 30-second lead. The 25-year-old had for some time been a race-winner-in-waiting, and for the likes of us who remember the disasters of Sochi, this was a much needed and well deserved comeback. A revival that had him fighting Verstappen for the championship for the remainder of the season.
Speaking of Sargeant, the ‘24 season has become his finale in an F1 car. However, single seater racing hasn’t seen the last of him as his move to the American racing series IndyCar is well underway. Being the first American to score points since Michael Andretti in the 1993 Italian Grand Prix, the young rookie sure did his best with what he had. Though it was kind of expected and he wasn’t the best driver on the grid by any means, you can’t help but feel bad for the American. It was almost unfair not to let Sargeant compete in his final few races before being replaced by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz next season. Not only is it insulting to put an exceptional driver like Sainz in blue but it personally didn’t make sense to drop Logan at all.
However, with pre-season (2025) testing currently in process, Sainz appears to be doing exceptionally well in a car not made to showcase his talent. Climbing his way to the top of the time sheets in Williams. Perhaps 2025 won’t be so bad for the ex-Ferrari driver after all. His departure from the Italian team was tearsome and many will mourn his switch from red to blue. Though I must say his career with Williams looks surprisingly promising – of course not to the same degree as his time under Vasseur.
Alongside Sainz’s move to Williams, Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari, and the departure of many fan favourites, the ‘25 season will welcome a plethora of new rookies to the grid. Such as Ollie Bearman, Kimi Antonelli and Jack Doohan. Although I’m happy to see new talent surfacing, it personally seems pointless to replace much more experienced drivers with rookies. Yet time will tell and their success will either shine or plummet as they debut.
The cars also drastically improved this year with teams adopting advanced technologies. Including new aerodynamic concepts and machine learning tools to enhance race strategy. Additionally, the 2024 calendar was streamlined to improve sustainability, aligning with F1’s Net Zero 2030 goals to reduce CO2 emissions, which will continue for many seasons to come.
My personal predictions for the 2025 season – Norris and Russel have a very good chance at ripping the championship from under Verstappen’s wing. However, with their dominance in recent years, Red Bull are likely to remain strong, especially if their car design continues to innovate. Ferrari’s form is also unpredictable, but if they can fix their strategic issues and build a more consistent car, Leclerc and Hamilton could contend for wins more regularly in a strong technical season.
With drama on and off the grid, fans have witnessed unpredictable outcomes, fierce competition, and the emergence of future stars in what has been one of the most engaging seasons to date. The 2025 season sure has big shoes to fill.