It’s the tip of the 12 months, the low season for many main race collection (though not all – step ahead Method E…) and the proper time for RACER to look again on only a few of the numerous accomplishments from 2024 in our Champions Subject.
However first, let’s rewind to one thing we mentioned again within the spring… In RACER’s 2024 Method 1 Preview, we considerably pessimistically acknowledged that “Removed from closing the hole with their very own developments, Purple Bull’s rivals are chasing a shifting goal as soon as once more.”
Seems we had been improper and that, because of McLaren’s hugely-significant improve package deal that got here on-line at Could’s Miami Grand Prix and Ferrari’s perseverance in finding out a ground improve that originally wasn’t, we ended the 2024 season with three groups able to successful on any given weekend. Even 4 from time to time, because of Mercedes discovering its candy spot on the chilly and slippery streets of Las Vegas.
In the long run, it was honors even between Purple Bull Racing and McLaren-Mercedes. The previous’s Max Verstappen put in maybe his best season but for a fourth consecutive drivers’ championship, whereas the latter’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collectively edged out Ferrari for the constructors’ title – the primary workforce to win a championship with a buyer energy unit because the heady days of Brawn in 2009.
So roll on 2025, with the very actual prospect of a season-long face to face between Norris and Verstappen. And maybe add in Piastri, Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, and even George Russell and Mercedes, too.
Sure, after three seasons of maturation for the new-for-2022 aero guidelines and a decade of relative stability for the turbo-hybrid energy items launched in 2014, Method 1 lastly appears to be like set to ship the evenly-matched, multi-team title battle in ’25 that we’ve all been ready for.
However what about after that?
Ready within the wings is F1’s tech overhaul for 2026, that includes main aero adjustments and a major makeover for the facility items. Guidelines resets of comparable magnitude have tended to result in one workforce dominating, at the least within the early going. However with F1 this good proper now, let’s hope we’re proved improper on that one, too.
However again to 2024, and our look again on the F1 season contains some perception on why Max and McLaren break up the titles (and, no, it’s not all simply all the way down to Sergio Perez’s tanking season at Purple Bull) and our tackle the highest 5 drivers from a marketing campaign that noticed seven a number of winners from 4 totally different groups. We additionally get set for the arrival of a rookie wave in 2025, with our concentrate on Kimi Antonelli taking up Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton’s drive at Mercedes. Expectations are certain to be excessive for the Italian teenager, so it’s going to be a captivating debut season.
Persevering with the champions theme, we speak to newly-minted triple NASCAR Cup Collection champ Joey Logano, whose second title in three seasons made it a third-straight Cup championship for Crew Penske.
And staying with Penske, we have a look at how Porsche Penske Motorsport’s third season working the Stuttgart marque’s 963 LMDh protototypes in each the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship delivered a near-full set of titles in 2024.
Additionally on this situation, we speak to the NTT IndyCar Collection’ best brains to learn the way they discover a efficiency edge in a near-spec, ultra-competitive area, have fun Thierry Neuville lastly touchdown an FIA World Rally Championship title, and examine in with world motocross nice Jorge Prado as he switches to Monster Power Supercross’s packed stadiums.
And that’s one other 12 months within the books. It was a blast placing this remaining situation of 2024 collectively. We hope you take pleasure in it, and we stay up for bringing you the perfect of world motorsports in 2025.
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