Caryss Green, '25 - Editor
The 2024 Formula 1 season picked up right where it left off in 2023. Max Verstappen dominated the first two races, picking up two more wins. Sergio Perez followed right behind him, picking up second place in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
At the season opener in Bahrain, Carlos Saniz picked up the final spot on the podium, and his teammate, Charles Leclerc, finished behind him in fourth. After the first two races Max Verstappen was once again leading the Drivers’ Championship, and Sergio Perez was in second similar to in 2023.
The Saudi Arabia Grand Prix had similar results. However, Leclerc finished on the podium after the two Red Bull drivers, and Carlos Sainz was unable to compete in the race, due to an appendicitis diagnosis that required surgery. 18-year-old Oliver Bearman was called up from F2 to complete the weekend in his place. After having only FP3 in the car beforehand, Bearman qualified 11th and finished 7th in the Grand Prix. He picked up 6 points for Ferrari, and Leclerc grabbed another 16. Bearman received high praise from those at Ferrari and even from members of other teams. In a post-race interview, Leclerc said, “He’s done an exceptional job. To get into a Formula 1 car in FP3 when all the drivers [have] done FP1 [and] FP2, you don’t know the car, the track is one of the most challenging one[s] of the season, and… [he was] straight away on the pace and pushing the car to its limits. So, it has been super impressive to see him so fast straight away, [and] so nice to see him so happy all weekend and so excited… He’s done an amazing job.”
The Australian Grand Prix has been the most exciting race this season. Verstappen, who qualified on pole, DNF’d after just a few laps, leaving Sainz, who was returning after just 16 since his surgery, in the lead. Lewis Hamilton DNF’d shortly after, claiming an engine failure. Hamilton’s teammate, George Russell, crashed on the final lap of the race, which meant a disappointing double DNF for Mercedes. Sainz finished first, making him the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race so far in both the 23’ and 24’ seasons. Leclerc, who qualified fourth, finished second after his teammate, and Lando Norris finished third. Oscar Piastri claimed fourth place with Red Bull’s only race finisher, Sergio Perez, taking fifth place behind him. This race was Ferrari’s first 1-2 finish since Bahrain 2022.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull are currently leading the Drivers’ Championship and the Constructors’ Championship. Ferrari is just 4 points behind Red Bull, and Charles Leclerc is also only 4 points behind Verstappen. Behind Verstappen and Leclerc, Perez is in third place with only a 1-point gap to Leclerc, and Sainz is 6 points behind Perez in fourth.
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