Caryss Green, 25
The 2024 season started the same as the last, with Max Verstappen dominating the first races of the season. He won 7 of the first 10 races, and in the few races he did not win, Verstappen finished second, sixth, and in the third, he did not finish. Verstappen won in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Japan, China, Italy, Canada, and Spain. Along with Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren frequently featured on the early season podiums. These three teams are all contenders for the Constructors’ Championship that McLaren currently leads with a total of 544 points. Red Bull follows in second with 504 points with Ferrari just after them with 496 points.
Carlos Sainz was the first non-Red Bull driver to win this season. Sainz won the third race of the season in Australia, and his teammate Charles Leclerc finished behind him, giving Ferrari their first 1-2 finish of the season. Lando Norris claimed the third and final spot on the podium, a glimpse of the McLarens’ speed in the coming races.
The next new driver to win a race was McLaren’s Lando Norris. Norris claimed his first-ever victory in Miami, beating Max Verstappen by over 7 seconds. Verstappen and Leclerc joined him on the podium, marking the three teams as each other’s main competitors this year. Norris also won in the Netherlands and in Singapore. The podium of the Dutch Grand Prix was identical to Miami’s, and the podium in Singapore once again featured Verstappen in Second, but Oscar Piastri took third. Like Norris, Piastri also won his very first race this season. He stood on the top step of the podium in Hungary then again in Azerbaijan. McLaren’s drivers have won 5 races and stood on the podium an additional 13 times.
Similarly, Charles Leclerc has also experienced much success. He has finished on the podium in 10 of the 19 races including Saudi Arabia, Australia, Miami, Italy, Monaco, Belgium, The Netherlands, Monza, Azerbaijan, and Austin. Of those 10, he won 3. All of them marked significant events for him. Monaco was his first victory this season. Monaco is his home race, and winning the Grand Prix made him the first Monegasque to win the race. Winning at home also broke the “Monaco Curse” which fans blamed for his bad luck at the race in previous years. His second win in Monza brought even more celebration from Ferrari fans. The race is Ferrari’s home race, so the Tifosi (Ferrari fans) appeared in full force to cheer him on. Lecler’s third win took place in Austin. With Verstappen and Norris fighting at the start of the race, Leclerc stole the lead, and from then until the end of the race, it was clear that he would be the victor.
With only 5 races left, it has yet to be determined who will claim the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships. The Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull teams have all shown great strength throughout the season, but only one can be crowned the 2024 champion.