Written by Alrissa Mariam, Edited by Tarun Suresh
While the first half of the season had us biting our nails and on the edge of our seats since we were expecting Red Bull to dominate every single race, it left us wondering and craving for more action as we witnessed a major turn of events for plenty of teams.
Here are some things we can expect when the 2024 Formula One season returns for it's second half:
McLaren vs Red Bull
It's no secret that McLaren has been at the top of their game from the beginning of the season, following their improvement-driven surge towards the end of last year's races. The team's last-minute performance caught people's attention, and they finished fourth in the constructors' championship.
As Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri persistently battle Max Verstappen for the lead throughout most of the races, McLaren has been pushing Red Bull throughout the first half of this season, winning points in each race.
In addition to being only 78 points behind leader Verstappen in the driver's championship, Norris is currently in second while Piastri is in fourth place, 10 points behind third-place Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc.
Perhaps we could simply carry on from where we halted, with Red Bull ahead of McLaren by just 42 points. The upgrades that resulted in the wins for both of team papaya's drivers are evidence of their dedication and hunger for additional victories and points.
2. The Driver Market
During the summer break, the world of motorsport was served with news that Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz would be joining Williams Racing in 2025 with future teammate Alex Albon. This line-up has been said to be one of the best looking forward.
However, questions still exist for the other drivers, namely Logan Sargeant, Kevin Magnussen, Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, and Daniel Ricciardo. There are doubts about Sargeant's continued involvement in Formula 1 by the 2025 season, given that Sainz has assumed his seat at Williams.
All summer long, contract talks have been ongoing, giving us a suspenseful silly season. But as the break draws to a close, perhaps we will finally learn who will be racing alongside Mercedes’ George Russell, VCARB’s Yuki Tsunoda, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, and Stake F1’s Nico Hulkenberg.
3. A Silver Arrow comeback
Verstappen and Norris engaged in a dogfight for the lead during the Austrian Grand Prix, which culminated in a collision at Turn 1 of Lap 64. Russell secured his second career victory by taking the lead at the exact moment when the two leaders lost control, therefore earning his team major points as well.
Things took a surprising turn at Silverstone when Russell retired due to a water system problem, leaving Hamilton and the two McLarens to fight it out with Verstappen. Hamilton ultimately defeated his longtime rival Verstappen by 1.4 seconds to claim a record-breaking ninth victory at a single track.
Between the 2021 Saudi Arabian and the 2024 British Grand Prix, it had been 945 days that passed since Lewis Hamilton won a race. That is nearly three years.
During the Belgian Grand Prix, Mercedes triumphed once more through George Russell's victory. However, Russell's car was disqualified after it was discovered to be underweight following the race.
This resulted in Hamilton being promoted to P1 and winning the race as he had come behind his teammate on the podium.
Could we be witnessing the comeback of the Silver Arrows? Maybe we are. But with Hamilton leaving the team at the end of the season to join Ferrari in 2025, it is unclear who would take his place and whether the driver would be able to follow up with the legacy the seven-time world champion would be leaving behind with the team.
4. The three remaining Sprint races
The second half of the season will bring us the remaining three sprint races in the Circuit of the Americas, Interlagos and Qatar.
Sprint races are usually exciting, given the fact that it’s for a shorter amount of laps compared to the Sunday races. It is a 100km dash to the chequered flag with no pit stops unless you happen to be unfortunate enough to hit something and need a repair.
With COTA, Interlagos and Qatar having the perfect overtaking opportunities, these race weekends should provide us with an exciting Saturday like China, Miami and Austria have.
5. A battle to the finish line
The season's finale is just nine races away, and Red Bull and McLaren, the two leading contenders, are vying for the championship. In an attempt to get as near to the championship trophy as possible, or perhaps even win it themselves for the first time since 1998, team Papaya will be straining to the breaking point.
With 79 points separating the two teams, Ferrari and Mercedes will be fighting it out for third place in the constructor's championship in another round of Red or Black.
Mercedes might easily surpass Ferrari once more, just like they did the previous season if the Prancing Horses continue their streak of errors and disappointing upgrades.
Meanwhile, keeping an eye on the midfield and backmarker teams would be interesting. Aston Martin, VCARB and Haas are duking it out for fifth place in the standings, while Stake F1, Williams, and Alpine are all frantically attempting to stay out of the bottom spot in the constructors' rankings.
Hass has proven to be something of a surprise this season. Ayao Komatsu, the recently appointed team principal, has demonstrated his suitability as a successor to Guenther Steiner.
When the season resumes, we should absolutely anticipate a lot more from the team, especially as Hulkenberg has largely been leading the charge from the bottom.
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