Now that System 1’s 2024 world drivers’ championship has been secured by Max Verstappen after Las Vegas, it could possibly be assumed that the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are little greater than useless rubbers. In actuality, the 2024 season is much from over as there’s nonetheless lots to play for throughout the ultimate two races.
A number of the honours left to put declare are extra useful than others – each status and prize cash are on the desk. Listed below are the battles that stay to be concluded on this 2024 season.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, leads Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photos
Which group can be world champion in 2024?
Though the drivers’ championship is nicely and really over, the constructors’ championship continues to be in full swing. As well as, the race between McLaren and Ferrari, first and second within the standings, may be very shut and will supply one thing of a spectacle.
McLaren presently leads the best way with 608 factors, whereas the Prancing Horse has 584. Ferrari managed to take 12 factors out of McLaren’s benefit on the Las Vegas Grand Prix, lowering the hole to 24 factors. The Nevada spherical gave the impression to be Ferrari’s final actual alternative to ship a decisive blow to McLaren’s lead, because the final two rounds needs to be extra beneficial to the Woking outfit.
Nonetheless, nothing is set between the 2 groups, and it should not be forgotten that Crimson Bull continues to be in mathematical competition. The reigning world champion is greater than 50 factors behind McLaren and, though it’s potential to shut the hole, there is a slim likelihood of that taking place.
Crimson Bull adviser Helmut Marko declared after the race final weekend that the constructors’ championship was now not potential for Crimson Bull, admitting that Sergio Perez’s travails within the second automobile had delivered a major hit to its possibilities. “Checo has over 200 factors lower than Max, after which it is clear that the constructors’ title is now not potential. If Sergio was anyplace close to [Lewis] Hamilton and [George] Russell or Ferrari and even McLaren, then we’d be nicely forward once more.”
Essentially the most lifelike goal for the Milton Keynes group appears to be second place within the championship, though it should overhaul Ferrari’s 29-point lead within the standings.
Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Staff, 2nd place, and Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari, third place, discuss in Parc Ferme
Photograph by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Photos
Which driver can be drivers’ championship runner-up in 2024?
Lando Norris continues to be second to Verstappen for the second, with 340 factors on the board. However Charles Leclerc has outscored Norris throughout the previous 4 races and is now simply 21 factors behind Norris.
He should beat the Briton comprehensively over the following two rounds, which can be a troublesome ask if the character of the Qatar and Abu Dhabi circuits play extra into the fingers of the McLaren chassis. Oscar Piastri is probably not within the body for second, however might take third if Leclerc toils – and the Australian has prior success on the Losail circuit, having received his first dash victory in Qatar final 12 months.
Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, Esteban Ocon, Alpine A524
Photograph by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Photos
Which mid-grid group would be the highest ranked?
There are solely 4 factors separating Haas, Alpine, and RB within the group standings. Whereas Alpine had pulled off a masterstroke on the Brazilian Grand Prix and pocketed 35 factors in a single go, which had propelled them straight forward of its rivals, the French squad misplaced its benefit with an terrible race in Las Vegas for each drivers.
Pierre Gasly was on track to attain large factors as soon as once more because of his very good second row qualifying, however an engine downside would finish his possibilities halfway by way of the race. Esteban Ocon hopes of a high 10 had been dashed when the group didn’t react to its personal pit name and no mechanics had been there to greet him. Nico Hulkenberg’s sturdy efficiency allowed Haas to reclaim sixth place within the championship.
With 50 factors, the American group solely has a one-point lead over Alpine, which has 49. Behind, RB has 46 factors and was in a position to stay in touching distance because of Yuki Tsunoda’s tidy run to ninth.
Aston Martin is probably going out of attain in fifth, with a 36-point lead over Haas. Nonetheless, the British group’s current performances and the eye-watering hole of 339 factors to the fourth-placed Mercedes have already prompted a technical rethink; Dan Fallows was relieved of his tasks as technical director.
Sergio Perez, Crimson Bull Racing
Photograph by: Crimson Bull Content material Pool
Who can be alongside Max Verstappen in 2025?
The final two grands prix of 2024 will seemingly contribute to the choice over which driver will accompany Tsunoda at RB in 2025. Nonetheless, one other vital issue comes into play: the way forward for Sergio Perez. The Mexican’s season has been dismal, and his mediocre outcomes on the wheel of the RB20 versus that of his title-winning team-mate has seemingly price Crimson Bull the constructors’ championship.
This has led to constant hypothesis that the 34-year-old driver will go away, particularly since there’s a queue for Perez’s seat. Tsunoda and Liam Lawson are hoping to maneuver as much as the principle group and have additionally confirmed with their newest race outcomes that they each deserve an opportunity on the major group.
Will Tsunoda handle to “proceed to destroy” his team-mates and get the chance that he has coveted for therefore lengthy? Will or not it’s Lawson who leapfrogs the Japanese driver within the Crimson Bull pecking order – or will Perez find yourself staying on the group in any case? Helmut Marko has revealed {that a} assembly with Crimson Bull shareholders, which is able to happen after Abu Dhabi, will resolve the way forward for the 2 groups’ line-ups.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Staff
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photos
Will Hamilton end in his worst place within the championship?
Given the tribulations of Lewis Hamilton’s 2024 season, all eyes have been on 2025 for a while, when he’ll lastly don the pink of Ferrari. Sadly for the seven-time world champion, the 2024 marketing campaign is just not over and will nicely put obstacles in his method till the tip.
Between his poor qualifying performances and the ordeals he skilled on the wheel of the W15, 2024 can be one among his least pleasant seasons. Till then, the Mercedes driver had by no means completed worse than sixth within the drivers’ standings – again in 2022. He is presently seventh, 11 factors behind his team-mate in entrance of him, with two rounds nonetheless to run.
Regardless, the Briton has loved some important excessive factors to a usually low-key 12 months; his victory at Silverstone or extra lately his efficiency within the streets of Las Vegas have been the clear peaks. Nonetheless, these very well-executed races distinction sharply with different a lot worse outcomes – and his qualifying missteps for the Las Vegas Grand Prix seemingly price him the victory.
Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Staff KICK Sauber C44, Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Staff KICK Sauber C44
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photos
Will Sauber rating a degree in 2024?
It is not a very encouraging statistic, significantly for these at Audi ready to place their title to an F1 group: Sauber has not scored any factors this season.
The Swiss group has had some flashes of efficiency, nevertheless, significantly final weekend in Las Vegas. The brand new ground launched in Nevada appears to have made the distinction, permitting Zhou to take thirteenth place, whereas additionally permitting himself to overhaul Franco Colapinto on the ultimate lap of the race. May this be sufficient to revive hopes and put an finish to this unlucky statistic?
Qatar had been slightly beneficial to the 2 Saubers (then nonetheless known as Alfa Romeos) final 12 months, yielding its most up-to-date factors end. Though the 2024 vehicles are utterly totally different from these of 2023, any carry-over in efficiency may supply a ultimate likelihood to get one thing on the board earlier than the season is out. Each Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu each completed within the factors at Losail in 2023, eighth and ninth respectably. Abu Dhabi was much less profitable; they completed the finale in seventeenth and nineteenth locations.
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