The 2024 Formula 1 (F1) season threw up a lot of thrill and suspense that left fans on the edge of their seats.
Indeed, the season had seven different race winners from four different constructors, a sign of the closeness and competitiveness that exists across board.
Afrosport reviews 10 notable moments that made 2024 a remarkable one in the F1 paddock.
Hamilton joins Ferrari for 2025
While the Formula 1 paddock was looking towards pre-season testing for the 2024 campaign, they got one of the most unexpected news earlier in the year: Lewis Hamilton was joining Ferrari for the 2025 season.
Hamilton is a six-time world champion with Mercedes and while the past two seasons was one of struggle for the 39-year-old, no one envisaged he would be leaving Mercedes just yet particularly as he still had a contract for 2025.
However, the Stevenage-born driver will now have the chance to drive for a team he has always admired from his childhood.
Verstappen clinches fourth drivers championship on the bounce
Max Verstappen was expected to dominate the 2024 season after his unprecedented 19 wins from 22 races in 2023.
He won five of the opening seven races but began to lose out pace-wise to McLaren, going on a 10-race winless streak.
Despite the deficit, Verstappen showed incredible race craft in his Red Bull to keep Lando Norris at bay and put in the drive of the season when he charged from 17th to win the wet Sao Grand Prix to all but clinch a fourth consecutive World championship that was confirmed in La Vegas.
McLaren win constructors’ title after 26 years
McLaren were without doubt the fastest car in 2024 with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri able to secure six race wins combined and a series of 1-2 finishes.
The extraordinary struggles of Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull gave McLaren the advantage in the constructors championship and with Ferrari not consistent enough with pace across board, McLaren were able to land their first constructors’ championship since 1998.
Ricciardo leaves F1
Daniel Ricciardo is one of the likeable drivers in F1 owing to his reputation of always putting on a smile.
The 2024 season was however not a favourable one for him as he struggled in his Racing Bulls with his teammate Yuki Tsunoda outperforming him by a distance.
This led to the Australian being axed after the Singapore Grand Prix and replaced by Liam Lawson for the remaining races.
It signalled what could be Ricciardo’s potential exit from F1 after 13 years, eight wins, 32 podiums, three pole positions, 17 fastest laps and 1329 career points.
Bearman steals spotlight F1 debut
Oliver Bearman was a relatively unknown name in the F1 paddock when he was drafted in to replace Carlos Sainz for the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix.
The Ferrari academy graduate however took the grid by storm when he finished an impressive seventh in Jeddah ahead of big names Norris and Hamilton.
Bearman’s stellar performance in Saudi Arabia ultimately landed him a race seat with Haas for 2025.
Sainz joins Williams for 2025
Lewis Hamilton took Carlos Sainz’s seat at Ferrari for 2025 and for a driver of his quality, it was expected he would move to a big team.
Mercedes was muted as an option as a direct swap for Hamilton or at Red Bull to replace Sergio Perez. None of it however materialised with Mercedes opting for Italian protege Kimi Antonelli and Red Bull opting to renew Perez’s contract.
Sainz was left with the option of joining midfield team Williams, replacing the misfiring Logan Sargeant.
Rookie Colapinto dazzles
After failing to match up to Alex Albon since joining Williams in 2023, Logan Sargent was dropped by the Grove team after the Dutch Grand Prix.
The American was replaced by Argentine rookie Franco Colapinto who impressed with points finish in two of his opening four races which got the admiration of the entire F1 paddock.
Colapinto’s brilliance led him to being linked with a permanent seat in another F1 team for 2025 and it has not cooled off despite the entire grid being decided.
Poor form from any driver next year could potentially open the door for the 21-year-old.
Sergio Perez axed from Red Bull
Sergio Perez started 2024 strongly with podium finishes in four of the opening five races which set Red Bull up for another year of domination in the constructors’ championship.
Things however began to fall apart for the Mexican after the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix as he failed to finish inside the top five for the rest of the season, recording four DNFs.
It ultimately dropped Red Bull to third in the constructors championship and Perez lost his seat to Liam Lawson from sister team Racing Bulls, despite signing a contract extension earlier in the season.
Adrian Newey departs Red Bull for Aston Martin
Aside from Red Bull Racing suffering a drop in car performance, a number of key technical personnel departed the Milton-Keynes outfit.
Chief of them was Adrian Newey, the head designer and brain behind the cars that landed Red Bull eight drivers and six constructors’ titles.
Newey had been part of the Red Bull project since it took over the Jordan team in 2005 but after two decades, it was announced that the 66-year-old would be leaving to become Managing Technical Partner and shareholder at Aston Martin from 2025.
Cadillac joins grid for 2026
The F1 grid has been known to have 10 teams since 2012 when the likes of Marussia, Caterham and Hispania Racing were active before disbanding.
American outfit Haas was the last team to join the grid in 2016 but another American outfit in Andretti Global Sport, a successful IndyCar team owned by the grandson (Michael Andretti) of 1978 F1 world champion Mario Andretti, made unsuccessful attempts to join the grid.
F1 teams have over the years kicked against an 11th team joining the grid over fears of annual prize money from F1 reducing.
Those fears were however put behind after F1 ratified Cadillac, under the control of parent company General Motors, joining officially from the 2026 season when new engine regulations kick in.
