The longest Formula One season in history concluded in Abu Dhabi last weekend, bringing the curtain down on an enthralling year during which the pecking order see-sawed, keeping the fans invested until the final race. The Hindu looks at some of the major talking points from the season gone by and gazes into the crystal ball to see what 2025 could offer.
Four-way title fight in 2025?
At the start of the year, it seemed as if Red Bull and Max Verstappen would run away with both titles after winning four of the first five races.
But from Miami, McLaren slowly established itself as a front-runner. However, the team’s operational weakness and driver errors meant it did not maximise its package, allowing Verstappen to add three more wins at events where he probably did not have the fastest car.
McLaren had the fastest car through the summer, even as Red Bull suffered a steep dip in its fortunes. Only Verstappen was able to cover his team’s flaws. In between, Mercedes joined the party, snatching three opportunistic victories.
After the summer break, Ferrari became a genuine contender, and the Italian marque made McLaren sweat it out for the constructors’ championship, falling short by just 14 points.
Considering the current regulations stay stable next year ahead of the big shake-up in 2026, the pecking order is unlikely to change drastically unless any team blunders.
Ferrari and McLaren closed the season strongly, while Red Bull addressed some key weaknesses later in the year. If Mercedes can design a car that has a wider operating window than it has now, the intriguing possibility of a four-way title battle opens up.
Captivating driver field
Though Verstappen had to wait until Las Vegas to seal the drivers’ crown and was made to work hard for it, Lando Norris never got close enough to apply real pressure on the four-time champion. Norris, in his first year in a title fight, showed there are still chinks in his armour, notably in his wheel-to-wheel abilities, especially when battling the Dutchman.
Red alert: Next season, all eyes will be on Lewis Hamilton in a resurgent Ferrari, but he will have a formidable competitor in teammate Charles Leclerc. | Photo credit: Getty Images
It will be interesting to see how Norris addresses his potential weakness next season now that he knows what it is to be in a championship fight. At the same time, Norris will also have to be wary of teammate Oscar Piastri, who took a step in the right direction in his sophomore campaign, claiming two victories. The Australian needs to improve his qualifying performances, as he was often slower by a tenth or two, and needs to be more consistent in races.
Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari that is on an upward swing. The seven-time champion appeared to lack motivation this year, and he will hope the change will renew his spirit. But he will have a formidable competitor in teammate Charles Leclerc, who was arguably the second-best driver after Verstappen in 2024.
The incumbent Ferrari driver is considered one of the best of the new generation alongside Verstappen and has dealt admirably with the latter on the track. However, Leclerc has not had a car to showcase his full potential, barring the first half of 2022, when he was in contention before the Scuderia’s challenge fizzled out.
Mercedes, too, will have an interesting line-up of George Russell and rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli. For Russell, it is a chance to grow out of Hamilton’s shadow and establish himself as the team leader. Antonelli is the dark horse. The hype and buzz surrounding him is enormous, and the German team must carefully manage the young Italian.
Verstappen’s legacy
Having won four championships on the bounce, Verstappen has already shattered many records and etched his name among the greats. While the final points margin made it look like an easy win, it’s also a stark reminder of how good he has been in 2024, when you account for the fact he has had the second- or third-best car for most of the season.
There is a case to be made that any other driver in that Red Bull would have lost the title, as evidenced by the fact that he scored 437 points while teammate Sergio Perez had only 152. Verstappen showed how big a difference he could make, with no better example than his stirring drive in wet Interlagos, where he charged from 17th to win the race by nearly 20 seconds.
When drivers go on title-winning runs, it becomes easy to downplay their skills, especially if they have a superior package, as Verstappen did in 2022 and ’23.
Undisputed: In 2024, Verstappen buried the notion that he needs a fast car to win and bullet-proofed his legacy. | Photo credit: Getty Images
Even though he showcased exceptional driving ability in 2021, the controversy surrounding the manner in which he won the title in the last race in Abu Dhabi has always been held against him. In 2024, Verstappen, once and for all, buried the notion that he needs a fast car to win. More than the record books, this triumph has accentuated his legacy.
Developmental race to hit pause?
Next year, one of the subplots to observe will be how the teams tackle their developmental plans. With a massive regulations change in store for 2026, teams could switch their focus by mid-season. However, it gets complicated when they are locked in an intense battle. In 2022, Red Bull took advantage of the big rejig and laid the foundation for Verstappen’s three crowns. But now, without the services of design genius Adrian Newey, it is crucial for the energy drink giant to prove it can manage in the absence of F1’s most accomplished designer.
Having lost the fight in the constructors’ standings this year, Red Bull’s current design team has a point to prove. Finishing third gives the former champion slightly more wind tunnel and CFD time than McLaren or Ferrari and could, in a way, help it prepare for the new era.
Untangling the mess at the FIA
While the action on track this season has often been brilliant, the same can’t be said about the happenings off-track. The governing body, the FIA — mainly its president Mohammed Ben Sulayem — and the drivers have not been on the same page on key issues. There has been a massive churn in the FIA, with key people leaving the organisation. The race director, Niels Wittich, was asked to leave ahead of the Las Vegas GP, and the drivers said that they should have been kept in the loop about such a massive change.
Recently, the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) issued a strong statement against the apex body’s decision, led by its president, to police foul language during official FIA press conferences and institute fines and punishments for anyone swearing. The president seems to be attracting needless controversies and would be better off focusing on more pertinent matters, such as having a panel of permanent stewards to ensure more consistent decision-making.
Published – December 13, 2024 11:30 pm IST
