We are just a day away from the start of the 2024 season of Formula 1. The pre-season testing in Bahrain has been completed and the teams have had a chance to zoom around the track with their new toys. There are no major regulation changes this year nor has there been a change in the driver lineup. That is not to say that fans have nothing to speculate and think about. Max Verstappen might be on his way to get the same number of Word Championships as Sebastien Vettel this year and the regulations being the same could mean that many of the teams might have a chance to make big strides. Plus, thanks to some drama during the winter break, the in-team dynamics will be something we will look forward to. So, Here are some of the biggest questions that we think have to be answered in the upcoming season.
Q. Will Red Bull continue to dominate?
The last two seasons of F1 have been all about Red Bull and Max Verstappen dominating the field. While Ferrari was somewhat in the fight at the start of the 2022 season, they quickly fell behind. In 2023, it looked like Max was almost untouchable. Not only has he been driving like a machine, his actual machine has been quick and reliable. The deadly combo has even left a lot of fans disinterested in the sport. So, the biggest question heading into the next season will be about anyone challenging Red Bull. Realistically, there seems to be no hope on that front but for the sake of keeping the interest in the season alive, let us pray that some miracles do make their way onto the grid.
Q. Will Hamilton get support for his last season?
Lewis Hamilton has a storied history with the Mercedes F1 team. The Brit won six of his seven world titles with the Brackley outfit. However, it has been somewhat visible that the team has now been prioritising new talent. They already have George Russell in the team and with Hamilton on the way out, it would not be a surprise to see the team favour the younger driver more in the coming season. While Toto Wolff has said that Hamilton will get full support from the team for his final year with the outfit, the world of F1 can be rather political and ruthless. This driver pairing has been together for two seasons and while Russell outscored Hamilton in 2022, it was the other way around last year. Which driver remains more dominant in the W15 is something we will have to see.
Q. Will Carlos Sainz be on a war footing?
A consequence of Hamilton moving to Ferrari in 2025 is that this is Carlos Sainz’s last year with the Italian outfit. He currently has made no announcements about signing with another team and is weighing out his options. Not that anyone doubts his capabilities as an F1 driver (he was the only non-Red Bull race winner in 2023 after all) but the pressure would be on and we might see a more aggressive side of Sainz. This would be to prove his worth as a driver to teams that might have the budget and the car to extract the most out of the package. Conversely, he might also be more susceptible to making mistakes under pressure.
Q. Future of Haas with new management
Over the past few years, people have come to know about the Haas F1 team mostly due to the popularity of their team principal - Guenther Steiner. He became an internet sensation after his unfiltered attitude was put on display by the Netflix documentary series, Drive to Survive. However, to the shock of fans, Haas recently announced that Steiner had been let go. He was replaced by Ayao Komatsu who has been filling engineering duties in the team thus far. The driver lineup remains the same and from what we saw at the pre-season testing, the car concept has not changed radically either. So, will changing the bossman of the team bring about any positive change that Haas desperately needs?
Q. McLaren in the fight for the top two spots?
McLaren has not been in the Top 2 of the Constructors’ Championship since 2011 when giants like Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button were driving for them. Now they once again have two talented drivers and the car looked very competitive by the end of last year. If they take the right development path, they could be competitive from the start of the season and challenge the likes of Mercedes and Red Bull. Despite a slow start and dropping low in the standings at the start of 2023, the team managed to score a big haul of points in the closing stint of the season. If they can manage the same form from the start of 2024, the top two spots could easily be there for the taking.
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