Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credits: DPPI / DPPI Media / DPPI via AFP 5:30 p.m., February 29, 2024
The 2024 Formula 1 season begins this weekend with the Bahrain Grand Prix, the race of which will exceptionally take place on Saturday.
Favorite teams and drivers, latest trends, complete calendar... Europe 1 takes stock before the official launch of the season.
At the dawn of a season where Red Bull and its champion Max Verstappen appear as the benchmark for the 2024 Formula 1 field, behind which teams like Ferrari, Mercedes and others will do well to rise to the rank "best of the rest"?
The 2024 season officially starts this Friday, with qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix, followed by the race on Saturday, and not on Sunday in respect of Ramadan.
Europe 1 takes an overview of what awaits F1 enthusiasts this year.
The Grand Prix calendar for the 2024 season:
Bahrain:
March 2
Saudi Arabia:
March 9
Australia:
March 23
Japan:
April 6
China:
April 20
United States (Miami):
May 5
Italy (Emilia-Romagna):
May 19
Monaco:
May 26
Canada:
June 9
Spain:
June 23
Austria:
June 30
Great Britain:
July 7
Hungary:
July 21
Belgium:
July 28
Netherlands:
August 25
Italy (Monza):
September 1
Azerbaijan:
September 15
Singapore:
September 22
United States (Americas):
October 20
Mexico:
October 27
Brazil:
November 3
United States (Las Vegas):
November 23
Qatar:
December 1
Abu Dhabi:
December 8
Verstappen and Red Bull, (still) the big favorites
In the paddock, there is already no doubt that 2024 will be promised to Red Bull, as the domination of its champion Max Verstappen is insolent at the wheel of a well-born and well-developed single-seater since the arrival in 2022 of new regulations aerodynamic, still in force.
To try to catch up with the reigning champion team, the competition this year developed cars more resembling the latest Red Bulls... when the Austrian team, victorious last year in 21 GPs out of 22, made the surprising choice to move away from it in order to maintain the gap with the peloton.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner cleared of 'inappropriate behavior' charges
Christian Horner, historic boss of the Red Bull Formula 1 team targeted by an internal investigation for "inappropriate behavior", has been cleared, the Austrian company announced on Wednesday before the first Grand Prix of the season in Bahrain this weekend .
“The complaint was dismissed,” Red Bull’s parent company said in a statement, “convinced that the investigation was fair, rigorous and impartial.”
For its new RB20, the team is moving in particular towards a change in aerodynamic concept, a daring bet, but clearly already on the path to success according to the pre-season tests.
"One car seems to have taken a big step forward, unfortunately it is the car that was already the fastest last year," admitted McLaren boss Andrea Stella.
Although it must be remembered that some teams can hide their game during testing, they are unanimous: Red Bull and “Mad Max” will once again be in the lead this year.
"I think that 19 drivers (out of 20, editor's note) in the paddock today believe that they will not win the championship", already notes the double 2005-2006 world champion Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin).
Ferrari particularly fast during pre-season testing
On the Sakhir track in Bahrain, the scene of the inaugural round of the season which will deliver a first verdict on Saturday, Ferrari showed itself particularly quickly during pre-season testing.
“I think I can say that we are off to a good start, if only by looking at our own performances,” said the French boss of the Scuderia, Frédéric Vasseur, at the dawn of his second season at the head of the legendary team.
Arriving on the Gulf island with an SF-24 that is "95% new" compared to last year, the Prancing Horse team, third force on the field in 2023, now seems to be able to limit the deterioration of the tires which until then had plagued his races.
"In terms of 'handling', the car is also much better than last year", relishes Charles Leclerc.
Enough to upset Red Bull?
“My first impression is that Red Bull still has a good head start,” tempers the Monegasque.
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“More work remains to be done”, according to Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Like Ferrari with whom it fought until the end for the title of vice-champion in 2023, Mercedes has also had a facelift for 2024. Several teams have opted for a profound change to their car before the arrival in 2026 of a new technical regulation.
Thus, the car "2025 will probably not be entirely new", explains the technical director of Mercedes, James Allison, and this, "in order to have the firepower necessary to design" that of 2026, within the framework of respecting the budget ceiling.
With its new W15, Mercedes is moving forward with cautious optimism, but hopes to finally be back on track after two seasons of suffering.
If, in the garage of the eight-time world champion, we were satisfied with these three days of tests, "work still remains to be done", according to Lewis Hamilton, who will compete in his twelfth - and final - season with Mercedes before to join Ferrari next year.
“But we have an excellent basis on which to work,” he also assures.
According to some specialists and commentators, the W15 could have the potential to fight against Ferrari in the leading pack behind Red Bull.
When others see McLaren passing him in front.
The Aston Martin team more discreet than last year
McLaren in fact, which - although having faced some mechanical problems in Bahrain - is doing much better than a year ago.
Driven by a surge in performance since the summer of 2023, the English team, 4th in the championship last year, almost systematically placed its two drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in the Top 10 during testing.
However, Norris tempers, “we are still very far from Red Bull and far from Ferrari”.
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As for Aston Martin, impressive during testing last year and throughout the first part of the season, the British team was more discreet this week - it should be remembered that some people can hide their game during testing.
For the moment, it is difficult to say where the team is really located, 5th force in the field in 2023. "Everyone has taken a step forward this year, we see that the concepts and ideas are more or less the same for everyone now, the fight risks being close and very intense", already promises its driver Fernando Alonso.
Indeed, the stability of the regulations, in force since 2022, has allowed teams to converge towards more or less similar concepts.
Several have released in Bahrain a single-seater which resembles the design of the latest Red Bull which, for its part, has made the bet of moving away from it to keep the competition at a safe distance.
What results for French drivers at Alpine?
In the second part of the ranking, AlphaTauri, which this year became Racing Bulls, demonstrated astonishing form during testing.
Red Bull's little sister team, 8th in the constructors' standings in 2023, has strengthened ties with the world champion.
What should worry Alpine, a disappointing 6th overall last year?
For the 2024 vintage, the French team started from a blank page to design its new A524, a bet that its Norman pilots Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly hope will win.
The drivers for the 2024 season:
Red Bull:
Max Verstappen (26 years old, PB) and Sergio Pérez (34 years old, MEX)
Mercedes:
Lewis Hamilton (39 years old, GB) and George Russell (26 years old, GB)
Ferrari:
Charles Leclerc (26 years old, MON) and Carlos Sainz Jr (29 years old, ESP)
McLaren:
Lando Norris (24 years old, GB) and Oscar Piastri (22 years old, AUS)
Aston Martin:
Fernando Alonso (42 years old, ESP) and Lance Stroll (25 years old, CAN)
Alpine:
Esteban Ocon (27 years old, FRA) and Pierre Gasly (28 years old, FRA)
Williams:
Alexander Albon (27 years old, THA) and Logan Sargeant (23 years old, USA)
Racing Bulls (ex-AlphaTauri):
Yuki Tsunoda (23 years old, JAP) and Daniel Ricciardo (34 years old, AUS).
Sauber (ex-Alfa Romeo):
Valtteri Bottas (34 years old, FIN) and Zhou Guanyu (24 years old, CHI)
Haas:
Kevin Magnussen (31 years old, DAN) and Nico Hulkenberg (36 years old, ALL)