Formula 1 is a globe-trotting sport, participating in around 22 races annually. During these competitions, 20 talented drivers representing 10 different teams face off. Each team consists of only 2 drivers, making it one of the most unique sports in the world. In this scenario, each driver competes fervently to secure their spot in the team, leading to thrilling challenges every weekend.
The 2024 season, officially commencing on Saturday, March 2, with the first race at the Bahrain International Circuit, will feature a total of 24 races, setting a new record as the longest season in Formula 1 history.
The races have an approximate duration of two hours, during which drivers showcase their skills to set the best times on each circuit and seize the lead. In this frenetic challenge, the strategy and skill of both drivers and their teams are crucial for success.
Throughout each competition weekend, drivers have the opportunity to accumulate individual points if they finish the race in a position higher than tenth. These points are also added to the total of the team to which they belong.
These 24 races will take place in different countries across the five continents. The United States will host three of them: one in Miami at the Miami International Autodrome, the second at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, also known as COTA, and the third in Las Vegas, Nevada, on a street circuit winding through The Strip, a sector of the Boulevard, covering areas of Paradise and Winchester.
This season promises to be full of excitement as over 50% of the drivers are nearing the expiration of their contracts, which conclude at the end of this year. Throughout the season, they will be immersed in intense negotiations to renew contracts with current teams or explore new alliances with different teams, ensuring their participation for the 2025 season.
Even before the official start of the season, news and speculations about the continuity of various drivers in different teams have surfaced. One announcement that left fans astonished was Lewis Hamilton’s, a seven-time world champion and current Mercedes driver, decision to leave the team at the end of the 2024 season. The surprise was even greater when he confirmed his upcoming move to the Italian Ferrari team, marking a significant change for the start of the 2025 season.
Additionally, contract extensions of standout drivers have been revealed, such as Charles Leclerc at Ferrari and Lando Norris at McLaren.
This Wednesday marked the end of the winter break, bringing the single-seaters back to the racetrack for pre-season testing. These tests were divided into six sessions, two per day over three days, each lasting four hours. In this phase, each team assigned one driver to the morning session and the other to the afternoon session.
Although it is still early to draw definitive conclusions, it is already apparent that some teams, like Ferrari and McLaren, have significantly improved their single-seaters for this year. These teams are competitive, posting times that closely resemble those of the current world champion, Max Verstappen, from Red Bull Racing.
This improvement in the performance of certain teams fuels the expectations of spectators eagerly anticipating a season filled with competitiveness and intense battles for both championships: the drivers’ championship and the constructors’ championship, recognizing the best driver and the most outstanding team, respectively.
Are you ready to rev up the engines?