Red Bull Racing heads into this year’s Formula One season as the undisputed top gun. So, who will take the fight to them? We check out the field to find some answers…
Love it or loathe it, Red Bull dominated Formula One last year – to a level never seen before. The energy drinks squad won all but one of the 22 races, with Max Verstappen scoring 19 of them, including 10-consecutive from Miami to Monza, both of them records, en-route to his third-straight title. “It’ll be very hard to have another season like this, we know that” said the ever-pragmatic Verstappen following 2023’s final race in Abu Dhabi, where he took his 34th win from the last 44 races. He is now 54th overall for third on the all-time list, sitting behind Michael Schumacher and top man Sir Lewis Hamilton.
You only need to look at the history books to understand how impressive Red Bull’s run was, with the squad well ahead of Mercedes’ previous best (19 of 21 wins in 2016), and McLaren’s efforts with F1 legends Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost in 1988 (15 of 16 wins). But, while the F1 media loves analysing dominant runs and talking up the top squad, with real potential for Red Bull to lead the field through to 2026 given stable technical regulations, there’s no doubt the fans want – and deserve – a fight at the front, for someone to challenge F1’s Dutch superstar.
“We are working hard to again have a very competitive car,” said Verstappen, striking fear in his rivals’ design offices “For sure, all the other teams want to beat us, and we are ready for the battle.” The only weakness at the top team is its second driver, Sergio Pérez, who did what he had to do, and secured second in the drivers’ standings for Red Bull’s first-ever one-two. But he struggled after Verstappen put him in his place in Miami, with a string of fightback drives from Monaco to Hungary, and terrible, nightmare weekends in Japan, Qatar, and Mexico. It’s his drive to lose in 2024, with Aussie Daniel Ricciardo at the top of the list of potential replacements.
McLAREN
McLaren looked to be the closest to Red Bull on balance last year but will need to take another yet another step forward to stay ahead of its rivals, which have underperformed across the last two seasons. The squad was the sport’s big mover last season, with upgrades in Azerbaijan and Austria transforming its season. McLaren then became a podium magnet, with Lando Norris scoring seven of the squad’s total of nine across the last 13 races – helping it to fourth in the constructors’ standings.
Norris also took two Sprint podiums, as did unofficial ‘rookie of the year’ Oscar Piastri, one of which was his maiden Sprint win in Qatar. The young Australian, who is managed by his countryman, ex-F1 driver Mark Webber, proved to be a star of the future last year given his mature race craft and searing, natural pace and won himself a contract extension through to 2026. “I think that we’re fully expecting to go into the year fighting for more, or at least making our good weekends we’ve had this year every weekend,” Piastri said last season. “But I’m sure Mercedes and Ferrari have the same idea.”
FERRARI
Scuderia Ferrari may have been the only team other than Red Bull to win a race last season, with Carlos Sainz on top in Singapore, but the squad must deliver a more competitive car in 2024. The Prancing Horse largely struggled with an unpredictable SF23 car last year, which suffered from excessive tyre wear, and inconsistent pace – across stints and tyre compounds – in races. But Charles Leclerc says Ferrari is confident it will make a “significant step forward,” with knowledge gained since last year’s Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort lifting the red team’s morale.
The Scuderia has gone aggressive on design, though, with 95 per cent of its ’24 car all-new. Only time will tell if Ferrari has done enough to improve on 2023’s result, third in the standings. “You can improve by 100 but if the others are improving by 120, you will look stupid. If they are improving by 80, you will look like a mega hero,” said team boss Frédéric Vasseur.
MERCEDES
Mercedes, which took eight-straight constructors’ titles between 2014 and 2021, will have worked at a relentless pace over the European winter in a bid to fix the embarrassment of two seasons off the pace and a runner-up place in 2023. Last year saw Mercedes finally abandon its controversial “zero-pod” concept, after a disastrous season-opener in Bahrain, where Sir Lewis Hamilton finished in fifth, with his teammate George Russell seventh. The team’s former technical director Mike Elliott ultimately took the fall for it, first swapping roles in April with Merc chief technical officer James Allison, then leaving in November.
The Silver Arrows scored eight podiums last year, six alone from its seven-time World Champion Hamilton, which kept momentum going. But it’s not what the once dominant team is all about. “Ultimately, the aim of all of us here is to win [world] championships, and we weren’t able to deliver that,” said Mercedes’ head of race strategy, Rosie Wait, following Abu Dhabi last year. “However, given the performance we had and the challenges we faced, P2 is a really good result.”
ASTON MARTIN
Aston Martin could again surprise, as it did last season when two-time F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso scored six podiums from the first eight races. It then fell off the pace, care of a puzzling upgrade introduced in Canada. But there’s no doubt that expectations will be higher this year, driven by the squad’s billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll. The Canadian business magnate has pulled out all of the stops for his squad, including a state-of-the-art US$200-million-dollar factory at Silverstone, but his son Lance Stroll (for whom he effectively bought the team) is still yet to show any real flashes of brilliance behind the wheel. So, Alonso is again expected to carry Aston Martin’s hopes and dreams on his back. “Everything will just be easier,” said the Spaniard, who is going into his second season with the team. “We can focus more on performance and preparation for the first couple of races right from day one.”
DOWN THE GRID
Beyond those contenders, Alpine will likely struggle with an off-the-pace Renault engine and needs to find consistent form and stability after its management cull in Belgium last year. Williams could prove a dark horse, with an in-demand Alex Albon sure to be again wringing the car’s neck. It’s another reset for AlphaTauri- turned-Racing Bulls, with Daniel Ricciardo needing to destroy teammate Yuki Tsunoda for a shot at the top team. Stake F1 Team (effectively Sauber) is waiting for Audi (in 2026). Haas will be rudderless without team boss Guenther Steiner, with the much-loved Italian character gone after eponymous team owner Gene believed a new direction was needed to get more from the resources provided.
There will be no shortage of action, with F1 bringing a record 24-stop world tour to the fans – covering 282 days, or just over nine months: from the opening back- to-back in Bahrain (March 2) and Saudi Arabia (March 9), ahead of Australia’s annual turn on March 24, through to the Abu Dhabi grand finale at Yas Marina on December 8. And for the first time, the same grid of drivers carries through into the new season. Strap yourselves in; it’s going to be a big one!
THE CALENDAR
It’s the biggest schedule F1 has ever had, but the only new addition is China – with the Shanghai event returning in April for the first time since 2019.
| DATE | RACE | CIRCUIT |
| March 2 | Bahrain | Sakhir |
| March 9 | Saudi Arabia | Jeddah |
| March 24 | Australia | Melbourne |
| April 7 | Japan | Suzuka |
| April 21 | China | Shanghai |
| May 5 | Miami | Miami |
| May 19 | Emilia Romagna | Imola |
| May 26 | Monaco | Monaco |
| June 9 | Canada | Montreal |
| June 23 | Spain | Barcelona |
| June 30 | Austria | Spielberg |
| July 7 | United Kingdom | Silverstone |
| July 21 | Hungary | Budapest |
| July 28 | Belgium | Spa-Francorchamps |
| August 25 | Netherlands | Zandvoort |
| September 1 | Italy | Monza |
| September 15 | Azerbaijan | Baku |
| September 22 | Singapore | Marina Bay |
| October 20 | USA | Austin |
| October 27 | Mexico | Mexico City |
| November 3 | Brazil | São Paulo |
| November 23 | Las Vegas | Las Vegas |
| December 1 | Qatar | Lusail |
| December 8 | Abu Dhabi | Yas Marina |
ALMOST AUSSIE
Stake F1 Team’s Valtteri Bottas may have been born in Finland, but he has been embracing Aussie culture in a big way since he started going out with Adelaide-born pro cyclist Tiffany Cromwell in 2020. We caught up with the mulleted 34-year-old for a quick chat…
What advice would you give to younger travellers?
Just try and go to places that you’ve never been before. Try and explore as much new places as you can. Be open minded. And don’t make too much of a schedule that it starts to feel like it’s not a holiday. So freestyle sometimes can be good. It can take you to different places. It can take you to meet new people that you would never otherwise do.
What are three key items you always pack?
I’d say my camera and phone, and then all the chargers. But, if you don’t include those things, then it would be a selection of different hats or caps, and even like a bucket hat is good. Oh, and a wine bottle opener!
What’s it like racing at the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix, the other big highlight event in the Asia Pacific region?
It’s a pretty unique Grand Prix. It’s the original F1 night race, and it’s super hot, super humid, so actually a really physical track – and as a driver, not only physical, like really technical. There’s no time to rest, it’s a street track, so you’re going close to the walls, and you just can’t do any mistakes so it’s actually one of the most difficult races in the calendar. But in any case, I always look forward to it, because of the challenge.
What was your first impression of that race?
I remember it was really hectic, like the track is quite bumpy, you’re going close to the walls, and you need to be really focused – a bit like Monaco, in the end. But, even more physical. So, yeah, it’s a tough track to first of all get good qualifying lap but also to finish the race and try and avoid mistakes. But, I still enjoy it because it’s a challenge. And I think also like visually it’s pretty nice Grand Prix with the evening lights and the way they do everything is pretty cool. So as a whole weekend, also for the fans, I think it’s one of the good races.
SINGAPORE SLING TIME
Take your love of the sport to the next level with a dream trip to the Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2024. It’s a perfect post-winter rev-up that promises a tropical climate, elite racing under lights, the hottest music acts on stage, and so much more. Last year’s edition was one of the most exciting races of the entire season, a last lap thriller that saw Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz hold off his former teammate, McLaren’s Lando Norris, to finish just 0.812 tenths of a second ahead at the flag and break Red Bull’s then-15 race winning hot streak (dating back to 2022).
As always, the event is about so much more than racing – with music playing a big part. Although 2024’s acts are yet to be announced, Robbie Williams, Post Malone, Kings of Leon, 88rising, Culture Club, Madness and Groove Armada headlined 2023’s line-up, in which 139 acts performed across 13 stages. There’s been no shortage of quality since 2008, with past headliners including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Muse, The Killers, Dua Lipa, Gwen Stefani, Calvin Harris, Ariana Grande, Queen with Adam Lambert, Imagine Dragons, Bon Jovi, Pharrell Williams, Swedish House Mafia, and more. Beyond the track, Singapore is a dream to get around and the city-state is world-renowned for its cuisine, celebrating its Malay, Indian and Chinese heritage. You cannot go wrong, whether you’re booking five-star or budget, and all with just a seven-hour flight from Sydney or Melbourne, or five from Perth.
The Formula One Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2024 will be held from September 20-22. For more info go to singaporegp.sg
By STEWART BELL
For the full article grab the March 2024 issue of MAXIM Australia from newsagents and convenience locations. Subscribe here.
