The fourth is with Max but just barely
The 2024 Formula One and MotoGP seasons didn’t just provide endless entertainment on-and-off-the-track, but they left a trail of rubber that told tales of speed, which will only make 2025 an even better year.
Here, Obakeng Meletse looks at the biggest talking points from the 2024 season.
KTM failed to live up to expectations
Ten points separated new champion Jorge Martin (508) from Francesco Bagnaia (498). It was a two-horse race that could only be settled on the final race of the season, and Martin, after leading the way for the large part of the season, deservedly became the first independent rider to win the riders’ championship in the MotoGP-era.
Meanwhile, Brad Binder (215) fought off tough competition from future teammate Pedro Acosta (215) to secure a fifth-place finish by a slender two points. The South African-rider would have hoped for a different outcome at the beginning of the season, but his RC16 bike never quite reached its optimum peak.
F1 had its twists and turns
The perfect facade of Red Bull showed some serious cracks this season.
Despite Max Verstappen winning his fourth consecutive world title, the inner team turmoil that unfolded at the beginning of the season, and lack of competitive edge at the end of the 2024, suggests that the clouds have gathered over Red Bull, as they lost out to the constructors championship.
McLaren rose to the top, mostly through Lando Norris, and put a twist on the drivers championship, potentially ending what has been a dominant period for Verstappen and Co.
The signs of discord around the team were clear for all to see. Team principal Christian Horner's accusations of inappropriate and controlling behaviour by a former female employee set an unwanted tone early on in the season.
Verstappen continued to have a solid start to the season with five wins from a possible seven, but his team's topsy-turvy off-track issues further worsened with chief engineer and technical officer Adrian Newey’s shock announcement that he would be leaving the team.
The team’s performance has declined since then, and whether the two are linked can be left to the imagination, but one thing is for certain: teams have closed the gap, and heading to the next season, things will be a bit more even on track.
Silver Arrows’ struggles continued
Toto Wolff and his Mercedes team have gone from dominating the turbo hybrid-era with as many as seven championships between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg to a team that, for quite some time, has been spinning wheels in a mud pit of despair.
The past three years have been about getting back to the top, and they have been on a constant hunt for consistent performance,. Their search for a competitive car will continue next season.
The Brackley-based team will have a new pairing of George Russell and 18-year-old Italian prospect Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who replaces Hamilton following his move to Ferrari.
With only four wins from the 24 races this season, there were a few where they even failed to explain their winning performances. Their inconsistent performances placed them fourth in the constructors championship, and the hope heading into next season will be to quickly strike a good balance with their car to be more competitive.
Norris will need more than a fast car
From out of nowhere, McLaren emerged as drivers’ championship contenders, and for the large part of the second half of the season, they seemed worthy challengers. Their first win in the constructors after a 26-year wait, put them head and shoulders above the rest as the season drew to a close.
Norris, meanwhile, will be fairly confident heading into the next season. His friendship with Verstappen was put to the ultimate test after a few wheel-to-wheel encounters as McLaren began to make inroads at the front.
If he is to win his maiden championship, he will need to overcome such tough competition, not just from the defending champion but possibly from a strong Ferrari line-up and his teammate Oscar Piastri, who silently showed just how competitive he is when behind the McLaren wheel.
Ferrari need to kick on
They haven’t had an out-and-out fast car, but they have shown enough potential and growth within the last three seasons for them to mount a challenge next season.
Their second-place finish in this season’s constructors backs up their progress, and with Charles Leclerc now partnered by the ever-hungry Hamilton, this could be their turn to launch a full-on attack to claim both championships.
Hamilton left Mercedes after a couple of painful seasons where he couldn’t even buy a race win. His move to Ferrari is more about completing a dream move than joining a team that will clearly fight for a championship, but as we have seen with the decline of Red Bull and the rise of McLaren, a lot can happen in just one season.
Carlos Sainz to bring his smooth operation to Williams
The Spaniard has had a taste of what it will be like to be part of the Williams team following the 2025 post-season test in Abu Dhabi, where he completed a mammoth 146 laps and secured the second-best time on the day, but 0.125 slower than former teammate Leclerc (1.23.510).
The move to Williams could potentially not yield immediate results for the former McLaren driver, but there is a lot of promise looking into the future with James Vowles leading the way to get the team back to its glory days.