It’s been a year of highs and lows and fierce competition. With seven race winners across four constructors, this season has been one for the history books. But who came out on top? A ranking of the top 5 drivers of the 2024 season.

Max Verstappen

Without a doubt, Max Verstappen has been one of the best drivers this year. The recently crowned world champion secured the driver’s world championship for the fourth year in a row. With this feat, he joins an impressive list of previous champions who’ve done the same: Hamilton (2017-2020), Vettel (2010-2013), Schumacher (2000-2004), and Fangio (1954-1957).

But unlike the previous year, it’d be difficult for sceptics to argue Verstappen had it easy this season. Whilst a strong start gave him the necessary step up in this championship battle, the Red Bull has not replicated the dominance it had in previous seasons. For this reason, Verstappen’s championship victory in Las Vegas this year is all the more impressive.

Stats

Race wins: 9
Podiums: 14
Pole positions: 8

Best performance: Brazil

Brazil was a tenuous weekend for Verstappen. After getting stuck behind Leclerc for 18 of 24 laps during the sprint race and a controversially-timed red flag in Q3 later in the day, it looked like Brazil would not be the weekend for the Red Bull driver. With his closest rival, Lando Norris, starting on pole, talk of the battle for the championship raised in volume. Starting in P17, many were wondering if Verstappen would be able to protect the championship lead he’d maintained throughout the season and McLaren’s progress.

Instead, Verstappen had what has largely been thought of as the greatest performance of his career. By the second lap, he had made up seven positions and, when the rain picked up a third way into the race, the decision to stay out on intermediates whilst the front-runners pitted for wets brought Verstappen up to P2. While many have called the following red flag a stroke of luck for the Dutchman, his skill in keeping the car on track under those conditions long enough for the inevitable red flag to be called shouldn’t be ignored. It was a daring decision from Red Bull and was only effective due to their driver’s ability.

A crucial mistake from Norris following the safety car restart on the 43rd lap took him out of contention and, after passing Ocon for the lead in the same lap, Verstappen sailed through to a dominant victory, finishing 19 seconds ahead of the rest of the grid.

Though many have argued that Red Bull’s dominance at the start of the season is what helped Verstappen secure his fourth world championship, Brazil was proof that he is a force to be reckoned with. Even when everything seemed to be going against him, Verstappen established himself in Brazil as a worthy champion. His mentality, his single-minded tenacity, and his pure skill carried him to victory in some of the worst conditions we’ve witnessed in recent years. For this reason, it is his best performance of the season and, arguably, his greatest of all time.

Worst performance: Mexico

In contrast, Mexico might be considered the worst performance for Verstappen this season. At the height of the championship battle conversation, starting P2 in Mexico meant Verstappen could have been in contention for his first victory since Spain. Unfortunately for the Red Bull driver, two moments of reckless aggression lost him any chance at securing a significant haul of points.

After losing the lead to Carlos Sainz on the 9th lap, Verstappen looked set to lose another position to his closest championship rival. The first attempt from Norris was met by an aggressive Verstappen who pushed him wide off track. Another scuffle in the following few turns took both drivers off track, losing position to Leclerc behind. Inarguably, it was over the line of clean racing from Verstappen and it gained him two 10-second penalties from the FIA for ‘forcing another driver off track’ and ‘for leaving the track and gaining an advantage’.

In the end, Verstappen finished a race he might have been able to win in sixth. Though the Red Bull wasn’t quickest that weekend, at the very least, he might have been in contention for a podium if not for the aggressive moves made on Norris. Of course, in hindsight, Verstappen still went on to secure the championship two races before the end of the season. But Mexico can be considered a moment of foolishness from Verstappen and reflects some of the more reckless driving from the his initial seasons in Formula 1.

Charles Leclerc

After the disappointment of the previous year, Ferrari came into the 2024 season looking for a replica of the performance they had in the early stages of 2022. Whilst they might not have achieved this, Ferrari still had an impressive season. Finishing close behind McLaren in the constructors championship with five race wins, it was a strong season for Ferrari overall and for Charles Leclerc especially.

Having secured three race wins across the season, Leclerc matched the number of victories he gained back in 2022. However, 2024 can be considered a vastly different season for the Monaco-born driver. Having finished in the top five 21 times and the top four 18 times, Leclerc was the most consistent driver across the grid this season. In contrast, his closest rivals Verstappen and Norris finished in the top five 19 and 18 times and the top four 14 and 16 times respectively. This is an incredibly impressive feat considering the Ferrari was, on average, the third fastest car throughout the season. Despite having finished in third and losing a close constructors’ battle, Leclerc remains the most consistent and the second-strongest driver across the season.

Stats

Race wins: 3
Podiums: 13
Pole positions: 3

Best performance: Italy (Monza)

Heading into Monza, McLaren was largely considered the fastest car on the grid. For the previous three races, at least one McLaren had finished in the top 2. With both McLaren drivers qualifying 1-2 in Monza, it looked like the Woking-based team was on course to secure their fourth race win of the season. Instead, like Verstappen, Leclerc did the unthinkable. When the McLarens came into the pits for the second time on the 33rd and 39th lap, Ferrari kept Leclerc out. On 38-lap old tyres, Leclerc managed to keep the lead throughout the race. Not once did he falter with the threat of the fast-approaching McLarens behind him and he went on to secure his second race win at his team’s home race in grandeur.

With his performance in Abu Dhabi in contention, Leclerc’s win in Monza might not be his most impressive drive to date, but it was undoubtedly the best for fans of Leclerc and of Ferrari. Having won his home race in Monaco for the first time only a few months prior, it was a special season for Leclerc and Monza can be considered the necessary prize after four years of disappointment and struggle. It was the perfect synopsis for everything the Italian team and their driver had gone through, a risky strategy winning them their first home victory in five years.

Worst performance: Austria/Great Britain

It was difficult choosing Leclerc’s worst performance in 2024. With the kind of consistency he’s demonstrated across the season, there isn’t a clear-cut example of a time he’s made a race-defining mistake. His blunder in qualifying in Abu Dhabi could be considered one, but this was easily rectified when Leclerc made up 11 positions in the first lap alone (thereby, bringing him out higher than he would’ve qualified in the first place with his 10-place grid penalty). Piastri passing him in Azerbaijan for the win could be considered another one, but many believe that the McLaren’s unsanctioned rear wing meant Leclerc and Ferrari never really had a chance during that race.

In the end, the only races that could be considered the “worst” for Leclerc are the ones that were never his fault in the first place: Austria and Great Britain. After his win in Monaco, the sudden plummet in results leading up to the summer break was a shock for many fans. Whilst his teammate’s performances remained relatively the same as they had previously, Leclerc finished the Austrian and Great British Grand Prix in 11th and 14th respectively. With the additional DNF in Canada, Leclerc only managed to secure 10 points in the four races post-Monaco. While this could be considered a demonstration of a drop in performance for Leclerc, we know now that it was a necessary evil. Whilst Sainz returned to the earlier version of the car, Leclerc spent the races following Monaco testing aggressive setups. This sacrifice was crucial for improving the state of the Ferrari by the second half of the season. Without it, they might have never gotten as close to winning the constructors’ championship as they very nearly did. Therefore, whilst it was a disappointing period for the Monegasque, in the greater picture it was imperative.

Lando Norris

Whilst the McLaren driver has had some disappointing moments this season, it would be unfair to suggest that Lando Norris should be ranked any lower than third this season. Having finished 82 points ahead of his teammate, it’s clear that Norris had a principal role in securing his team the constructors championship this year. He has been consistent and has had strong performances across the board. Without a doubt, his success in qualifying this year is the most notable feature of his performance, having matched Verstappen with eight poles across the season. While he has some improvements to make if he wants to pursue the driver’s championship next year, he is surely on his way to getting there.

Stats

Race wins: 4
Podiums: 13
Pole positions: 8

Best performance: Miami

After 110 races, Norris managed to secure his first race win at Miami this year. It was a pivotal moment for both McLaren and Norris, marking the beginning of the team’s pursuit towards winning their first constructors’ championship since 1998. A well-timed safety car once the rest of the grid had already pitted allowed Norris to maintain the lead he’d adopted. Despite pressure from Verstappen and Leclerc behind, Norris managed to keep his lead for the rest of the race and declined to succumb to the pressure from behind.

Though, it wasn’t his most dominant victory of the season – the Singapore and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix would take that trophy – it was a strong start for Norris in the charge towards the drivers’ and constructors’ championship. Clean and little to no mistakes: the kind of Grand Prix win every driver would like to have. He did everything he needed to do.

Worst performance: Brazil

Brazil was a stark contrast to Miami. Norris had everything lined up for him: pole position, his closest rivals in 6th (Leclerc) and 17th (Verstappen), and three of the four grid spots behind him taken up by inferior cars (RB and Alpine). Despite having almost all the cards in his favour, Norris finished the race in 6th behind both Leclerc and Verstappen. So, what went wrong?

Of the two pole positions Norris gained across the 2024 season, he only managed to keep the lead past the first lap in two: Singapore and Abu Dhabi. A recurring issue for the Brit and Brazil was no different. Norris lost the lead to George Russell before the first turn and failed to regain it in the following 29 laps. Though McLaren did manage the undercut on Russell, this decision was soon overshadowed by a red flag just three laps later. Consequently, Norris would restart the race behind the three drivers ahead who’d stayed out. It was unlucky for the British driver, though the chance of a podium was still foreseeable. However, Norris made two crucial, rookie mistakes after this. First, by losing grip and slipping off track on lap 34, letting Russell by. Second, by doing the same post-safety car restart on lap 43, losing track position to Leclerc and his teammate (Oscar Piastri). A series of mistakes throughout this race would lose Norris any chance he had at the drivers’ championship and, therefore, was his worst performance of the season.

George

Though not the most memorable driver of this season, George Russell has had a very strong year. Finishing ahead of his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, by 22 points and beating him 19-5 in qualifying head-to-head, Russell had the second-best season of his career to date. He managed to secure two race wins, bringing his career total up to three, and finished sixth in the driver’s championship. Though he gained fewer points and finished lower than he did in 2022, the Mercedes was only fourth fastest this year compared to 2022 when it was third. Next to Verstappen, Leclerc and Norris, he was the best of the rest, frequently outperforming the car in qualifying and making very few mistakes on race day. Though Russell’s race pace suffered in comparison to his teammate, he did the best he could’ve done with the tricky, uncooperative car he was given.

Stats

Race wins: 2
Podiums: 4
Pole positions: 4

Best performance: Belgium

Russell gave strong performances in Austria, Belgium and Las Vegas, making the most of the few races the Mercedes had pace to compete upfront. Belgium especially was a strong moment for Russell as he stayed out while his competitors chose to pit, nursing his tyres for 34 laps until the end of the race. If not for an unlucky disqualification when the car was found underweight at Spa, he would have matched Leclerc for race wins this season.

Worst performance: Qatar

Russell benefitted from his strong qualifying performances throughout the season, but he often failed to make an impact on the drivers ahead. Arguably, his worst performance was Qatar where he lost the lead to Verstappen and Norris before the first lap and finished fourth despite starting on pole.

Carlos

Like his teammate, Carlos Sainz had a strong season in 2024. As his last with Ferrari, he managed to add two more race wins to his catalogue and finished fifth in the drivers’ championship for the third time. Surgery for the removal of his appendix meant he missed the Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia, which wouldn’t have helped his chances in the fight, but he had a strong season despite it. A few unfortunate mistakes across the season might have cost the team the constructors championship, but Sainz remained consistent and kept up with his teammate to the best of his abilities across each race weekend.

Stats

Race wins: 2
Podiums: 9
Pole positions: 1

Best performance: Australia

Certainly, Sainz’s best performance of the season was in Australia where he took advantage of a DNF from the leading driver, Verstappen, and went on to win his first victory of the season. It was a necessary drive for the Spaniard who’d recently been replaced by Lewis Hamilton and left without a seat for the 2025 season.

Worst performance: Azerbaijan

Alternatively, Sainz’s worst drive of the season was in Azerbaijan when an irresponsible collision with Sergio Perez whilst chasing Leclerc in the closing stages of the race lost him a potential 18 points. In hindsight, this points haulage would have made the difference for Ferrari in the constructors’ championship and, therefore, was a mediocre moment for the now Williams driver.

Summary

In all, this has been an exciting year for Formula 1. After the fairly uneventful dominance from Red Bull last season, a championship battle crossing multiple teams and drivers is exactly what the sport has needed. Hopefully, next year will follow the trajectory this one has taken and Verstappen might finally get some competition for the drivers’ championship crown.