Formula 1, also known as F1, is the highest class of international single-seater auto racing. It features a series of races known as a Grand Prix. There are ten teams: Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, Aston Martin, Alpine, Williams, Haas, Sauber, and RB. Each of these teams has 2 drivers each. F1 cars are known for their speed, advanced technology, and high-performance engineering.
This past F1 season has been a roller coaster. The starting grid of this year was the exact same as the ending grid of last year. Everyone believed it would be boring like last year, with Red Bull winning all but one race. This year, there have been seven race winners: Max Verstappen, Carlos Sianz, Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, and Oscar Piastri.
The beginning of the season started off just like the end of the last. Max Verstappen won most of the races and the audience once again listened to the Dutch National Anthem at the end of every race, the same way we did last season. Max Verstappen won the first group of races only losing in Australia to Sianz due to having a crash at the beginning of the race.
The next time Verstappen would lose would be in Miami. This time he would lose to Lando Norris. This was Norris’s first win in his past 6 years in Formula 1. This was a momentous moment for McLaren and would mark a turning point in this season. This was the race when McLaren realized that they had a car that was a contender for both the driver and title championship. In the following race in Imola, Verstappen only beat Norris only by 0.7 seconds, providing a close race that left the audience on the edge of their seats for what would happen at the next race.
The following race was the most famous Grand Prix, the Monaco Grand Prix. Additionally, this grand prix is Charles Leclerc’s home grand prix which he has been unable to win for the past 7 years despite starting on pole (starting first) multiple times. This was a very powerful moment for everyone watching, especially considering Leclerc’s tragic past and how much winning this race means to him. When he won the race on the VR (virtual reality), he started crying. He later went on to win this race in honor of his dead dad and dead godfather.
The next couple of Grand Prixs were won by Verstappen. During the Austrian Grand Prix, Norris and Verstappen were fighting for who was going to get first, and while they were trying to overtake each other they crashed leading Norris to DNF (not finish the race) and Verstappen to go back to the pit lane losing time. This allowed George Russell from Mercedes to take his first victory of the year.
The Silverstone Grand Prix was a very emotional race for all especially Lewis Hamilton fans since this is his last home race with Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, has been racing for Mercedes since 2013. Lewis’s teammate Russell stole the pole from him, yet later in the race Lewis would overtake him and win this grand prix. This would be Hamilton’s last home race win with Mercedes which left many fans in tears since they have been together for so long. When one hears Mercedes the first thing they think of is Lewis Hamilton.
The following grand prix was the Hungarian Grand Prix. During this race Norris started on pole, yet after turn 1 his teammate Piastri overtook him and was leading the race. Mclaren pitted Norris before Piastri which allowed for Norris to undercut Piastri and take the lead in the grand prix. Mclaren realized they had made a mistake and had to beg Norris to swap places with Piastri. In the end, Norris did give the place back to Piastri. This was also Piastri’s first win in F1 (this is his second season). His win was overshadowed by Mclaren’s terrible call leading this to be the worst one two (Piastri in first and Norris in second) in F1 history. The public later found out that during this time Piastri had a fractured rib meaning he won this race while being in immense pain due to his fracture.
Hamilton would go on to win in the SPA (Belgian Grand Prix) due to Russell being disqualified for his car being underweight. During the 3 week summer break Williams decided to drop one of their drivers, Logan Sargent, and replace him with one of their development drivers from F2, Franco Carlapinto. Norris would then win the Dutch Grand Prix which is Verstappen home race. This race would allow Norris to cut into Verstapen’s lead.
The Italian Grand Prix held in Monza is the most important race for both Ferrari fans and Ferrari drivers. Ferrari is basically the second religion in Italy. Italian Ferrari fans are known as the tifosi. During this year’s race, Leclerc won the race in Monza which he has not done since 2019. Winning at Monza is a huge honor for the team and the driver since they are winning in front of the Tifosi. This is one of the biggest achievements a Ferrari driver can accomplish the only honors that would be better would be winning the championship (driver and/or constructor).
Piastri would go on to win his second grand prix in Baku. This to him felt like his first real win due to all the drama surrounding his last win. The next race was the Singapore Grand Prix and Norris won it with a twenty-second lead. This would also be the race where RB would drop the beloved driver Daniel Riccardo. They did this without a proper goodbye, and he has been in the sport since 2011. Daniel Riccardo deserted a better send-off from a sport he did so much for. In his last race, he did get the fastest lap and gained one point for his team by doing so.
The next race the US Grand Prix held in Texas would later be won by Leclerc and his teammate Sainz would get second leading to an unexpected one-two for Ferrari would give them crucial points in the constructors championship. The following race, the Mexican Grand Prix, would be won by Sainz.
The Brazilian Grand Prix was the first race that Verstappen would win since before the summer break. This would also be the race where Alpine would get an unexpected P2 and P3 since they had been a team at the back of the grid before this race. This was due to the rain which neutralized the car and its abilities. The rain allows for more drivers and drivers in not-as-good cars can do better.
The following race would be the last race held in the US for this season: the Las Vegas Grand Prix which would be won by Russell. This race would also confirm Verstappen as this year’s driver world champion. This is the fourth year in a row of him has won this championship.
The last two races would decide who would be the constructor’s champions and the battle would be between Ferrari and McLaren. It mainly came down to the last race since Verstappen won the Qatar Grand Prix. After this race, Verstappen announced he and his girlfriend would be having a baby together. This race would be the first race where Sauber scored points with Zhou getting P8.
The last race was the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Norris got pole with Piastri in P2. Sainz was in P3 and Leclerc in P19 due to a grid penalty. In the first turn of the race Piastri and Verstappen crash into one another. Piastri had to go to the pits to fix his car and this led to him being in the back of the grid. This meant that Norris had to win the race for McLaren to win the constructors championship since Leclerc had gotten to P3. Norris did not end up folding to the pressure and won the race securing the championship for his team. This was the first time Mclaren had won the constructors championship since 1998 which is before both of their current divers were born.
Photo of three popular drivers taking their picture on the podium at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Next year’s grid will be looking very different with many rookies entering the sport. One of these rookies is Ollie Bearman who raced for Ferrari in the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix scoring points as well. He is the youngest driver to race for Ferrari. He later also drove for Haas and also scored points for them. He is signed to Haas for the 2025 season.
Next year Hamilton will be driving for Ferrari and because of that Sainz will be driving for Williams. A lot of the senior drivers are being replaced with young new talent. The rookies joining next year are: Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Ollie Bearman (Haas), Jack Doohan (Alpine), and Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber). Next year will be the last year with these current regulations, and it will definitely be a season to be excited about.
McLaren celebrating their win at the F1 Constructor’s Championship