Formula 1 heads into the summer break in better shape than in a long time, with the top of the grid having never been more competitive. This is a refreshing change from the last decade of dominant cars sandwiching the most spiteful, controversial Championship battle of all time. So while the teams take a hard-earned break The Gurgler team are just getting to work, looking at the first half of the season with our 2024 F1 Season Half Season Report.
Yes we acknowledge that the season has seen 14 races so far of 24, so this is not technically halfway through the season, but what better time to do it when there’s no race for four weeks.
Our 2024 F1 Season Half Season Report has a quick visual summary of each driver so far, with a summary and in order of our thoughts on their 2024 performance. It also features our 2024 Driver of the Year points, which is too hard to explain here in full but we assign points from all sessions over each weekend for a truer reflection of who is killing it in F1 and who is not. Read the latest ratings via the link below.
READ MORE: 2024 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX RATING
READ MORE: 2024 F1 SEASON TEAM MATE WARS
READ MORE: 2024 F1 SEASON SUMMARY
2024 F1 Season Summary
A quick overview of the 2024 F1 Season so far.
2024 F1 Season Half Season Report by Driver
Whilst not at the 2023 levels of dominance, the Max Verstappen-Red Bull package is formidable. Max has still won half the races and he took seven poles in a row to start the season and taken two more since. He has thrashed his team mate, who hasn’t put up much of a fight, the only non win in the Race-Qualifying H2H this season was when Verstappen retired. But the field has caught up and he is not getting things his own way. In saying that he should be far enough ahead to win the Championship. But races like Hungary showed his true colours when not winning.
Has been the second best driver for most of the season, and with the McLaren looking as good as anything has an outside chance at the title. A popular win in Miami is one of eight podiums for the season, just one short of Max Verstappen. Always a factor in qualifying too. Made some bad starts in last few races which have likely cost wins. His behaviour post-race in Hungary was a little ugly.
Got a deserved first win which has been coming, and there are many more to come. Hard to believe this is only 1.5 seasons in. It does help to have a fast car, but he is doing the job. Whilst not totally matching his team mate Lando Norris, you could argue he makes fewer mistakes than his more experience team mate. His win in Hungary the basis of that. Given the car’s pace, his improved racecraft seen in Belgium and his unflappable demeanour he is a real dark horse for the Championship. At $101 it’s worth a dollar or two. Bet early, bet often.
Looked the biggest rival to Max Verstappen before the McLaren and his Ferrari went in different directions of compeditiveness. Always a factor in every session usually, except the occasional shocker like in Canada, and would be good to see him in a car he doesn’t have to overdrive.
A bit of recency bias here, as not much to choose from any of the Mercedes and Ferrari drivers. His record against George Russell is below par but Lewis Hamilton has won two races and is looking increasingly compeditive. Although one was a gift offered up by his team mate and team. Which is a far cry from talk earlier in the season of sabotage.
Got lucky in Austria, and then unlucky in Belgium with F1 wins. The drive in Belgium was a goodun’ although one does wonder how deliberate the underweight car was. His qualifying H2H is impressive leading Lewis Hamilton 10-4.
Good win in Australia but hit and miss since. And you’d have to wonder why he was overlooked by Mercedes and Red Bull and took so long to sort out his 2025 plans if he was universally seen as an outstanding prospect.
The car is nowhere as good as last season, so Fernando Alonso has slipped down our best drivers list. Can still pop up and be a factor on any day, and any session, just the 2024 Aston Martin is allowing fewer of those days.
Some heroic qualifying as ever, and some very good race finishes as well, plus a likeability factor keeps the Hulk high on the list for drivers in 2024. Earned himself a contract with Sauber/Audi for 2025, but doubtful that will be a step up. For now, getting maximum from cars.
Maybe it’s the lack of races, and therefore opportunities to stuff up that has Oliver Bearman so high on our list after just one race, but it was some kind of effort. His weekend of almost making Q3 after short notice, then out-driving some much more experienced drivers to score points on debut puts some of the dross we’ve seen from other drivers this season to shame. Luckily he has a Haas contract already sorted for 2025, as he couldn’t rely on his F2 season.
Has handled the Daniel Ricciardo team mate battle and hype reasonably well. Maybe not at the first race of the season where he nearly sideswiped his team mate after the chequered flag, but overall has a healthy lead in the H2H and points over Ricciardo. But advantage is slipping away as Ricciardo fights back, and maybe the one-off speculation about the Red Bull drive has been too much a distraction.
A hot and mostly cold season for Daniel Ricciardo who has driven some good races this season, notably the Maimi Sprint Race, but there has been some terrible gear in between. Japan was a first lap exit, but he was dead unlucky the next race thanks to Lance Stroll. Just that kind of season. What this season hasn’t been is one of dominance from the more experienced driver looking for the top drive. He has also yet to gain a spot from his grid slot in any race this season.
Albon has thrashed his team mate again in 2024, and he should, but you couldn’t argue he has been better in 2024 than 2023. And a much tougher team mate test awaits in 2025.
Always hard to tell how he’s going, and hard to like enough to care. In fairness is probably doing a better job in 2024 and has done a much better job v Fernando Alonso. But it is still hard to care, even more so if his Dad recruits Adrian Newey to design the new car.
Lucky not to have been dropped immediately after colliding with his team mate at Monaco when the team had qualified as good as they had. But if an Alpine looks like doing something slightly above mediocre, it’s feels like more often than not it will be Ocon.
An ordinary season with the occasional blip of performance like Monaco. But generally either breaking down or midfield fodder.
Driving probably the worst car in the field, which makes any trip to Q3 outstanding. Thrashed his team mate in qualifying. Doing what he can. Worth keeping on for Sauber, mainly because no one else will probably want to go there.
Last season in the sun for part two of Kevin Magnussen’s career. The feelgood return of 2023 has evaporated, and he has been generally outperformed by the Hulk. But still shows the occasional glimpse of speed, sadly the midfield is a long way behind the top four cars in 2024.
This website has been tough on Sergio Perez this season, and with good cause. You’d be hard pressed to see a driver with this level of car performing so badly. Even worse if you go back to some of last season too. His qualifying performances have been so bad recently that it drags the Red Bull stats to 4th best. As is stands they’re heading for second best in the Constructors. The fact that he was given a two year deal in the middle of a form slump tells you a lot about where the Newey-less Red Bull team will end up. Powerbrokers have kept Perez in a seat for the second half of the season, when it looked like for all money that he would be canned. He should have been.
Potentially the most obscure F1 career since the days of Pre-Qualifying in the 1980’s and 1990’s. The car is absolutely not good enough, and Zhou extracts a mediocre level of talent out of it. Pointless describes the Championship standings and relative performance.
It’s easy to pick on him, because he’s not that great, but his season is summed up when at the third race in Australia his own team took his car away to give it to a better driver – his team mate. Nuff said.
