McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull: the three teams that fought for the world titles in the 2024 Formula 1 racing season. At the end of the final round of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which was held at the 5.281-kilometre Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told reporters that the drivers’ championship remains the most prestigious, while the constructors’ title is clearly the most lucrative. Given that the Milton Keynes team has never faced financial issues, it can be concluded that Max Verstappen’s fourth consecutive Formula 1 world championship is more than enough to consider the Austrian team’s season a very successful one.
Sergio Perez’s contribution was so negligible that the racing blue team slipped to third place. It is a well-known fact that a competitive second driver can secure important points for the constructors’ standings and allow the team to plan race strategies where both drivers can work together. However, the 2024 Formula 1 season has highlighted an undeniable factor: teams that relied on a single leader had a greater chance of winning the drivers’ title. If we analyze the results of the other top teams, we discover a key point.
It is evident that internal competition has proven to be self-defeating in the chase for the Dutch hare. Regarding McLaren’s self-sabotage with Lando Norris, there is little to add. Other teams would not have gifted the victory to Oscar Piastri in the Hungarian Grand Prix and would have clarified roles in due time. Instead, even in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the fierce battle at the Roggia caused the English driver to lose two positions, helping Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to secure a memorable race victory in front of the enthusiastic Tifosi. As for the other two top teams, it must be honestly acknowledged that they were never in contention for the drivers’ title.
However, signs of tension between the two sides of the garage were more than evident. One only needs to recall Charles Leclerc’s heated team radio after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, where he practically accused his Maranello teammate of systematically sabotaging him and showing a lack of respect. And this was a meltdown over the lowest step of the podium. From this perspective, Red Bull will never face such issues as long as the Austrian cars are driven by the great talent that is Jos’s son.
Despite Ferrari’s insistence that Charles Leclerc remains the future of the team and the man to build future successes around, Ferrari president John Elkann did not hesitate for a moment to sign Sir Lewis Hamilton. In short, not exactly the profile of a loyal second driver, given his extraordinary track record and his physical and motivational integrity still intact. Therefore, if the Maranello team’s technical project matches the caliber of its drivers, the two “roosters in the same henhouse” might end up taking points away from each other.
The same reasoning applies to McLaren, and we had a glimpse of its potential implications during the just-concluded Formula 1 season. By deciding not to curb Oscar Piastri‘s ambitions, the Woking team cost itself valuable points from his teammate. Even worse was the message perceived by Lando Norris: a lack of confidence in his ability to compete for the title against Max Verstappen. Only when it was too late was the British driver granted first-driver status, along with the associated benefits when needed.
In 2025, both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will have more experience, having shown they can authoritatively win multiple races. The clear impression is that the Australian switched off mentally when asked to support his teammate, despite the fact that he was aware he had no realistic chance of fighting for the 2024 Formula 1 world title. If both drivers perform at the high levels seen in the recently concluded championship, internal competition is bound to become fierce. Ironically, the next championship could be won not so many victories but most importantly with remarkable consistency.
This mirrors what Max Verstappen achieved from the British Grand Prix to Interlagos: races where the RB20 was inferior to the competition but still managed to secure second place at Silverstone, Zandvoort, and Singapore, and claim a sublime victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix thanks to the downpour at the Interlagos circuit. Therefore, one of the critical issues within the McLaren and Ferrari teams in the coming season could indeed be the enforcement of hierarchies and engagement rules. Persisting in offering equal opportunities to their drivers might turn out to be a bitter disappointment.
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