Few would have expected the 2024 Formula One season to be as utterly dominated by Red Bull and Max Verstappen as it was last year, but the first couple of races hinted at much of the same. Two poles and two triumphs for Verstappen along with two second-place finishes for Sergio Pérez offered the perfect start.
Since, the Dutchman has continued to collect Grand Prix victories, but perhaps not quite at the rate many expected. To some, it’s a sign of decline. Even with pole fading and the team pulling off quite the masterful pit for inters at Silverstone, the reigning champion could only achieve the best.
Still leading the World Drivers’ Championship standings by a huge margin, should other teams be looking at the title-holding driver and team as starting to fall?
A Few Slip-ups in the First Half
Australia was the end of Verstappen’s all-conquering winning streak of nine race triumphs, going from first in the two races to open the season to an early retirement. On lap four, a brake problem ended the Dutchman’s day, but his Mexican teammate was on hand to recoup a fifth-place finish and keep Red Bull atop the World Constructors’ standings.
On the season record, this retirement would look to be a mere blip, with Verstappen winning three of the next four races and coming second at the Miami GP having secured pole for the sixth-consecutive race. The beginning of the more unsteady run for the team could be seen as Monaco.
The legendary Grand Prix is coveted by all drivers. This season, the collisions and slip-ups came at one of the most iconic sectors. Now, as is listed by casinoalpha, there are plenty of world-class casinos available online across Europe. Over 200 make the cut to be ranked among the top sites.
However, Casino de Monte-Carlo is easily the classiest casino venue on the continent, and it was on Casino Corner that Ferrari number two, Carlos Sainz Jr, picked up a puncture after contacting Oscar Piastri in second to run wide. Behind this, though, George Russell did enough to hold off Verstappen throughout to keep him in sixth.
Return to Pole to Finish Fifth
Before the midway point of the season, Red Bull saw its poles dry up. Monaco was the first time Verstappen didn’t secure pole this season. He did win Canada and Spain without pole, but seeing Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari pick off top spots would have been concerning. In Austria, that changed.
Verstappen nailed qualifying, handily winning Q2 and Q3, and looked clear to dominate the race. He flew away from Norris, and Charles Leclerc was forced into the pits for repairs early. However, tire issues when trying to fit some older mediums caused Verstappen’s exit to be too slow and Norris to close in.
Eventually, the now-infamous overtake from Norris resulted in both of them needing to pit, clearing the way for the two Silver Arrows, a Ferrari, and Piastri to finish ahead of the reigning champion. Silverstone ended with Lewis Hamilton atop the podium, heating up the conversation of Red Bull perhaps losing a step.
Overall, the season does look to be a case of other teams building up rather than Red Bull declining significantly. The troubles of Pérez certainly haven’t gone unnoticed, but Verstappen has shown that the car is still top of the class. What will be telling for next season will be how many more wins McLaren and Ferrari can pinch.
The level of competition has been raised significantly in 2024, making for some very intriguing race days. Red Bull remains the best team, but the gap is very clearly closing.
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