Formula 1

Motorsport fans are advised to fasten their seatbelts as November/December brings us four more races from Formula 1’s 2024 season. The gap between the top four teams has never been closer and F1 has been thoroughly revitalised. We can expect more fireworks from the upcoming races in Brazil (1st to 3rd November), Las Vegas (21st to 23rd November), Qatar (29th November to 1st December) and Abu Dhabi (6th to 8th December). Tune in to watch all the best of the various weekends’ action via Channel 4’s highlight shows.

2024 – Rounds 1-10

When the lights went green in Bahrain back in March, the expectation for the season was that Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing would continue their dominance in both the driver’s and prestigious constructor’s championships. Therefore there were no surprises when Max reached the chequered flag first, followed shortly by teammate Sergio Perez. 

It was much the same story over the next nine races. By the end of Round 10, it was seven wins to Verstappen and one each to Carlos Sainz Jr (Ferrari), Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Lando Norris (McLaren-Mercedes).

Rounds 11- 19

In Round 11 things changed as the Austrian Grand Prix saw the first victory of the season for George Russell (Mercedes). A week later Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) notched up a nostalgic win at Silverstone, a record-breaking ninth at this circuit. Next came wins in Hungary for Oscar Piastri (McLaren-Mercedes), and in Spa for Hamilton again (controversially, after his teammate Russell was disqualified for driving a car 1.5kg underweight).  Spurred on by his home crowd at the Dutch Grand Prix, Verstappen looked more like his old self finishing second but was still no match for Lando Norris. Norris, however, couldn’t quite spoil the homecoming party for Ferrari at Monza with Charles Leclerc taking the chequered flag ahead of the two McLarens. This was Ferrari’s third win of the season after early season wins for Leclerc in Monaco and for teammate Sainz in Australia, and was further proof that the gap between the top four teams was virtually negligible. 

This was encouraging news of course for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton as he is set to take Carlos Sainz’s seat at the prancing horse for the start of the 2025 season. 

Round 17 was at the notoriously tricky Baku Street circuit in Azerbaijan, where once again

the podium featured drivers from three different teams, as Piastri took the honours ahead of Leclerc and Russell.

Verstappen and Red Bull rediscovered some of their old form in Singapore, taking 2nd place on the podium – splitting the McLarens – however Max still finished a frustrating 20 seconds behind Britain’s new rising star Lando Norris. 

Round 19 (of 24), the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, saw Ferrari take the top two places, Leclerc first and Sainz second. So, what is left to play for this season, I hear you ask?

Rounds 20-24

Heading into round 20, the Mexican Grand Prix, the Drivers’ Championship was perfectly poised now that Verstappen’s commanding early season lead has been chiselled down. With just four races to go, the top standings were:

Verstappen (Red Bull) – 354 points

Norris (McLaren-Mercedes) – 297

Leclerc (Ferrari) – 275

Piastri (McLaren-Mercedes) – 247

With 25 points awarded for a race win, will there be another late twist?

In the constructor’s championship it was more exciting with McLaren holding a slim lead, seeking their first trophy since 1998:

McLaren-Mercedes – 544 points

Red Bull – 504

Ferrari – 496

Mercedes – 344

Aston Martin, back in fifth, are surely set to join the top table next season, having secured the services of Red Bull’s former race car designer Adrian Newey (see The Great Debate).

If perhaps you’ve lost interest in Formula 1 over the last few years then there is no better time to get back in the hot seat.

The Great Debate: Is F1 all about the car?

Critics of motor racing say it doesn’t matter who’s behind the wheel, it’s all to do with who’s driving the fastest car. Is this really true?  

YES, IT’S THE CAR

Red Bull’s race pace advantage has plummeted since May when chief race car designer Adrian Newey stopped working on the car. Aston Martin have now agreed to pay Newey £30 million a year to build their new car for 2025 – an annual salary higher than 18 of the 20 drivers on the grid.

Fernando Alonso burst on the scene as the new star driver in his Renault in 2005, ending the Schumacher/Ferrari reign. Alonso defended his crown with Renault in 2006, but after he left for McLaren in 2007 – followed by moves to Ferrari, Alpine, and Aston Martin – he never won a championship again.

NO, IT’S THE DRIVER

Max Verstappen in the 2023 season had a win rate of 86 per cent (19 wins), accumulating 575 points of the 620 on offer that year. Sergio Perez, driving the same Red Bull, won just twice and was outqualified by Max 20 times. Since 2016, Sainz, Ricciardo, Gasly and Albon all couldn’t compete with the Dutchman’s pace. 

From the 1992 Portuguese Grand Prix to the 1998 Monaco Grand Prix, seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher was not beaten by his teammate when both cars finished.

Sports bites

Rugby

November sees the return of the autumn internationals featuring the ‘giants’ of the southern hemisphere including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina as they ascend on the home nations. These competitive fixtures will help the European teams prepare for the 2025 Six Nations Championship. The mouth-watering autumn international fixtures include:

02/11/2024  England vs New Zealand

10/11/2024  Scotland vs South Africa

15/11/2024  Ireland vs Argentina

17/11/2024  Wales vs Australia

Tennis

This year’s Davis Cup takes place in Malaga between the 19th and 24th of November. The annual international event for men’s tennis provides the last chance to see Rafael Nadal before the curtain draws on a truly spectacular career. Joining him in the Spanish team will be 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning Wimbledon champion who has always idolized Nadal. Affectionately referred to as the ‘King of Clay’ owing to his utter dominance in the French Open (winning a record-breaking 14 titles) Nadal’s highlights reel is truly breathtaking:

Australian Open: 2009, 2022.

French Open: 2005,2006,2007,2008,2010,

2011,2012 2013, 2014, 2017,2018, 2019 2020,2022.

Wimbledon: 2008, 2010.

US Open: 2010,2013,2017,2019

Olympic Gold: 2008 singles, 2016 doubles.

Davis Cup Winner: 2004,2009,2011,2019.