Formula 1 has reached the point of the season where there is a month-long hiatus before the next race. That gives teams a chance to regroup and prepare for the final 10 races of the 2024 season. This is also a good time to do a state of the union for each F1 team. Let’s take a look at how each team has performed to date and where they stand heading down the stretch run of the season.
Alpine
Alpine had a disastrous preseason, looking both overweight and erratic on the track. That trend continued during the early part of the season. While the team has not fully recovered, progress has been made. The team has been in a state of chaos for a while with a lot of personnel changes, finger-pointing and plans to become a customer entry. The hope is that new Executive Technical Director David Sanchez will take responsibility for the poor performance and start making changes. But there is a lot more work to do despite some small steps in the right direction.
Aston Martin
After taking time to adapt to the new regulations, Aston Martin got off to a strong start in 2023. Wins would have been possible if not for Red Bull’s dominance. However, there have been setbacks this year for the Silverstone-based team. There have been some heavy investments made, although the results still aren’t showing that. When drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll have a quality vehicle at their disposal, results will surely follow. However, they must be reliant on the quality of their car.
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Ferrari
Assessing Ferrari’s season is tough because the team has been so inconsistent. When things are going well, Ferrari is among the best in F1. But when things are going poorly, they can look like one of the worst. Vehicle upgrades should be making Ferrari more consistent, but that hasn’t been the case. They can’t seem to find the right balance. Both of the team’s drivers are capable of finishing top-five or better any given week. However, there is a clear ceiling for Ferrari until they improve from a technical standpoint.
Haas
Haas has surely been one of F1’s biggest surprises this season. The team tried to downplay its prospects all winter, but it’s clear that significant improvements have been made to the vehicle. The design hub and the trackside team are communicating much better and working in tandem. Haas is learning its lessons and addressing its weaknesses better than most F1 teams, allowing for consistent week-to-week performance despite lacking drivers who are considered among the elite in the world.
McLaren
McLaren has turned things around in a short period of time, emerging as a bonafide contender this season. That being said, the team still tends to hesitate or second-guess decisions, which is always costly. Nevertheless, Lando Norris has earned pole position in two recent races following a victory at the Miami Grand Prix while Oscar Piastri took the checkered flag at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Things are certainly trending in the right direction for McLaren, which has one of the best overall vehicles in the field.
Mercedes
Mercedes greatly struggled in 2022 after ground effect regulations were introduced, but the team seems to have finally turned a corner. After all, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have combined for three wins in the last four races. Both drivers have had the fastest lap at multiple races this season and have become regular contenders to earn pole position. One could argue that it’s too late to make a title run in 2024. However, if Mercedes continues on its current path, challenging for the F1 crown in 2025 should be realistic.
RB
At times, RB has shown the chops to earn top-10 finishes. But at other times, the team has been plagued with inconsistency and fallen behind the pack. RB looks determined to forge a path of its own, which tends to come with complications. There is also a lot of chatter about personnel changes, which could be distracting for drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo. With those two behind the wheel, RB has a pair of capable drivers. However, they need consistency from the rest of the team to perform week in and week out.
Red Bull
Surprisingly, Red Bull hasn’t dominated the F1 circuit the same way it did last year. However, they set the bar incredibly high, so maintaining that same level of dominance was always going to be challenging. Nevertheless, Max Verstappen has still won seven of the first 14 races in 2024. His skills behind the wheel are still the driving force behind Red Bull’s success. But after four straight races without Verstappen taking the chequered flag, one has to wonder if the team has peaked and is entering a period of decline that could level the playing field.
Sauber
It’s rather easy to argue that Sauber has been the biggest letdown in F1 in recent years. Since Audi took over, the team has made little progress. To be fair, the Switzerland-based team sometimes has trouble recruiting talent. But that excuse only goes so far. Upgrades to the vehicle are expected but have been slow to come, which is why it’s hard to see where the team is making progress. With 10 races left, Sauber is still sitting on zero points for the season, which is just a little embarrassing.
Williams
Williams was barely ready for pre-season testing after needing far too much time to design and build its vehicle for 2024. Even after the extra time, the car is flawed and overweight. Drivers Alexander Albon and Logan Sargeant have struggled as a result. Between the two of them, they have just two top-10 finishes all season. For Williams, patience is the name of the game, although there hasn’t been nearly enough positive development in the team in 2024, which has been disappointing to see, but hopefully the setbacks this year can pave the way for a brighter future.
