In Last Word On Sport’s series of 2024 F1 Reviews, we will turn to Red Bull, who experienced a tumultuous racing season with drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez.
A season to review for Red Bull
Red Bull Racing delivered what many consider a flawless season in 2023. The team won 21 of 22 races, with Carlos Sainz breaking their streak in Singapore. The Dutch, Mexican, and Austrian national anthems echoed on podiums, underlining the team’s unparalleled success.
By the end of the season, Red Bull secured their seventh Drivers’ Championship and sixth Constructors’ crown. Many confidently predicted their reign would continue in 2024. Others believed their fellow teams would struggle to see their level of success again.
However, the lead-up to the new season was far from smooth.
Christian Horner was embroiled in controversy and fans and paddock insiders expressed dwindling confidence in Pérez. These issues loomed over the team, creating significant pressure to maintain their dominance.
Did Red Bull Deliver in 2024?
The 2024 season painted a complex picture for a team that believed all was possible in January.
Verstappen clinched his fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship, demonstrating his brilliance among names such as Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.
Yet, the team as a whole faltered.
2024 is the year of Max Verstappen 🇳🇱🦁#F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/XqhrF8Lu2Q
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 24, 2024
Red Bull’s dominance suffered under the weight of internal changes and external challenges.
Adrian Newey‘s high-profile departure from the team to Aston Martin disrupted the technical foundation that had driven their success.
Simultaneously, Jos Verstappen voiced discomfort with internal dynamics, hinting at unresolved tensions behind the scenes as key staff members bid farewell to the Milton Keynes-based team.
The lack of balance between Verstappen and Pérez further highlighted the team’s struggles, leaving their performance uneven.
When one driver struggles to make it out of Q1 and the other is almost always guaranteed a Q1 spot, it is hard to ensure points are scored in the Grand Prix.
This saw the team finish third in the Constructors’ standings, comfortably ahead of Mercedes, but away from Ferrari and McLaren.
Verstappen ended the season on 429 points to Pérez’s 152, which placed him eighth in the Drivers’ standings. Together they closed the season on 589 points, breaking the Constructors’ Championship streak Red Bull had built since 2022.
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Competition Returns to F1
For Red Bull fans, 2024 marked a disappointing shift. However, for the sport, it revitalised competition unseen since the nail-biting 2021 season.
The year became a showdown between Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris, culminating in a dramatic Las Vegas finale.
Verstappen ultimately prevailed, securing his title in a season led by rivalry and thrilling races, such as Austria where the pair came together in battle.
While Verstappen celebrated the Drivers’ title, Red Bull failed to win the Constructors’ crown. The championship battle instead became a two-way fight between McLaren and Ferrari in Abu Dhabi.
Pérez’s underwhelming performances throughout the year played a role in this outcome. However, the RB20 also faced criticism, with the team citing balance issues and reliability concerns as significant flaws in the car’s design.
As Red Bull’s dominance ended, F1 embraced a new era of competition. While their setbacks in 2024 exposed vulnerabilities, they also set the stage for a more unpredictable championship.
Norris may not have found glory this season, but it did prove that, unlike in 2022 and 2023, when Red Bull seemed unbeatable, it can be done.
Fans may lament Red Bull’s end of dominance, but the season reminded everyone why they fell in love with motorsport: the thrill of an uncertain race to the top.
Opening Rounds
The season began with a statement from Red Bull at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where Verstappen secured a win, leading every lap. Pérez finished second, cementing the team’s early dominance after a successful 2023 season.
It looked to be another season of glory for the Austrian team.
In Saudi Arabia, Verstappen made history by securing his 100th podium, with Pérez again finishing in second.
However, Verstappen’s dominant start to the season faced a setback at the Australian Grand Prix. A brake disc failure led to his first retirement in over a year, allowing Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz to take his third career victory.
European and Canadian Races
Verstappen quickly returned to form with victories in Japan and China where the latter marked Red Bull’s 100th pole position.
Despite facing competition from Norris, Verstappen remained unchallenged in both races. However, the first sprint weekend of the season in China saw Verstappen struggle in qualifying, starting from fourth but recovering to win the Grand Prix.
The European rounds saw mixed results for Red Bull.
Verstappen continued his pole streak with an eighth consecutive pole in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, going on to win.
At the Monaco Grand Prix, Red Bull had a rare off-weekend with Pérez crashing out and Verstappen finishing well below expectations in P7.
Moving on to Canada, Verstappen returned to his winning ways with his Championship fight seemingly secure.
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Mid-Season
The summer races saw the competition ramp up, especially with McLaren’s continued improvement. As Red Bull looked lost, the British team stepped up.
This led to drama at the Austrian Grand Prix where Verstappen and Norris came into contact on Lap 64. Both drivers sustained punctures and damage, forcing Norris to retire and Verstappen to finish P5. Verstappen was given a 10-second time penalty for the collision.
Red Bull’s mistakes came to the forefront at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Verstappen’s pace and complaints about strategy kept him from achieving a podium finish. The gap between the Austrian team and McLaren was brought closer as a result.
In a shocking turn, the Dutch Grand Prix saw Norris claim a historic victory, ending Verstappen’s three-year win streak at Zandvoort. This also gave McLaren their first win at the circuit since 1985. This would not be an easy fight between the teams.
Closing Rounds
As the season neared its conclusion, the competition remained intense.
Verstappen secured 31 points during the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend, following a victory that strengthened his championship lead. The Dutchman delivered a remarkable performance, starting from P17, and showcasing the skills of a champion.
Verstappen claimed his fourth World Drivers’ Championship title at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, finishing in P5.
A week later, he returned to winning form under the Qatari lights, taking victory from P2 after officials demoted him from pole position.
The class of 2024 📸 One more race to go, let’s end this season on a high 🙌#F1 || #AbuDhabiGP 🇦🇪 pic.twitter.com/cwPCj0gxiJ
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) December 8, 2024
Unfortunately, he did not close the season on a high note at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He finished sixth in a dramatic race, receiving a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision with Oscar Piastri on Lap 1.
Red Bull’s luck did not stop there as Pérez retired from the race on Lap 2 after a collision with Valtteri Bottas. The team closed off the season third in the Constructors’ title.
Positives
It was a successful season for Max Verstappen, the four-time champion of the world.
While he did not win as many races as he would have liked, he racked up enough points to stave off Lando Norris when the Briton had the fastest car.
The RB20 proved strong during several races. The São Paulo Grand Prix and the Qatar Grand Prix could prove pivotal for their 2025 season where they aim to return to full glory.
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Negatives
While Red Bull faced many challenges in 2024, none were greater than those caused by Pérez. He took home four podiums in the first five races, looking promising for the season ahead.
That promise soon turned to the Mexican driver failing to reach the final stage of qualifying ten times this year. He scored 152 points to Verstappen’s 437.
Talks for his future remain ongoing but he likely raced his final Grand Prix for the team at the Yas Marina. It was a pitiful end for a man who once looked to match his teammate’s drive.
Conclusion
The 2024 F1 season was pivotal for Red Bull, highlighting their vulnerabilities and Max Verstappen’s brilliance.
While Verstappen’s fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship underlined his continued abilities, the team faltered in their move to maintain control over the Constructors’ standings.
Internal turmoil, technical disruptions, and inconsistent performances exposed cracks in their once dominant façade.
For Red Bull, 2024 will be remembered as a year of reflection and recalibration. It tested their resilience and set the stage for what could be a thrilling comeback in 2025.
They will be without the value of Adrian Newey but Yuki Tsunoda or Liam Lawson could be alongside Verstappen, contributing in ways that can match the pairings of Norris and Piastri, Hamilton and Leclerc, and Russell and Antonelli.
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