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The 2024 F1 season turned out to be one of the busiest and most unpredictable seasons in recent history. The year began with Lewis Hamilton announcing his shocking move to Ferrari, which led to a major overhaul in the drivers' market.
Red Bull witnessed an unprecedented situation, and McLaren capitalized on the upgrades to win the constructors title for the first time since 1998. Max Verstappen secured his fourth title in a row by the barest of margins.
Off-track drama also made headlines throughout the season. Red Bull was once again in the spotlight over unexpected employee exits as rumors of internal instability rocked the F1 world.
As the 2024 season comes to an end, here's a summary of the top 6 storylines that received the most attention this year.
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#1 Lewis Hamilton announced an unexpected move to Ferrari
On February 1, 2024, Lewis Hamilton confirmed speculation by announcing his shock move to Scuderia Ferrari. In a statement shared by the Italian team, the seven-time world champion said he signed a multi-year deal that will become effective from the 2025 season onwards.
The move took the F1 world by surprise as Hamilton had signed a two-year extension contract with Mercedes in the second half of the 2023 season. However, the 39-year-old said things changed quickly during the off-season, and a switch made sense at this stage of his career. In the aftermath of the Brit's transfer, Ferrari let go of Carlos Sainz at the end of the season, whereas Mercedes roped in Andre Kimi Antonelli for the upcoming season.
#2 Christian Horner faced allegations of inappropriate behavior
In March 2024, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was accused of inappropriate behavior with a female employee. The complainant reportedly submitted evidence of chats. Acting on the complaint, the team launched an internal investigation headed by an external barrister.
After investigations that went on for months, Red Bull reportedly acquitted Horner due to lack of evidence. However, throughout the year, the team reportedly faced instability due to alleged dissent between senior members, including from Helmut Marko.
#3 Adrian Newey parted ways with Red Bull after 18 years
Adrian Newey, one of the most respected aerodynamics engineers in F1, terminated his contract with Red Bull in May 2024. Amid a string of rumors that suggested Newey was unhappy with Christian Horner's case, the former bid goodbye to Red Bull after 18 years of service.
Newey joined the team in 2006 and played an important part in its rise to dominance. However, his role in F1 was reportedly being reduced to allow him time to focus on the hypercar project. Subsequently, the veteran engineer signed a deal with Lawrence Stroll and will join Aston Martin after the first quarter of the 2025 season.
#4 Daniel Ricciardo fired by Red Bull
In September 2024, Daniel Ricciardo, a 12-year F1 veteran, was sacked by Red Bull Racing. He drove 18 races for Racing Bulls in the 2024 season. However, following underwhelming performances, the energy drink-based team announced a split, leaving the Australian driver without a seat for the upcoming season. Ricciardo is an eight-time race winner who achieved enormous success with Red Bull from 2014-2018. However, a switch to Renault and then McLaren didn't yield positive results, as his professional career went downhill.
#5 Cadillac to join F1 grid as 11th team from 2026
In an unexpected entry, F1 announced that an agreement had been reached with General Motors to bring Cadillac as the 11th team on the grid from the 2026 season onwards. The official statement said that talks with General Motors were in motion since January 2024. F1 is reportedly keen on expanding the grid, and Cadillac's project suited the purpose. The statement also mentioned that GM will also become an engine supplier in the future.
#6 Verbal battle breaks out between George Russell & Max Verstappen
Ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, 2024, George Russell accused Max Verstappen of being a "bully."
After an incident in Q3 in Qatar, Verstappen was given a one-place grid penalty and went on to claim that Russell sold him out to the stewards. However, the Mercedes driver came out with a strong reply and went on to call him a "bully" and accused him of threatening with a deliberate crash. The verbal brawl escalated when Russell reportedly said that he had no respect left for Max, with the latter also refusing to stand down. Their fight became a big story of the 2024 F1 season as fans were left divided.
