Max Verstappen‘s complete annihilation of the rest of the field last season had many journalists inside the paddock fearing the worst for 2024. The concern had also stretched up to Formula 1’s owners Liberty Media and despite the public support for the Dutchman and Red Bull’s success, it was also concerned by the dominance and its impact.
TV numbers were dropping and F1 had noticeably been bumped further down the global news agenda. It seemed interest in the series had peaked and the inevitable drop-off that comes with one person winning all the time was in play.
Of course, this fear was totally rational. The new audience that had been attracted by Drive to Survive had been fed a promise of drama and the spectacular; Verstappen winning by a mile each weekend was not part of the script. Nor is it part of the American sports psyche which looks to encourage competition and stop teams from dominating with methods such as the draft system.
However, we didn’t need to have worried, for the last few races have reinvigorated this season and with it perhaps, a wider interest in F1.
This week’s Hungarian Grand Prix might come before F1’s summer break but technically, it marks the start of the second half of the championship’s longest-ever season.
The British GP at Silverstone was the 12th race of the year and Lewis Hamilton‘s victory meant he had become the sixth different driver to win a race this year.
At the same point in 2023, Verstappen’s win in Belgium, that was also the 12th race of the year, was his 10th of the season and an eighth in a record run of 10 straight wins that would reach until the Italian GP in September.
Verstappen still heads the standings but his lead is far less than in 2023
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
He still leads the championship by 54 points from Lando Norris whereas in 2023, the nearest non-Red Bull driver was Fernando Alonso, who was 165 points adrift from the world champion.
It is the same picture in the constructors’ championship too. Red Bull sits on 373 points, Ferrari on 302 and McLaren on 295, whereas last year Red Bull were on 503 points and Mercedes 247. That gives increased hope that this campaign will not turn out to be another procession but, in fact, could become quite interesting come the climax of the season.
So, what has changed?
Well, actually it is what has not changed which has been the biggest contributing factor. The rules for this season have remained largely the same…
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