IN NUMBERS: How 2024 came to be one of the most thrilling F1 seasons yet

The 2024 F1 season was certainly an eventful one, with plenty of action unfolding across a 24-race calendar. After a year that featured everything from debut winners to fights that played out down to the wire – and even the sport’s first identical pole-worthy lap times in many years – let’s take a look back at some of the most eye-catching statistics from a thrilling campaign…

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The margin in seconds between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris when they crossed the line at the end of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix following a gripping late-race chase from Norris.

After the Briton’s win at the previous event in Miami, the performance provided further confirmation of how closely the rest of the pack were closing in on Red Bull, as well as foreshadowing the further duels that would unfold between Verstappen and Norris. It was one of the tightest margins of the year, beaten only by Oscar Piastri finishing just 0.647s back from Lewis Hamilton in Belgium.

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The maximum number of races that any driver won consecutively – and the last time in the campaign that this feat occurred was Verstappen’s back-to-back wins in Canada and Spain. From then onwards a different driver took victory at each of the remaining 14 weekends. In comparison, Verstappen embarked on a staggering run of 10 consecutive Grand Prix wins in 2023.

2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix: Verstappen crosses the line just ahead of Norris to take victory at Imola

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The number of rookies who unexpectedly made their debut in 2024. Franco Colapinto stepped up from F2 as a replacement for Logan Sargeant at Williams from the Italian Grand Prix onwards, before going to on score points on his second outing in Azerbaijan. Alpine’s 2025 signing Jack Doohan, meanwhile, saw his first F1 race arrive a little earlier than expected after Esteban Ocon’s early departure allowed the Australian to get behind the wheel in Abu Dhabi.

But perhaps the most memorable debut was that of super-sub Ollie Bearman, with the teenager scoring points following a last-minute call-up from Ferrari to replace an unwell Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He went on to make two further appearances for Haas later in the year ahead of his first full-time season next year.

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How many different race winners we had in 2024 – something that last happened back in 2012. In 2024 this also included two first-time winners in the form of Norris and Piastri, who won four and two Grands Prix apiece. And in contrast, Hamilton’s win at Silverstone was his 104th – but his first in 945 days, having not stood on the top step since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JULY 07: Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes celebrates — Seven different drivers won a race in 2024, with Hamilton emotionally returning to the top step for the first time in 945 days

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Number of drivers to stand on the podium. While the incredibly close fight amongst Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes saw these teams dominate the rostrum during the first half of the season, an unforgettable race at Sao Paulo (more on which later) saw Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly claim a remarkable double podium, an achievement that also hauled the squad from P9 to P6 in the constructors’ – who would have seen that coming given their extremely tough start to the campaign?

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The points difference between McLaren and Ferrari at the end of the season. While the papaya squad moved themselves ahead of previous leaders Red Bull in the constructors’ standings at Round 18 in Singapore, the Scuderia’s subsequent one-two at the United States Grand Prix – followed by another win for Sainz one week later in Mexico – put them firmly in the fight.

It was a battle that went right down to the wire in Abu Dhabi and, though it was McLaren who ultimately took the crown, Ferrari’s double podium at the finale meant that they ended the season only 14 points adrift of their rivals – the closest finish since the current points system was introduced.

2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix: Joy for Alpine as Ocon and Gasly seal double podium finish

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Number of positions gained by Verstappen and Charles Leclerc on their respective recovery drives in Brazil and Abu Dhabi. With it being heralded by many as one of the standout performances of the year – and of his career – Verstappen’s Sao Paulo masterclass perhaps needs little introduction, the Dutchman having climbed his way up from P16 to P1 amid treacherous weather conditions. But Leclerc also caught the eye by carving his way through the field in Abu Dhabi, ending the race on the podium in an impressive P3 after starting down in P19.

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How many years McLaren waited to win the constructors’ championship again. Given the strong form of Verstappen and Red Bull at the start of the campaign, this achievement would most likely not have been predicted when the season got under way – but the Woking outfit built on their progression in 2023 to go even further this time around, claiming a total of six wins and 666 points to clinch the constructors’ title for the first time since 1998. To put that into perspective, both Norris and Piastri had not even been born then…

THE STRATEGIST: Could Norris have beaten Verstappen to the title had he maximised every race in 2024?

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The number of days since F1’s last identical pole position lap time was set. This very rare feat happened again during a super-close qualifying at the Canadian Grand Prix, with George Russell and Verstappen incredibly both setting a fastest time of 1m 12.000s in Q3.

Given that Russell had put his effort in first, the Mercedes man started from pole. So unusual is this occurrence that it last happened back in October 1997, when Jacques Villeneuve, Michael Schumacher and Heinz-Harald Frentzen all posted identical times in qualifying at Jerez.