The F1 season is halfway through: Who are the provisional winners of 2024?

Max Verstappen

The competition is getting pretty close, but despite this, Max Verstappen is confidently leading the drivers' championship. The Red Bull driver has managed to reach the next level in '24; his RB20 is certainly not the fastest car in the field, but it is thanks to the Dutchman's exceptional qualities that another seven GP wins could be credited to his name anyway. He is forgiven for the especially unfortunate moment between him and Lando Norris in Austria, at such a high level Verstappen usually operates this season.

McLaren

Over a year ago, McLaren saw themself back at the tail end of the F1 field, but the British team has since improved to the point where they are a serious challenger to Red Bull Racing. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri's car is probably even the fastest on the grid at the moment, but both drivers are not (yet) at Verstappen's level. That has already cost McLaren several Grand Prix wins in 2024. Still, the main point is how clever the team's development is.

Toto Wolff

As always when performance is disappointing, people look for a headline. After Mercedes went an entire season without a win in 2023, that was Toto Wolff. Had his magic worn off? Was it time for him to make way? The Austrian Mercedes team principal stayed where he was, worked hard and the result is there: with each race, the Mercedes car gets stronger, and two victories have already been celebrated. Thanks in part to Wolff's steadfastness, a winner in the first half of '24.

Nico Hulkenberg

Nico Hulkenberg is yet to a score a podium (again), but in midfield, the Haas German is the absolute standout. In qualifying, the experienced driver managed to convince on several occasions, but it took a long time for this to be reflected in the races. In the races in Austria and Silverstone, the reward for Hulkenberg's top work currently came to fruition: two P6 finishes, and once he even stayed ahead of Sergio Perez's stronger Red Bull in Spielberg.

Lewis Hamilton

Eighth place in the championship is not where Lewis Hamilton normally belongs. That he is nevertheless in the list of winners is down to his victory at Silverstone. There, the seven-time world champion showed he still has 'it'. His emotions after the race spoke volumes: a difficult period - in which Hamilton doubted his own ability - had come to an end. Lewis Hamilton was back on the top step of the podium.

Oliver Bearman

A driver competing in Formula 2 who managed to take 'only' one win there this season? True, but Oliver Bearman can still call himself a winner of the first half of the season in Formula 1. As a substitute at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, he managed to impress in a Ferrari; without any practice, he drove to seventh place in Jeddah (ahead of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton). That performance already earned Bearman a full-time F1 contract for 2025 with Haas F1.

Formula 1

After a season in which Max Verstappen won 19 Grands Prix, it was feared at the Formula 1 offices that '24 would be a repeat of '23: predictable and therefore not good for the ratings. Nothing could be further from the truth: although Verstappen is the constant factor in Formula 1, the differences at the front are extremely small. No fewer than six times, a different winner stood on the top step of the podium. That must give the Formula 1 organisation a feeling of immense satisfaction.