Welcome to the F1 Drivers to watch for 2024! The grid is mostly staying the same but the running order is still a bit unclear who will be ahead of who as we look forward to a new season of F1.
First up on my list of drivers to watch in 2024 is Oscar Piastri. The young Australian driver currently races for McLaren alongside Lando Norris. Racing under 81 it was Piastri’s debut season in Formula 1 and whilst being part of the nicknamed “silly-season” when it was disputed over which team Piastri would be racing for, the young rookie went on to stand on the podium twice throughout the 2023 season, claiming his first ever F1 podium out in Japan as he took home the bronze medal.
But, it wouldn’t be the last time that Oscar made an appearance on the podium as the teams headed to Qatar it was a sprint race weekend and what a performance the Australian driver put in, not only did he win his first-ever sprint race after qualifying on pole position but he went on to claim his second F1 podium by finishing second just 4.8 seconds behind Max Verstappen and crucially finishing ahead of his teammate Lando Norris. This is my stand-out moment for Oscar Piastri for 2023 and why I think he is one of the drivers to watch in 2024!
Up next on drivers to look out for in 2024 is Fernando Alonso. Whilst he might be the oldest driver on the Formula 1 grid Fernando Alonso is still as fiery and hungry for results as he has ever been. In the 2023 season, Alonso appeared on the podium eight times as he raced for Aston Martin last season, since his debut he’s entered 380 Grand Prix and appeared on the podium 106 times and isn’t looking to slow down.
The Spanish driver had a mixed season with some highs and lows along the way, he appeared on the podium four times in the first five races but then he seemed to lose touch with the pace as he and his teammate struggled to keep pace with their constructor rivals Mercedes but having such a long-standing fanbase Alonso is still the same strong headed and team leader he has always been which shows when the teams headed to Sao Paulo and Alonso put himself back on the podium to claim some crucial points for his team. With some unfinished business still in F1 Fernando Alonso is certainly a driver to keep your eye on in the new season.
From former world champions and podium-winning rookies, another driver to watch next season comes from the Williams garage and it is the American driver Logan Sargeant. Whilst he might not be battling for podiums he is looking to keep his place in F1 and prove that he deserves his seat on the grid making him an interesting watch for the year.
It was uncertain whether the rookie would be able to hold onto his seat and remain in Formula 1 for a second year but the contract has been announced and Sargeant will remain on the grid in 2024 with his contract being announced at the start of this month. He claimed just one point for the whole of last season when he finished 12th in the United States Grand Prix but with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton being disqualified Sargeant moved into 10th place earning him points. I think the desire to prove his belonging and his talent will make Sargeant a driver to watch as he continues his journey into Formula One.
Taking up the runners-up spot in drivers standings it is Sergio Perez who makes it into my list of five drivers to watch next season. Perez has faced some difficult times in his career as a Red Bull driver with many questions asked is he a suitable fit for the second seat within the team and finishing just shy of 300 points behind his teammate it isn’t a surprise that eyebrows got raised throughout the season. With that being said the Mexican driver put in some impressive performances and managed to clinch the second place spot in the drivers standings giving Red Bull all of the top awards in the drivers and constructors standings.
I think Perez will be looking to show he isn’t just the second man on the team and will want to highlight his skills and what he can bring to the table for Red Bull but competing against Verstappen won’t be an easy challenge so keep your eye on Perez and he looks set to make himself a bigger impact in 2024.
So with that being said my final driver to watch in 2024 is of course Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver has now broken multiple records throughout the season and is a three-time Drivers World Champion. With his orange army of followers, he has the backing of thousands of supporters all around the world who turn up in numbers to cheer him on at each race.
In 2023, Verstappen broke multiple records but my stand-out record was the record for the most consecutive races won by a single driver racking up a total of 10 victories back-to-back. Hoping to continue his current form the Dutch driver is looking to achieve that fourth world championship as he continues racing for Red Bull and setting new records!