Leclerc’s Monaco magic adds to the buzz of 2024: The latest F1 analysis, brought to you by Bahrain International Circuit
Given the context of 2023 and the Max Verstappen dominance of that year, it would be fair to say that after the first few races of this season, many F1 fans had become resigned to the fact that 2024 would continue in the same vein. The Dutchman won four of the first five races this year and the only reason he didn’t win in Australia was due to a brake failure on the car. It was also the margin of victory that had become somewhat of a concern for many. It was all just looking too easy for Verstappen and it was difficult to see how anyone, even his teammate in the same spec car, could catch him. Then Miami happened.
In this newspaper, the result of the Miami race was described as seismic, not only for Lando Norris in his first ever victory, but also for the sport itself. It showed that Red Bull could be beaten, not just on tracks where they may have had a perceived weakness, or in races where reliability or weather influenced the result. That McLaren victory demonstrated a car which could, as a minimum, keep up with the pace of Verstappen, and from the timing sheets you could see that Ferrari were up there too.
At the following race, whilst Verstappen took the win, McLaren was again up there with the pace and Lando Norris would surely have had a second win if the race had been a couple of laps longer. He finished under one second behind Verstappen. Which brings us to Monaco and the famous Leclerc victory this last weekend. It was yet another piece of F1 magic. In its 95-year history, this was the first time it had ever been won by a Monégasque driver and the emotion felt by Leclerc and those witnessing this special achievement reflected the significance of this milestone.
Similar to the Norris win in Miami, Leclerc and Ferrari’s win in Monaco was achieved purely on the merits of the car’s performance. Indeed, Verstappen could only finish sixth having qualified in the same position the previous day. This was no stroke of fortune, a lucky safety car or weather interference as is often the case in Monaco. It was achieved with a car which consistently outperformed Red Bull all weekend. It should also be noted that with Piastri in second and Norris fourth, just behind the other Ferrari, McLaren were equally superior over the course of the Monaco weekend compared to Red Bull.
So where does this all leave the championship now that a third of this season has been completed? Firstly, it’s worth comparing the state of play to the same time last year. In 2023 after eight races, there had only been two victors and both were Red Bull, with six wins coming from Verstappen. This year, we have already had four different winners. In 2023, Verstappen was top of the drivers’ standings by 69 points with Red Bull 154 points ahead in the constructors. As it stands today, he is 31 points clear at the top with Red Bull just 24 points ahead.
Whilst statistics tell some of the story, as is often the case in elite sport, momentum matters and that currently sits with the chasing pack and specifically Ferrari and McLaren. Recent upgrades by both of these teams have made a meaningful difference to their cars, whilst Red Bull upgrades seem to have had nowhere near the same impact. It bodes extremely well for the rest of this season, for what is by no stretch of the imagination a foregone conclusion. Red Bull have admitted as much, with Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, saying in Monaco that the era of Red Bull dominance looks to be over.
Outside of the top three teams, Aston Martin and Mercedes appear to be the two teams struggling the most compared to last year. At this time in 2023, Mercedes sat second in the table with 167 points, with Aston Martin third with 154 points. That compares with just 96 and 44 points achieved so fair this year. Realistically, it’s hard to see either of those teams making a meaningful challenge for the rest of the season.
What we do know, however, is that this upcoming summer of European races could well provide yet more varied race winners and exciting finishes. In a matter of a few short weeks, we have had two fairytale finishes, with Norris in his first win and Leclerc as the first ever home winner in Monaco. On that basis, who knows what’s coming next. All we do know is that it can only be a good thing for all fans of F1.
