The 2023 Formula 1 season has come to its conclusion in Abu Dhabi, with many eyes now turning to the start of 2024. The year was dominated by Max Verstappen and Red Bull, with a few teams such as McLaren and Ferrari starting to improve their car towards the end of the year.
Alfa Romeo is set for a name change in 2024 after its current title sponsorship will come to an end. The team is expected to change its name to the Sauber brand for 2024, before its transformation into the Audi works team in 2026.
Red Bull’s junior team AlphaTauri will also face a name change in 2024, with the team wanting to return to a non-branded name like its previous Toro Rosso guise. Although the rebrand is yet to be announced there are rumours the team could be called Racing Bulls.
Although there are not many massive changes heading into 2024, a new record-breaking 24-race calendar will make this the biggest year ever for the championship.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 F1 season:
2024 F1 driver line-up
|
Team |
Drivers |
|
Max Verstappen |
|
There are no changes to the 2023 F1 grid as we go into the new season, but there have been big changes at some of the teams, with Franz Tost standing down as AlphaTauri team principal and Bradley Scanes standing down as Verstappen’s personal trainer.
Williams have confirmed that rookie driver Logan Sargeant will remain with the team for at least one more season. Logan Sargeant said: "I am thrilled to be continuing with Williams Racing for the 2024 season. It has been an incredible journey with the team so far, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue developing as a driver within such a talented and dedicated group. We have exciting plans for the future, and I can't wait to contribute to the team's success in the coming year."
Daniel Ricciardo has also secured his place at AlphaTauri after the team axed Nyck De Vries midway through 2023. Speculation that Sergio Perez could also lose his place at Red Bull following a difficult mid-season has been dismissed, which includes rumours that Ricciardo could be moved into the team next year.
Although the grid is not changing from the latter half of the previous season, 2024 could prove more interesting with 13 out of 20 seats up for contention at the end of the year.
2024 F1 car launch dates
F1 teams have begun to announce the dates for their 2024 car launches ahead of the new season. Pre-season testing begins on 21 February (two days earlier than 2023), so it is expected that teams will reveal their cars slightly earlier than the last season. In 2023, cars were launched between 31 January and 16 February.
Here are the F1 car launch dates for 2024:
|
F1 team |
Launch date |
|
Sauber |
5 February 2024 |
|
Williams |
5 February 2024 |
|
Aston Martin |
12 February 2024 |
|
Ferrari |
13 February 2024 |
2024 F1 calendar
|
Date |
Event |
Location |
|
29 February–2 March |
Bahrain GP |
Sakhir |
|
7–9 March |
Saudi Arabian GP |
Jeddah |
|
22-24 March |
Australian GP |
Melbourne |
|
5-7 April |
Japanese GP |
Suzuka |
|
19-21 April |
Chinese GP |
Shanghai |
|
3-5 May |
Miami GP |
Miami |
|
17-19 May |
Emilia Romagna GP |
Imola |
|
24-26 May |
Monaco GP |
Monaco |
|
7-9 June |
Canadian GP |
Montreal |
|
21-23 June |
Spanish GP |
Barcelona |
|
28-30 June |
Austrian GP |
Spielberg |
|
5-7 July |
British GP |
Silverstone |
|
19-21 July |
Hungarian GP |
Budapest |
|
26-28 July |
Belgian GP |
Spa |
|
23-25 August |
Dutch GP |
Zandvoort |
|
30 August–1 September |
Italian GP |
Monza |
|
13-15 September |
Azerbaijan GP |
Baku |
|
20-22 September |
Singapore GP |
Singapore |
|
18-20 October |
United States GP |
Austin |
|
25-27 October |
Mexican GP |
Mexico City |
|
1-3 November |
Brazilian GP |
São Paulo |
|
21-23 November |
Las Vegas GP |
Las Vegas |
|
29 November–1 December |
Qatar GP |
Losail |
|
6-8 December |
Abu Dhabi GP |
Yas Marina |
The 2024 F1 season will begin on 29 February and will see a record-breaking 24 race season. The calendar has been regionalised by the FIA in an attempt to make the series more sustainable, including moving the Japanese GP to April from its usual September spot for a more defined Asian leg.
The Chinese GP will make its return to the F1 calendar after being cancelled for the last four years. The Qatar GP will become the penultimate race of the season, which should help with the heat issue faced by drivers in 2023 but will also make transportation of cars and equipment to the Abu Dhabi finale easier.
When is F1 pre-season testing?
F1’s pre-season testing for 2024 will begin on 21 February in Bahrain. There will be three days of testing for the teams ahead of the first grand prix the following week.
The FIA has also revealed that pre-season testing will run each day between 10am to 7pm, instead of the previous 7:30pm which happened in 2023.
The testing sessions will take place in Bahrain to help with the FIA’s conscious efforts to make the series more sustainable. This means the cars and equipment will not need transporting between pre-season testing and the first grand prix of the year.
Testing will run between 10am and 7pm after the FIA reduced the timings down from 7:30pm.
2024 F1 regulation changes
The FIA has made some changes to regulations around the testing of old cars, stipulating that any components run must have been previously used at a race weekend. Article 10.2 C) of the Sporting Regulations has been revised to state: "Cars must only use components and software of a specification that have been used in at least one (1) Competition or TCC (testing of a current car) of a Championship season."
The regulation change will ensure that teams cannot run any brand-new components on an old car to try and gain any date outside of testing restrictions.
Who are the 2024 F1 reserve drivers
|
Team |
Drivers |
|
Theo Pourchaire |
|
|
TBC |
|
|
Felipe Drugovich |
|
|
TBC |
|
|
TBC |
|
|
Ryo Hirakawa Pato O’Ward |
|
|
TBC |
|
|
TBC |
The F1 teams have begun to announce their 2024 reserve drivers for the upcoming season. Some of the teams have retained their 2023 reserve drivers including Red Bull rookie Liam Lawson and Mercedes’ Mick Schumacher.
However some teams have decided to bring in brand new drivers, including McLaren who have announced two new drivers to their line-up. The team has announced it will sign this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Ryo Hirakawa and IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward as reserve drivers for the next season.
