The 2024 Formula One season is now three races old and after starting where the 2023 season finished – with Max Verstappen domination – Red Bull’s winning run cam to a juddering halt.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz took advantage of Verstappen’s early retirement to win the Australian Grand Prix just two weeks after missing the previous race in Saudi Arabia due to an emergency appendectomy.
Despite their setback in Australia, Red Bull are again the team to beat on-track but is their off-track issues which have been the season’s main talking point, with a power struggle at the heart of the team involving some of the key figures.
There is still plenty to consider for the coming year, with a record-breaking 24-race calendar that includes the return of the Chinese Grand Prix for the first time since 2019. Click below for more information on the following:
- Will there be sprint races in 2024?
- What is the full driver line-up?
- What is the full calendar and schedule?
- How to watch on TV
When is the next race of the 2024 season?
The fourth race of the 2024 F1 season is the Japanese Grand Prix, which takes place at the Suzuka circuit in April 7.
What are the current standings?
Drivers’ championship
Constructors’ championship
How many F1 races will there be in 2024?
There will be 24 races on the calendar this year, culminating with the season finale in Abu Dhabi on December 8.
Will there be sprint races in 2024?
Six sprint races will be staged in 2024, the same number as in 2023. The venues, however, have shifted from last year with China and Miami the additions, replacing Azerbaijan and Belgium. Austria, the Circuit of the Americas, Brazil and Qatar remain in place.
In short, the 2024 sprint race weekends are as follows.
- Chinese Grand Prix, April 19-21
- Miami Grand Prix, May 3-5
- Austrian Grand Prix, June 28-30
- United States Grand Prix, October 18-20
- Sao Paulo Grand Prix, November 1-3
- Qatar Grand Prix, November 29-December 31
The format, however, has been tweaked. For 2024, sprint qualifying takes places on Friday (rather than Saturday). The sprint race itself will be on Saturday, before qualifying for the Grand Prix, which still takes place on the Sunday.
The top eight drivers in the sprint races will score points from eight to the winner and one for the eighth-placed driver. Again, the sprint races will be approximately 100km – or roughly a third of a grand prix distance.
When is the summer break?
With a record-breaking 24-race season, the built-in breaks throughout the season are critical for personnel who work in F1 to recover. The summer break lasts from Monday July 29 after the Belgian Grand Prix until Friday 23 August, when practice for the Dutch Grand Prix begins. During this time all teams have to enact a “summer shutdown” of 14 consecutive days when they cannot work on design or production of the car, in short.
With such a long calendar there is also, mercifully, a slot of three weekends without a race between the Singapore Grand Prix on September 22 until the United States Grand Prix, which begins on October 18. That unofficial “autumn break” is the same length as the summer break and is perhaps understandable considering the season then ends with a run of one triple header (United States, Mexico, Brazil) followed by two weeks off and then another triple header (Las Vegas, Qatar, Abu Dhabi).
What are the driver line-ups?
The “same” 10 teams will be involved in the 2024 season although some have changed names for the new season. Alfa Romeo pulled out of their partnership (which began in 2019) with Sauber at the end of 2023, before the Swiss outfit becomes Audi in 2026. It is reported that no Audi branding will be seen on the car in 2024, with the team officially named Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber for 2024. I think we will just call them Sauber.
Meanwhile, AlphaTauri’s rebranding for 2024 has also been confirmed, their new name being Visa Cash App RB (yes, really). I think we will call them RB.
In any case, there is very little change to the driver line-ups next year with no changes from how the season finished in Abu Dhabi.
Red Bull (Honda RBPT)
Max Verstappen (No 1) and Sergio Pérez (No 11)
Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton (44) and George Russell (63)
Ferrari
Carlos Sainz (55) and Charles Leclerc (16)
*Oliver Bearman (38)
Alpine (Renault)
Esteban Ocon (31) and Pierre Gasly (10)
McLaren (Mercedes)
Lando Norris (4) and Oscar Piastri (81)
Sauber (Ferrari)
Valtteri Bottas (77) and Guanyu Zhou (24)
Aston Martin (Mercedes)
Lance Stroll (18) and Fernando Alonso (14)
Haas (Ferrari)
Kevin Magnussen (20) and Nico Hulkenberg (27)
Visa Cash App RB (Honda RBPT)
Yuki Tsunoda (22) and Daniel Ricciardo (3)
Williams (Mercedes)
Alexander Albon (23) and Logan Sargeant (2)
*replaced Carlos Sainz in Saudi Arabia because of illness
What is the full 2024 calendar?
March
2: Bahrain Grand Prix, Sakhir
2024 winner: Max Verstappen
9: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Jeddah
2024 winner: Max Verstappen
24: Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne
2024 winner: Carlos Sainz
April
7: Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka
2023 result: 1st Verstappen 2nd Norris 3rd Piastri
21: Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai
2023 result: N/A
May
5: Miami Grand Prix, Miami
2023 result: 1st Verstappen 2nd Perez 3rd Alonso
19: Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Imola
2023 result: N/A
26: Monaco Grand Prix, Monte Carlo
2023 result: 1st Verstappen 2nd Alonso 3rd Ocon
June
9: Canadian Grand Prix, Montreal
2023 result: 1st Verstappen 2nd Alonso 3rd Hamilton
23: Spanish Grand Prix, Montmelo
2023 result: 1st Verstappen 2nd Hamilton 3rd Russell
30: Austrian Grand Prix, Spielberg
2023 result: 1st Verstappen 2nd Leclerc 3rd Perez
July
7: British Grand Prix, Silverstone
2023 result: 1st Verstappen 2nd Norris 3rd Hamilton
21: Hungarian Grand Prix, Budapest
2023 result: 1st Verstappen 2nd Norris 3rd Perez
28: Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps
2023 result: 1st Verstappen 2nd Perez 3rd Leclerc
August
25: Dutch Grand Prix, Zandvoort
2023 result: 1st Verstappen 2nd Alonso 3rd Gasly
September
1: Italian Grand Prix, Monza
2023 result: 1st Verstappen 2nd Perez 3rd Sainz
15: Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Baku
2023 result: 1st Perez 2nd Verstappen 3rd Leclerc
22: Singapore Grand Prix, Singapore
2023 result: 1st Sainz 2nd Norris 3rd Hamilton
October
20: United States Grand Prix, Austin
2023 result: 1st Verstappen 2nd Hamilton 3rd Hamilton
27: Mexico City Grand Prix, Mexico City
2023 result: 1st Verstappen 2nd Hamilton 3rd Leclerc
November
3: Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Interlagos
2023 result: 1st Verstappen 2nd Norris 3rd Alonso
23: Las Vegas Grand Prix, Las Vegas
2023 result: 1st Verstappen 2nd Leclerc 3rd Perez
December
1: Qatar Grand Prix, Lusail
2023 result: 1st Verstappen 2nd Piastri 3rd Norris
8: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina
2023 result: Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, George Russell
How to watch the season
As has been the case for some time now, in the United Kingdom, Sky Sports F1 have near exclusive coverage rights for the season. They will be showing all practice sessions, qualifying sessions, sprint qualifying and races throughout the season.
Channel 4 will have their extended qualifying and race highlights again, with the British Grand Prix in July broadcast live.
If you are outside of the UK you may also be able to subscribe to F1’s own F1TV for a monthly fee throughout the season.