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The countdown to the start of the 2024 F1 season has begun with the new year. The gap between the end of the last season and the start of the new one is when drivers tend to take some time off. They go away, have a few days off, spend time with the family, and unwind.
By January, however, all of them are back on the grind, getting ready to be in shape for the start of the season. For every driver, the start of a season is a crucial time because it is when he sets the goal for the rest of the season.
Be it a young driver or an old one, there is a pre-season target that everyone sets for themselves. So what are these targets for each driver in the grid? Let's take a look.
Max Verstappen
For Max Verstappen, it might just be too simple to say that he would be hoping to achieve the same as he did in 2023.
The Dutchman won 19 races last F1 season and if he does the same again, he's looking at a brilliant season.
Sergio Perez
For Sergio Perez, the target has to be to secure his future. His 2023 F1 season was not great and his contract comes to an end this year.
He will be hoping to secure his future as soon as possible and hopefully with Red Bull.
Lewis Hamilton
For Lewis Hamilton, the personal target might be to get better in qualifying. The driver has admitted that he feels he's not been at his best in qualifying and that's one area he would want to improve.
Whether he challenges for a bigger prize depends entirely on the car Mercedes delivers to him.
George Russell
For George Russell it's simple, he has to beat Lewis Hamilton. This will be his third year with the team and it's about time he took over from Hamilton as the lead driver.
He has to go into 2024 with the target of getting the better of his F1 teammate.
Charles Leclerc
For Charles Leclerc, the focus has to be on cutting down the errors that have plagued him recently. The driver tried to go for glory far too many times in the 2023 F1 season and it cost him.
He'll need to taper that aggression a little and be more consistent this season.
Carlos Sainz
For Carlos Sainz, the target has to be as close to Charles Leclerc as possible. With his contract hanging in the air, it's a bit of a question mark on whether Ferrari would want to keep him.
A strong start to the season and being consistently competitive with Leclerc could certainly help with that.
Lando Norris
For Lando Norris, the 2024 F1 season has to be all about cutting down on those final strands of unforced errors that compromise his results.
The McLaren driver is consistent and if he can get rid of those little issues, he would be a bigger threat to Max Verstappen.
Oscar Piastri
For Oscar Piastri, his second F1 season needs to have an improvement in one major aspect - his ability to keep a consistent pace in race trim. That's one area where Piastri was a tad vulnerable in 2023 and he'll need to work on that.
Fernando Alonso
For Fernando Alonso, the one area where he would want to work a little is his Qualifying.
The Spaniard is one of the more complete drivers but if there is one area where he might need to improve a little, it has to be qualifying.
Lance Stroll
For Lance Stroll, it's much simpler as all he needs to do is prove that he can be a great deputy for Fernando Alonso.
It's more or less clear that Aston Martin is built around Alonso but the team needs a strong deputy and Stroll is yet to show that he can do the job.
Esteban Ocon
For Esteban Ocon, there might be two targets that he would be looking to hit this F1 season. He would be looking to establish himself over his teammate Pierre Gasly at Alpine, and at the time taking a call on where he wants to be from 2025 onwards.
Pierre Gasly
For Pierre Gasly it is somewhat similar to Esteban Ocon as the French driver will be looking to establish himself at Alpine but at the same time keeping his eyes open for a possible opening at other teams.
Alex Albon
For Alex Albon, it's a bit simpler as all he needs to do is find a new home. The driver has more or less outgrown Williams and will be hoping to get a different seat next season.
Logan Sargeant
For Logan Sargeant, the 2024 F1 season is all about gaining the ability to put weekends together and start getting the better of teammate Alex Albon. Once he starts doing that, his stock would automatically rise within Williams and in F1.
Daniel Ricciardo
For Daniel Ricciardo, the 2024 F1 season has a simple target and that is to secure a seat with Red Bull.
The Australian is part of AlphaTauri for one single reason which is to show that he can be a frontrunner again. If he is, however, unable to prove that, it will be interesting to see what he does next.
Yuki Tsunoda
For Yuki Tsunoda the target is simple. He needs to get the better of Daniel Ricciardo.
Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas is in a precarious situation as he tries to secure his future in F1. He will be hoping to secure a future in 2026 with Audi.
Guanyu Zhou
For Guanyu Zhou, the target for the 2024 F1 season would be to prove that he belongs in F1. The driver has far too many detractors and he will be hoping to prove them wrong this season.
Nico Hulkenberg
For Nico Hulkenberg, the pre-season target would be to get a better seat and get out of Haas. For the German, there seems to be some interest from Sauber and there's also an outside chance with Red Bull as well.
It will be interesting to see where he goes because he would not be looking at another year with Haas in any way.
Kevin Magnussen
For Kevin Magnussen, the 2024 F1 season is all about securing his future. It was almost on the fringes in 2023 but he got an extension. He cannot afford another bad one in 2024.
