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The countdown for the 2024 F1 season is up and running. The last season was arguably not as eye-catching as fans would have expected. Single-team dominance can be tough to watch as predictability in any sport can kill interest.
Having said that, the 2024 F1 season is expected to be a bit better. Could Red Bull and Max Verstappen dominate once again? Yes, they could. It won't be a surprise if the Dutchman wins the first race of the season.
Having said that, there's a bigger focus on the silly season this time around as the sport looks at what could be a seismic shift in how the grid looks in 2025.
Before the start of the season, 75 percent of the F1 drivers are out of their contracts by the end of the year. That is for sure a massive number and an indication of how the grid could look massively different.
This also brings up the point of what we can expect from the 2024 F1 silly season. Well, let's take a look as we share our predictions for the same.
#5 Alex Albon to leave Williams
Alex Albon's stock has gone through the roof over the last couple of years. He has been consistent with Williams, emerging as a team leader. Having said that, when we talk about the team that he's a part of, there is an indication that the driver has outgrown Williams already.
Albon will have an opportunity to move up the grid in 2025 and there are certainly options on the table for him to make that happen. At the same time, one has to assume that the driver would want a step up in terms of machinery as well.
There are plenty of openings on the grid and Albon is one of the more sought-after drivers, and one can't help but assume he's getting a jump closer to the front of the grid than where he is.
#4 Stake F1 team to replace both Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou
The lineup of Guanyu Zhou and Valtteri Bottas will have another year at the Sauber/Stake F1 team in 2024 but one has to assume that this is it for the duo. Both drivers' performance levels have been far from impressive over the last two years and expecting anything different is just a frugal exercise now.
We're not looking at things changing dramatically for either of them and when one adds the growing Audi influence, they expect the team to start making changes towards a brighter future.
#3 Sergio Perez to be dropped by Red Bull
The 2023 F1 season was the first time Sergio Perez's seat became contentious. Contenders were popping up everywhere ranging from Lando Norris to Daniel Ricciardo. Having said that, if we look at things carefully, Perez's run at Red Bull in 2023 was not a far cry from how he's been in general.
The Mexican driver has struggled against Max Verstappen in 2021 and 2022, and 2023 was not a massive divergence from that. Perez needs a boost in form, and there's no doubt about it.
But will it be enough to secure a seat? Looking at his track record it looks highly unlikely.
#2 Alpine to lose at least one of its two drivers
Alpine is a team that seems to be going downhill fast. There's not only a lack of direction with that team but there's also a lack of common sense in Alpine's decision making. Getting rid of Otmar Szafneur and not even having a replacement in place was just hard to understand on so many levels.
Not only that, the team's performance suffered a major dip as it could not make much progress with the upgrades. Alpine's prospects do not look bright at the moment and it's not wrong to doubt the team.
At the end of the 2024 F1 season, both Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly are out of their contracts. Could we see either of them making a move away from the team? Well, it won't come as a surprise if both drivers are looking for a seat away from the Enstone squad as it continues to be an underperformer.
#1 Carlos Sainz to leave Ferrari
Ideally, a Carlos Sainz-Ferrari split does not make any sense. The Spaniard has been impressive as he has shown that he can hang with some of the best in F1. Sainz was also the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race last season.
Having said that, there seems to be a change that's brewing at Ferrari and that seems to be around Fred Vasseur's philosophy of molding the team around Charles Leclerc.
We could see a similar dynamics to what Max Verstappen has at Red Bull and that is something Sainz might not be happy with. If that does seem to be the plan then the Spanish driver might not want to continue in that setup and we could see a split between the two parties.
