This Formula 1 season doesn’t bring any drivers to the grid, but several new vehicle sponsors and accompanying liveries have entered and they’re as confusing as they’re refreshing. With Lewis Hamilton’s shock switch from Mercedes-AMG to Ferrari the biggest news to come out of the offseason, this year is a chance for drivers to prove their case for returning next season.
Namely, Fernando Alonso, Sergio Pérez, Carlos Sainz Jr, Daniel Ricciardo, Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly, Kevin Magnussen, Nico Hulkenberg, Zhou Guanyu, Yuki Tsunoda, and Logan Sargeant who are all driving on expiring contracts.
However, with expiring contracts comes a flood of new money and plenty of opportunities for drivers on the cusp of stardom. The F1 driver line-up for 2024 has everything from expiring contracts to team switches, new racecars, and more. Here’s a closer look at which F1 driver races for which team.
RELATED: Here’s how much money the F1 drivers are making. Hint, it’s a lot.
1. Red Bull
Red Bull drivers in 2024:
- Max Verstappen (no. 1): 3 championships, 54 wins, 32 pole positions, 98 podiums, 185 starts
- Sergio Perez (no. 11): 6 wins, 3 pole positions, 35 podiums, 258 starts
After another strong year that resulted in a third F1 Drivers Champion for Verstappen, Red Bull isn’t messing with the formula. The team has locked down both Verstappen and Sergio Perez for the upcoming season, which could prove to be a defining one for the iconic livery. Verstappen signed an extension back in March that will see him stay in Red Bull colours until at least the 2028 season, worth an estimated USD$55 million a year. That figure puts the young gun on par with Mercedes mainstay Lewis Hamilton, a remarkable feat for such a young driver at the time.
At the end of his contract, Verstappen will be 30 years old, which is far from the end of the line, meaning the potential to snag the biggest contract in the history of the sport, provided he keeps winning.
“You heard on my radio on the in lap , asking if I could stay for another 10/15 years,” Verstappen said at the FIA prize-giving gala a year ago. “I am very happy where I am and I can be myself, and that I think is also really important. It’s not only about just purely F1: we can have fun, we can have a good laugh. It’s not only about performance, also you need to enjoy what you’re doing.”
Sergio Perez is also contracted to stick by his side until at least 2024, with the Mexican driver signing an extension back in May, just two days after his win in Monaco. This season will be the defining moment for his career, seeking out an extension with the best team in F1.
Full Team Name: Oracle Red Bull Racing
Base: Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
Team Chief: Christian Horner
Chassis: RB20
Power Unit: Honda RBPT
World Championships: 6
Highest Race Finish: 1st (x115)
2. Mercedes
Mercedes drivers in 2024:
- Lewis Hamilton (no. 44): 7 championships, 103 wins, 104 pole positions, 197 podiums, 332 starts
- George Russell (no. 63): 1 win, 1 pole position, 11 podiums, 104 starts
Lewis Hamilton’s battle for supremacy showed promise at times last season, snagging second place in Australia, Spain, and Mexico. However, the seven-time world champion has struggled to recapture his best form in a car that he’s struggled with post DAS (Dual Axis Steering).
While he’ll never admit it, this season will be a filler before he hands the keys to George Russell and moves to Ferrari at the beginning of the 2025 season. Who will take his seat? Only time will tell.
Speaking of George, he’s continued to show improvements year after year. His best finish last season was a podium in Spain next to his teammate. He finished last season on a high note with a 3rd place finish in Abu Dhabi.
Full Team Name: Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team
Base: Brackley, United Kingdom
Team Chief: Toto Wolff
Chassis: W15
Power Unit: Mercedes
World Championships: 8
Highest Race Finish: 1st (x116)
3. Ferrari
Ferrari drivers in 2024:
- Charles Leclerc (no. 16): 5 wins, 30 podiums, 125 starts
- Carlos Sainz (no. 55): 2 wins, 18 podiums, 185 starts
It will be tough for Ferrari to stay composed throughout this season, knowing Lewis Hamilton will be joining the team next year to replace Carlos Sainz. However, the team isn’t messing with the formula much, running it back with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in the drivers’ seats for the next year and it’s showing early promise. You could call it the “Carlos Sainz revenge season,” but that would be overlooking the fact he’s pretty much promised a seat on any team next season. Unless he takes a sabbatical and returns with new entrant Audi in 2026.
For Ferrari, the pairing appears to work well. Over the last few seasons, Leclerc has shown glimpses of brilliance, peppered with a few silly mistakes, but the star is expected to take a leap and show why he’s the preferred driver in 2024.
Full Team Name: Scuderia Ferrari
Base: Maranello, Italy
Team Chief: Frédéric Vasseur
Chassis: SF-24
Power Unit: Ferrari
World Championships: 16
Highest Race Finish: 1st (x244)
4. McLaren
McLaren drivers in 2024:
- Lando Norris (no. 4): 1 pole position, 13 podiums, 104 starts
- Oscar Piastri (no. 81): 2 podiums, 22 starts
McLaren’s new driver line-up paid off last season with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri notching plenty of podiums in the second half of the season that showcased their new vehicles full potental. Of course, there’s a driver in that seat and they have to perform too, and while intrigue is still high on both Norris and Piastri, it’s fair that expectations rise with success. And they’ve had plenty of it, with Oscar Piastri recording 3rd in Japan and 2nd in Qatar.
His teammate Lando Norris was even more impressive with 2nd in Great Britain, Hungary, Singapore, Japan, United States, and Brazil, alongside a couple of top 5 finishes.
Norris, now well into his F1 career, signed an extension to 2025 with McLaren, off the back of a career-best year, while Piastri is contracted until 2026. Of course, that signing was made possible after Daniel Ricciardo confirmed a messy breakup with McLaren that saw the papaya livery pay out an enormous sum to terminate his contract. Ricciardo’s exit made way for Piastri to take the drive, despite a bitter battle with Alpine that went all the way to F1’s Contract Recognition Board.
This season, expect the podiums to continue, because unless Mercedes-AMG or Aston Martin make a giant leap, this is McLarens season for the taking. Second place, that is.
Full Team Name: McLaren Formula 1 Team
Base: Woking, United Kingdom
Team Chief: Andrea Stella
Chassis: MCL38
Power Unit: Mercedes
First Team Entry: 1966
World Championships: 8
Highest Race Finish: 1st (x183)
5. Aston Martin
Aston Martin drivers in 2024:
- Fernando Alonso (no. 14): 2 world championships, 32 wins, 106 podiums, 380 starts
- Lance Stroll (no. 18): 3 podiums, 1 pole position, 143 starts
With Sebastian Vettel announcing his retirement, Aston Martin found themselves without a marquee driver before the start of last season, but that didn’t last long as Fernando Alonso confirmed he would be leaving Alpine to replace Vettel, bringing with him a wealth of championship experience.
The two-time champion confirmed a multi-year deal that will see him in green well into his 40s, which inadvertently puts an end to hopes of any newcomers slotting alongside the team owner’s son, Lance Stroll.
Still, Aston Martin outperformed expectations last season, starting with three consecutive podiums in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Australia, before nabbing six more throughout the season. Yes, it ended slower than expected after McLaren showed up halfway through the season with a rocket ship. However, they turned things around in the final races of the year with a third place in Brazil.
Full Team Name: Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team
Base: Silverstone, United Kingdom
Team Chief: Mike Krack
Chassis: AMR24
Power Unit: Mercedes
World Championships: N/A
Highest Race Finish: 1st (x1)
6. Alpine
Alpine drivers in 2024:
- Pierre Gasly (no. 10): 1 win, 4 podiums, 130 starts
- Esteban Ocon (no. 31): 1 win, 3 podiums, 133 starts
Shocked by not getting Oscar Piastri (despite announcing it to the world), Alpine was forced to make amendments to its F1 driver lineup before the start of last season. They aren’t too shabby, announcing an all-French line-up with Pierre Gasly brought in from Alpha Tauri and put in the seat that was originally rejected by Piastri. He joins Esteban Ocon, who is under contract until the end of this season. In fact, both driver’s contracts are up for renewal so expect a few scuffles on-track.
This season signals major managerial changes for the team that’s steadily performed in the middle of the standings but never reached its potential with two race-winning drivers. Simply put, they want to finish behind Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes in fourth place in the constructors championship and beat McLaren and Aston Martin. They’ll attempt to do so in a brand-new car that’s retained no more than the steering wheel.
New sports star investors like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Rory McIlroy, and Anthony Joshua will be watching closely.
Full Team Name: BWT Alpine F1 Team
Base: Enstone, United Kingdom
Team Chief: Bruno Famin
Chassis: A524
Power Unit: Renault
World Championships: 2
Highest Race Finish: 1st (x21)
7. Williams
Williams drivers in 2024:
- Alex Albon (no. 23): 2 podiums, 81 starts
- Logan Sargeant (no. 2): Best finish of 10th, 22 starts
One of the big unknowns for last season was who was joining ‘fast-in-anything’ Alex Albon at Williams. The driver was retained on a multi-year deal, however, after Nicholas Latifi was culled from the lineup at the end of the 2022 season, American driver Logan Sargeant was slotted into the car after a stint at Williams Formula 2 where he won 2 races and finished on the podium 4 times.
When Latifi first joined the team, the funding that inevitably followed him was crucial to the team’s survival, however, Williams now finds itself under private equity, meaning cash is no longer an issue.
Mercedes-AMG mastermind James Vowles has joined as Team Principal (check out the dedicated Drive to Survive episode, it’s fantastic) and he brings the opportunity for a new beginning at Williams with technical leadership and an engineer mindset. They showed pace in a straight line last season, but this year they are looking to improve and give Alex Albon a few reasons to stay on next season.
Full Team Name: Williams Racing
Base: Grove, United Kingdom
Team Chief: James Vowles
Chassis: FW46
Power Unit: Mercedes
World Championships: 9
Highest Race Finish: 1st (x114)
8. RB Formula One Team
RB Formula One Team drivers in 2024:
- Daniel Ricciardo (no. 3): 8 wins, 32 podiums, 239 starts
- Yuki Tsunoda (no. 22): Best finish of P4, 66 starts
When Alpha Tauri locked in Pierre Gasly for the 2023 season, the team thought the job was done, but Gasly had other ideas. After being contacted by Alpine following the departure of Oscar Piastri, Gasly weighed up his options and forced Alpha Tauri to reconsider the deal. Together, they found a solution with the team nabbing Formula E champion Nyck de Vries following a standout performance filling in for Williams’ Alex Albon at Monza.
The Dutchman’s time with the team only lasted a few races before Daniel Ricciardo took the seat and a contract worth its weight in gold. If Danny Ric wants to renew his contract at the end of this season or move somewhere else, he’ll have to find his rhythm early in the Red Bull Racing B-tier team.
Full Team Name: Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team
Base: Faenza, Italy
Team Chief: Laurent Mekies
Chassis: VCARB 01
Power Unit: Honda RBPT
World Championships: N/A
Highest Race Finish: 1st (x2)
9. Kick Sauber
Kick Sauber drivers in 2024:
- Valtteri Bottas (no. 77): 10 wins, 67 podiums, 222 starts
- Zhou Guanyu (no. 24): Best finish of 8th, 44 starts
It’s fair to say Valtteri Bottas couldn’t wait to see the end of last season after early promise turned into months of disappointment as other middle-order teams improved at a rapid rate. The Finnish driver is sticking by teammate Zhou Guanyu, who is currently in his contract year and needs to show serious signs of improvement on his career-best 8th-place finish to maintain a seat on the grid.
Doing so in an underperforming car only makes things harder for the Chinese driver. However, with new Technical Director James Key taking over from Jan Monchaux and an overhauled C44 racecar, the brand thinks this is the year for serious results.
Full Team Name: Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber
Base: Hinwil, Switzerland
Team Chief: Alessandro Alunni Bravi
Chassis: C44
Power Unit: Ferrari
First Team Entry: 1993
World Championships: N/A
Highest Race Finish: 1st (x1)
10. Haas
Haas drivers in 2024:
- Kevin Magnussen (no. 20): 1 podium, 1 pole position, 163 starts
- Nico Hulkenberg (no. 27): 1 pole position, 203 starts
In typical Haas fashion, they went one step forward in 2022 and then two steps back in 2023 as every other team on the grid made significant development leaps. What started as a dog’s breakfast continued throughout the year as they failed to build on the previous year, dealing with tyre-degradation issues in a car that’s showed outright pace in qualifying and practice sessions. The formula for success in 2024 is simple: Gunther Steiner out, Ayao Komatsu in as the brand builds its relationship with Ferrari.
As for drivers, Nico Hulkenberg was signed to a multi-year deal last season and both he and Kevin Magnussen will stay under contract with the team for this season unless the team fails miserably.
Full Team Name: MoneyGram Haas F1 Team
Base: Kannapolis, United States
Team Chief: Ayao Komatsu
Chassis: VF-24
Power Unit: Ferrari
World Championships: N/A
Highest Race Finish: 4th (x1)
Your FAQs Answered
Kick Sauber (green livery) replaces the Alfa Romeo team fro 2023, but the drivers stay the same with Valtteri Bottas (no. 77) and Zhou Guanyu (no. 24).
Daniel Ricciardo’s (no. 3) new Alpha Tauri team name is Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team. He races alongside Yuki Tsunoda (no. 22).
