After a slow start to the 2024 Formula 1 campaign, the past few races have seen the championship really heat up.
Five different race winners and four different pole sitters in the last seven Grand Prix is the most competitive the series has been since the start of the ground effect regulations in 2022.
With Max Verstappen, McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari all capable of fighting for race victories and pole positions, and plenty of other battles on and off track all through the field, here are four things to look out for in the second half of the season.
1. Oscar Piastri’s first win
Despite not being part of the 2024 race winner's gallery so far, Oscar Piastri has followed up an impressive rookie campaign with a competitive start to his sophomore year, taking two second place finishes at Monaco and Austria.
Consistent qualifying and improved race pace has seen the Australian driver earn many plaudits for his maturity and composure during a Grand Prix, with the recent race at Silverstone a great example of such attributes.
When track conditions became slippery and grip was a luxury, the McLaren kept its tyres in a better working window to provide their drives with a solid platform to cope with the rain.
Piastri thrived in a moment where other drivers faltered, overtaking both Mercedes before closing in rapidly on his teammate Lando Norris.
Norris is no slouch in the wet, as shown by his rapid pace in Canada a few races back, where he put over 14 seconds on the field in a short space of time.
However, Piastri almost overtook the sister MCL38, before a combination of poor strategy and overheating intermediate tyres halted his progress.
Despite his chances of a first victory scuppered, Piastri stayed alert and in sharp contrast to his teammate, was clear and precise when it came to switching back to slick tyres later in the race.
With McLaren consistently fighting for race wins since Miami, and plenty of opportunities remaining in the second half of the year, especially at tracks such as Hungary, Zandvoort and Singapore, it surely won’t be long until Piastri takes his maiden race win.
2. Constructors championship battle
After unequalled dominance from Red Bull in 2023, three 1-2 finishes in the first four races of 2024 had fans dreading a repeat of the often exhibition-like nature of the previous season.
However, precise and decisive upgrades from McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari have seen competition for race wins and pole positions each weekend finally return to Formula One.
Unpredictably from race to race, circuit to circuit, is exactly what the sport needs and has seen racing at the front of the field meaningful and exciting.
Coupled with the extreme struggles of Sergio Perez in the sister Red Bull, the constructor's championship is no longer a foregone conclusion.
Verstappen’s brilliance and ability to pick up race wins despite not having the fastest car means a turnaround in the driver's standings seems unlikely, but the team's championship could very much go elsewhere.
Ferrari are only 71 points behind Red Bull despite suffering poor form themselves, with McLaren only a further seven points behind.
Mercedes have also shown a brilliant upturn in form which could see them join the fight, with a prospect of a four-way fight for the championship a real possibility.
With 12 races down, a hunt for the constructor's crown may see Red Bull dispossessed of their title, long before they were expected to relinquish.
3. The Mercedes resurgence
As previously mentioned, the past few races have seen a steady upwards trajectory for Mercedes as they finally seem to have cracked the ground effect regulations.
Technical director James Allison spoke on the ‘eureka’ moment with F1.
“This is more of an ‘oh God, how could we have been so dumb?!’ type moment, where you see the path forward and you should have seen it sooner!” Allison said.
Two poles, two wins and four podiums in the last four races after none of any from the first eight Grand Prix has been a complete revolution from the Silver Arrows, with a front-row lockout last time out at Silverstone their first since Saudi Arabia in 2021.
The team have already taken more wins than the extremely competitive McLaren, showing their execution and strategy is still top notch, despite not being in the fight at the front for many years.
More upgrades are being brought at the next two rounds in Hungary and Belgium, which could propel Mercedes even further forward at the front.
The team have always been excellent at in-season development, which allowed them to secure the championship in years such as 2017 and 2018.
As Red Bull look vulnerable for the first time in multiple years, and McLaren still look to be getting up to speed with the critical thinking needed to fight at the front, there is an opportunity for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell to take more race wins in the second half of the season and potentially add a ninth constructors championship too.
4. The driver market
As always, the driver market is a continued talking point in Formula 1, with some big players still yet to make their moves for 2025.
Carlos Sainz is having to face the harsh reality of giving up his dream seat at Scuderia Ferrari, with a much less competitive drive at Williams, Sauber, Alpine or Haas the options.
This will subsequently allow others to make their moves, with Valterri Bottas, Gunayu Zhou, Kevin Magnussen, Esteban Ocon and Logan Sargeant yet to decide their futures.
As the year goes on, the drivers will become more and more desperate to prove themselves in their limited remaining opportunities, as they face the daunting prospect of a year (or more) on the sidelines.
Further up the field, the Mercedes seat left vacant by Lewis Hamilton is also yet to be filled, with the candidates looking to be F2 driver Kimi Antonelli or world champion Max Verstappen.
The prospect of Verstappen lining up in a Silver Arrow is a dream of Toto Wolff’s, with the idea seemingly unrealistic earlier in the year.
However, with the increased performance of the W15, and a rumoured rocket-ship engine in 2026, the Dutchman could yet still be tempted to make the move for 2025.
The second Red Bull car could also be filled by a new driver, as Sergio Perez continues his disastrous run of form.
Christian Horner and Helmut Marko have both commented on clauses in the Mexican’s contract that could see him released based on performance, with Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson waiting eagerly in the wings.
This would also allow for a change up at RB, with Lawson expected to be handed a full-time F1 seat sooner rather than later.
Up and down the grid, from top to bottom, the driver market is likely to be a massive talking point in the second half of the 2024 campaign, with surprises and controversies almost a given.
