The F1 drivers are on summer break! F1 is a sport where 10 teams with 2 drivers from all over the world race the most high-tech cars worldwide. They have to face the toughest physical challenges, like taking turns at 200mph enduring 5 g which is the equivalent to 5 times your body weight pushing against your neck. Without proper training you would black out! It’s about 140 degrees fahrenheit (60 degrees celsius) inside the cockpit so it’s quite a challenge to keep high focus. If they mess up there could be a very big consequence.

These cars cost an unbelievable amount, about $15m per car. They cost so much due to how much testing and manufacturing parts they have to do. There’s 24 races that these drivers have to do. The top 10 placements in each race get points and earn more the higher you place. The 20 racers compete to see who gets the most points to win the Driver’s Championship. The teams also compete to see who can get the most points with each team winning them the Constructor’s Cup.

Max Verstappen, the Dutch driver, won 3 championships in a row and last season had the most dominant year ever, winning 19 of the 22 races last year. This season Max Verstappen hasn’t been as dominant and there have been different race winners. Such as Lando Norris getting his first win in Miami and George Russell his first win in Austria and a win being first to cross the line in Belgium but disqualified due to being 1.5kg under the minimum weight limit.

So far Lando Norris Is creeping up on Max Verstappen in the Driver Championship standings, only around 70 points behind. If Lando Norris wins the next couple races he has the chance to win the Driver Championship. Oscar Piastri, Norris’ teammate is being considered the better Mclaren Driver. He doesn’t get all the upgrades like Norris does and he’s finishing above or near Norris. It’s also his rookie year so he has lots of time to improve.

Here are all the standings for the Driver’s Championship, Zhou Guanyu, Logan Sargeant and Valtteri Bottas all with 0 points. With 4 points is Alexander Albon behind Kevin Magnussen and Esteban Ocon with 5 points. The reserve driver Ollie Bearman scored 6 points with only one race. Pierre Gasly with 8 points under Daniel Riccardo scoring 12. Nico Hulkenburg and Yuki Tsunoda with 22 points. Into the top ten we have Lance Stroll with 24 points below his teammate with 50 points. George Russel scored 122 and Sergio Perez with 139. Lewis Hamilton, the 7 time Driver Championship winner with only 154 points. Now in the top 5, in 5 we have Carlos Sainz Jr. with 172 points, in 4th is the rookie Oscar Piastri scoring 179 points. In 3rd is Charles Leclerc, the Monegasque driver with 192 points. In 2nd we have Lando Norris coming in at 225 points, and at 1st we have the reigning champion, Max Verstappen with 295 ponts! 

Cites –  https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12971472/f1-2024-dates-calendar-and-drivers-how-race-testing-schedule-and-line-ups-are-set-for-next-season https://www.formula1.com/en/results/2024/drivers