With four races of the 2024 Formula 1 season behind us, it’s a good time to take a look at how each team has done compared to how they finished last year.
I’ve ranked each team by their fastest lap time this season, from slow to fast, although only Mercedes and Aston Martin differ from their championship position.
I also rated each team from A to F based on what they get out of their potential. A grade means you are making the most of your resources and an F means you are failing miserably.
10. Alpine – I don’t know how they get out of this mess
There is a belief in Formula 1 that the sport is more about whether a driver or a car can take care of its tires than about the absolute pace of the machine. The fate of Alpine has shown that if you don’t have a decent car, you can’t do anything with it.
Despite their considerable resources, the team has failed to even remotely qualify for a points finish in 2024. Their car is slightly heavier than the others, but that doesn’t explain how big the gap is. From testing in Bahrain the car looked nervous and inconsistent, with every corner a new experience for the drivers.
Last year they averaged five points per race. This year they will do well to score a total of five points. They have restructured their team at the top, but I don’t know how they can get out of this mess in the short term.
2023 points per race: 5.45
2024 points per race: 0
My score: F
9. Sauber – Points seem unlikely even with a perfect race
The team called Alfa Romeo, which will become Audi in 2026, has remained where it was in 2023, when it finished ninth. If Valtteri Bottas has a good weekend that is their best hope of scoring points, but they haven’t come close to that in the first four rounds.
Their biggest problem is the pit stops with crossed-threaded wheel nuts – and painfully long delays – that often occur. That doesn’t help, but their pace over one lap is hardly great. Even with a bizarre result and they execute their race perfectly, a top-10 finish seems unlikely at best.
2023 points per race: 0.72
2024 points per race: 0
My score: F
8. Williams – Crash-prone teams have gone backwards
After an encouraging 2023, when they finished seventh with 28 points, Williams has had a difficult start to the new season. Their relative lack of speed has been exacerbated by the numerous accidents their drivers experience. If you spend your resources on repairs and replacing parts, you won’t be able to use them on development components to make the car faster.
Last year Alexander Albon made several Q3 appearances and even when he dropped out in Q2 he still had the potential for a points finish, as he did seven times. They seem much harder to come by this year.
2023 points per race: 1.27
2024 points per race: 0
My score: E
7. Haas – A much needed improvement on race day
Haas’ biggest problem last year was the huge drop from qualifying to the races. Last year they appeared occasionally in Q3, but converted that into only 12 points and were last in the standings. This problem mainly stemmed from the 2023 car eating its tires over a race distance.
They appear to have addressed this issue, which has resulted in Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg being able to score three points so far. Haas still need to address the ultimate issue of their overall pace and focus on making their car faster throughout the season.
2023 points per race: 0.54
2024 points per race: 1
My score: D
6. RB – Can they keep this up?
After a bad start to 2023, RB – then AlphaTauri – ended the year strongly and carried that into the new season. Daniel Ricciardo’s achievements are still astonishing. For some reason he can’t master these current ground effect cars.
Their current car, as you would expect, has a nod to their ‘sister’ car, the Red Bull. In Yuki Tsunoda’s hands, it looks quite handy both over one lap and over a race distance. The Japanese driver’s seven points prove this.
If Lance Stroll underperforms for Aston Martin or if there are retirements on the horizon, Tsunoda will look there to strike. As always, the crucial part will be whether they can keep it up.
2023 points per race: 1.13
2024 points per race: 1.75
My score: D
5. Mercedes – Should do much, much better
Mercedes has more or less stood still from 2022 through 2023 to 2024. In absolute terms they are where they were last year, about 0.8 percent of the fastest car on a qualifying lap, but in relative terms they have gone backwards. Ferrari and now McLaren are ahead, meaning their direct rivals are Aston Martin.
This is a team that should theoretically win, but despite 2023 being a bad year, they made no real progress over the winter. They go up and down like a yo-yo. They usually start the weekend well, but don’t make the progress that other teams make over the three days. It’s still mind-boggling.
2023 points per race: 18.59
2024 points per race: 8.5
My score: F
4. Aston Martin – On the right track in 2024
It is a difficult task to compare last year’s Aston Martin with this one. They started 2023 as the second-fastest team with Fernando Alonso on the podium, but hit a snag mid-season after adding upgrades.
This year they seem to have arrested that slide and are on the right track, but have fallen back to the fourth or fifth fastest team. Podiums are a lot less likely in 2024, despite Alonso’s efforts.
Last year they averaged 12.7 points per race, compared to eight so far this year. Overall they have made progress, but not as much as McLaren and Ferrari, which is reflected in the results.
2023 points per race: 12.72
2024 points per race: 8.25
My score: c
3. McLaren – A bit disappointing, but they should improve
McLaren has certainly improved and started 2024 in a much better place than a year ago. Last season, a mid-season upgrade helped them become Red Bull’s main challengers at times in the latter half of the year. In 2023 they averaged 14 points per race and this year they have 17 so far.
In terms of overall pace, they challenge the top six most of the time. They may be a little disappointed to have finished third instead of second after their fantastic end to 2023. Still, they tend to start the season slowly and then improve quickly. I expect they have a plan for upgrades in the coming races. It is still a big step to help Ferrari move forward.
2023 points per race: 13.72
2024 points per race: 5.25pm
My score: c
2. Ferrari – A much better team overall
Ferrari has arguably made the most progress of all the teams and is now Red Bull’s biggest challenger. It is the only team, other than Red Bull, to have won a race since the start of 2023. Last year they averaged 18 points per race and this year it is the same. 30.
They are only slightly flattered by Max Verstappen’s DNF and Sergio Perez’s poor performance in Melbourne. Without that, this would still be a marked improvement over last year. Last weekend showed how much their strategy, planning and execution of a race weekend has changed for the better.
For too long, their decision-making was a chaotic ‘grande casino’, as the Italians call it. Frederic Vasseur has undoubtedly made a difference over the last two years by bringing a sense of calm and preventing some of the top people from interfering in what the racing team is doing.
2023 points per race: 6:45 p.m
2024 points per race: 30
My score: b
1. Red Bull – They keep getting better
There is no contest as to who is the best performing team this year. Last year Red Bull dominated and this year they are on course to repeat that dominance, perhaps not on quite the same scale, or as easily, although it is possible.
They’ve taken a very good car and visually changed it for this year, coming up with an equally good car, if not better. When a team is at the top and dominating, you always wonder if they can grow even further. Red Bull has shown that it is possible. They understand current regulations better than any other team.
Things could get a little tougher this year as Ferrari and McLaren improve, especially over one lap. But actually Red Bull and Verstappen seem to have enough in their pockets if they need it. Last year they scored an average of 39 per race weekend and this weekend, even with Verstappen’s DNF in Australia, that is 35. When it comes to reliability, operational performance and strategy, they are also the best team.
2023 points per race: 39.09
2024 points per race: 35.25
My score: A, in Verstappen’s hands an A++