End of season takeaways for every F1 team

The 2024 Formula 1 season is officially past the finish line following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Here's our takeaway from each team's performance over the course of the year.

McLaren

No one could have predicted after the first five races that McLaren would not only seriously challenge for the crown of best machinery but also set the bar. Transformed by an upgrade package brought to the Miami Grand Prix, McLaren enjoyed its most successful season this side of the century mark. Led by the technical leadership of team principal Andrea Stella and drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, McLaren won its first constructors' championship since 1998. The duo combined for six wins - most since 2012 - and 21 podiums, the most since 2007. McLaren's success appeared to catch its own team by surprise at times, and it experienced various growing pains throughout the way, most notably with Norris' pursuit of the drivers' championship. But picking up championship gold while still learning the ropes is a very promising sign for 2025 if you're Norris or Piastri.

Ferrari

You have to hand it to Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur. Despite the high highs and low lows (occasionally within the same weekend), the Frenchman truly turned the team around. The Italian-based team built on the late successes of the SF-23 for its SF-24, outpacing the Red Bull and notching five wins, including an unforgettable victory for Charles Leclerc in Monaco. Ferrari utilized successful strategy and quick fixes to overcome an unsuccessful floor upgrade introduced in the Spanish GP. The Scuderia fell short of the constructors, but the fact that it came within 14 points of clinching the title is a testament to its growth between 2022 and 2023. It'll only be uphill from here, as Vasseur used his connections with one of the greatest drivers of all time, Lewis Hamilton, to replace Carlos Sainz for 2025. Expect Ferrari to challenge not only for its first constructors' championship since 2008 but for its first drivers' championship since Kimi Räikkönen took the crown in 2007.

Red Bull

The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Red Bull opened the season in dominant form again before it all came crashing down in spectacular fashion. The RB20's development slammed into a wall, while Sergio Perez fell into one of the worst slumps in modern history. Max Verstappen had to muster every ounce of pace out of his car, while employing brilliant but sometimes unruly tactics, to do damage control and preserve his fourth drivers' title. The constructors' title, meanwhile, was lost through his teammate. Red Bull finished 77 points behind McLaren, and from Imola to Abu Dhabi, Perez was eighth in points scored with 49, a whopping 252 points behind his teammate and 147 points behind the next closest driver above him. With the loss of Adrian Newey, Red Bull will need to get back to the drawing board this winter.

Mercedes

The most successful driver-constructor pairing in F1 history is over, but not without a fitting goodbye. Despite efforts for George Russell to be Mercedes' first driver, this season was all about Lewis Hamilton, who's leaving the team in 2025. The start of the season was reminiscent of 2023, with an inconsistent W15 affecting both drivers' performances and confidence. The first podium in Canada sparked the team's resurgence, as Russell and Hamilton both notched back-to-back P1 finishes in Austria and Great Britain, marking the first time Mercedes won consecutive races and Hamilton's first P1 finish since 2021. While the end of the season left something to be desired, this year was an emotional roller coaster for all members involved. There won't be a lack of talent at Mercedes despite Hamilton's departure, as a potential generational driver in Kimi Antonelli is filling the iconic driver's shoes.

Aston Martin

Memories of Fernando Alonso standing on the podium in 2023 feel more like a fever dream after Aston Martin plummeted in 2024. Aston Martin was mildly competitive to start and appeared to be the best of the rest in the midfield, but by the opening practice session of the season finale in Abu Dhabi, Alonso was calling the AMR24 the "worst car ever." That's a bold statement for a driver who sat in the cockpit of the McLaren-Honda creations. Aston Martin's dilemma wasn't helped by Lance Stroll, who was outscored 70-24 by his older teammate. The Canadian finished with less than half as many Q3 appearances (seven) as Alonso (16) and went pointless in the last 11 races. The good news for Aston Martin is legendary designer Adrian Newey is arriving in 2025. While he won't factor much into the 2025 car, the Silverstone-based factory will be hoping he can work miracles for 2026. Right now, that's the only bright spot for this team.

Alpine

It's hard to distinguish the Alpine that ended the season from the team that began the season. On the track, Alpine rescued what was shaping up to be a disastrous year by jumping from ninth to sixth in the constructors over the last four races. That was mostly due to a surprise double podium in Brazil and a strong effort from Gasly in the final races. A massive increase in prize money should be helpful for the team's employees, who experienced a number of chaotic changes behind the scenes. Arguably the most shocking news was that Renault would cease producing engines in 2026, with Alpine instead partnering with Mercedes. Or maybe it was the bombshell in May that Flavio Briatore was returning as a special advisor and swapping out the departing Esteban Ocon in his final race. But let's focus on the positives. Alpine's workers and drivers deserve special credit for their output given that they were constantly operating in the jaws of disfunction.

Haas

All things considered, Haas didn't have that bad of a season. Sure, they almost weren't allowed to leave the Netherlands because they owed $9 million USD over cancelled sponsorships, and Kevin Magnussen received a race ban for the maximum allotment of penalty points. But resilience was Haas' middle name. The team finished with points in every race after Italy, and the backup driver, Ollie Bearman, was able to secure points in Azerbaijan when Magnussen was sidelined. Haas ended the season with the second-most points in team history and in seventh place in the constructors - a major improvement on its 12 points and 10th-place finish in 2023. The team will likely only continue its upward trajectory with Bearman and Ocon driving in 2025.

RB

Is it RB or VCARB? The only thing more confusing than RB's name was Red Bull's choice of drivers for its secondary team. After an impressive 2023 debut, RB snubbed Liam Lawson for the old guard in Daniel Ricciardo, and he was partnered with Yuki Tsunoda. Despite being outshined by his younger teammate, Ricciardo provided a glimpse of his old self at times, and rumors swirled he could end up back at Red Bull to replace a slumping Perez. None of that happened, as Ricciardo was unceremoniously and awkwardly kicked to the curb after Singapore for Lawson's return. Tsunoda got the better of Lawson, too, though it's rumored the former will get passed over for the main Red Bull seat in 2025. The Japanese driver was the heartbeat of RB this past season, and if anyone gets rewarded, it should be him.

Williams

It was a long season for team principal James Vowles and the drivers, who struggled to earn points when they weren't crashing in both the race and qualifying. Williams replaced Logan Sargeant with up-and-comer Franco Colapinto after Sargeant's struggles through both the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Unfortunately, both Colapinto and Alex Albon were unable to spark much of anything after Singapore, with six retirements, one non-starter, and one point between the two. If this were the destructors' championship, Williams would be the leader, as the three drivers caused an estimated $11.1 million in damages. With Sainz replacing Colapinto for the 2025 season, Vowles can only hope for more points than crashes.

Sauber

Sauber is surely counting down the days until Audi's official arrival. In its first season since losing the Alfa Romeo title sponsor, Sauber felt mostly invisible. Most of its screen time was dedicated to highlighting how poor of a season the outfit was having. Sauber finished last in the constructors' standings and made only two Q3 appearances all season, the fewest among all teams. Luckily, Guanyu Zhou's points finish in a chaotic race in Qatar spared the team the dishonor of going pointless. The car did show a little bit of pace in the closing races, but by then it was too late. The drivers are getting a makeover in 2025 with Zhou and Valtteri Bottas out for Nico Hulkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto. That should at least make the team's individual performance worth monitoring, but it won't change much in terms of results if Sauber doesn't get its act together.