System 1: Key tales, standings and schedule as 2024 season resumes with Dutch GP after summer time break

As System 1 returns after its summer time break, Sky Sports activities F1 have collated all the pieces it’s good to know going into the ultimate 10 races of the 2024 season.

Nearly 4 weeks on from Lewis Hamilton’s victory in Spa, the drivers will return to the monitor in Zandvoort on Friday forward of Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix.

The whole lot is to play for with world championship chief Max Verstappen trying to shut out a fourth successive drivers’ title regardless of his Purple Bull group’s exceptional streak of dominance showing to have ended.

There may be additionally a vastly aggressive battle taking part in out within the Constructors’ Championship, with Purple Bull beneath growing strain from McLaren and Mercedes.

No matter outcomes, there’ll undoubtedly be emotional scenes at Mercedes as Hamilton enters the ultimate phases of his historic stint with the group forward of his transfer to Ferrari.

In the meantime, the 2025 grid nonetheless wants finishing, with the query of who will exchange the seven-time world champion at Mercedes nonetheless to be answered.

What has occurred so far?

Verstappen started his marketing campaign within the kind of dominant kind that noticed him break nearly each document within the ebook, profitable 4 of the primary 5 races and solely being denied a robust shot at victory in Australia by a reliability problem that pressured him to retire from the race.

The chief beneficiary on that day was Carlos Sainz, who remarkably returned to the cockpit lower than two weeks after having his appendix eliminated to guide house a Ferrari one-two from Charles Leclerc.

Ferrari had established themselves as Purple Bull’s closest challengers as they secured a podium end at every of the primary 4 races, however a brand new contender would quickly emerge.

McLaren had began on the again foot after admitting forward of the season that they had didn’t get their automotive the place they wished to, however upgrades that arrived for the fifth race in China would catapult the papaya automobiles again into rivalry.

Lando Norris took second in Shanghai earlier than lastly claiming his maiden F1 win subsequent day trip in Miami, a weekend since which McLaren have been in rivalry for victory at nearly each race.

Leclerc took benefit of Ferrari’s slow-speed nook prowess to interrupt his ‘Monaco curse’ by profitable at his house circuit, however the Italian squad would then drop out of rivalry on the entrance.

Verstappen displayed his brilliance to edge out Norris in Canada and Spain as a duel developed, with the battle reaching boiling level in Austria because the pair collided within the closing phases when battling for the lead, gifting George Russell and Mercedes a primary victory of the season.

The uplifting outcome for Mercedes got here after a sequence of upgrades, however the features that they had made did not grow to be totally obvious till Hamilton ended a 56-race winless streak with a document ninth British Grand Prix victory at Silverstone.

The season obtained a seventh completely different winner as Oscar Piastri claimed victory in Hungary, however the Australian’s maiden Grand Prix win was considerably overshadowed by a McLaren group orders drama that noticed Norris refuse to let his team-mate again into the lead for a protracted interval earlier than lastly relenting.

Within the last race earlier than the break, Mercedes laid down a press release as Russell pulled off a one-stop technique to guide Hamilton house in a one-two, just for the previous to later be disqualified for his automotive having slipped marginally beneath the minimal authorized weight.

Can Verstappen maintain on to drivers’ crown?

Largely due to his dominant begin to the season, Verstappen possesses a 78-point lead over Norris on the prime of the drivers’ standings.

Leclerc is strictly 100 factors behind Verstappen in third, whereas Piastri is an extra 10 factors again in fourth, with each seemingly too far adrift to mount a late cost.

Verstappen was lucky that his collision with Norris in Austria – that he was adjudged to have induced – in the end noticed him acquire 10 factors on the Brit.

With Norris additionally having been responsible of failing to capitalise on a number of weekends the place he appeared to have the quickest automotive, Verstappen’s lead might have simply been considerably smaller at this stage.

Nevertheless, with the standings as they’re, it will take one thing historic for Norris to chase down the Dutchman from right here, with Mercedes’ emergence as a contender for race victories solely serving to stiffen his process.

Finally, for Norris to have a practical likelihood of taking a shock first F1 title, he’ll want Verstappen to undergo a number of retirements between now and the tip of the season.

McLaren closing in on Purple Bull in constructors’ battle

Purple Bull possess a 42-point lead over McLaren within the Constructors’ Championship, however the Woking squad have all of the momentum heading into the ultimate stretch.

That hole was 99 factors after 5 rounds however a surprising drop-off in kind from Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez that has seen him declare simply 28 factors throughout the final eight races, has successfully made it a two-versus-one for McLaren.

Norris and Piastri have constantly mixed to outscore Verstappen, and lots of have been stunned by Purple Bull’s announcement in the beginning of the summer time break that they’d be holding Perez for at the very least the rest of the season.

Except the Mexican by some means manages to regain his kind over the summer time, Verstappen seems powerless to stop McLaren from claiming a primary constructors’ crown since 1998.

Ferrari are theoretically nonetheless in rivalry with only a 63-point hole to Purple Bull, however the third-placed squad’s lack of kind signifies that they’re extra possible trying over their shoulder at the specter of being displaced by Mercedes.

The Silver Arrows are 79 factors again from Ferrari and group principal Toto Wolff has said his ambition to chase down Hamilton’s future employers.

The battle on the entrance may very well be impacted by a mid-season change to the game’s technical rules, the banning of uneven braking, which may help tackle the battle between the low-speed understeer and high-speed oversteer.

The FIA didn’t disclose whether or not a group had been utilizing such a system or whether or not the change was a results of a group searching for clarification on the matter for future improvement plans, however a drop off in velocity over the approaching weeks for one of many prime groups could also be seen suspiciously.

Aston Martin have a agency grip on fifth regardless of an underwhelming marketing campaign so far, whereas RB maintain a seven-point lead over Haas within the battle for sixth. Sauber are the one group nonetheless and not using a level.

Which races are nonetheless to return?

There are 10 rounds remaining, three of that are Dash weekends.

The season resumes with 4 races throughout 5 weekends, with a back-to-back within the Netherlands and Italy adopted by per week break earlier than one other double-header in Azerbaijan and Singapore.

There are then three successive weekends off to permit the groups and drivers to organize for 2 triple headers to finish the season.

The primary comes solely within the Americas with Austin, Mexico and Brazil internet hosting earlier than one other week off.

It is then again to Las Vegas for the beautiful spectacle of F1 automobiles rushing down the strip, earlier than the season involves a detailed with races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

Austin, Brazil and Qatar are Dash weekends, certain to offer extra drama and essential further factors for championship battles.

Which 2025 seats are but to be crammed?

Sainz signing for Williams in the beginning of the summer time break has left simply 4 seats open for 2025, with one every belonging to Mercedes, RB, Alpine and Sauber.

Essentially the most fascinating remaining drive is undoubtedly changing Hamilton alongside Russell at Mercedes, and there’s a very clear favorite to land the seat.

Sainz, who had been linked with Mercedes, becoming a member of Williams was the newest signal that Wolff goes to gamble on Italian teenager Andrea ‘Kimi’ Antonelli, who will flip 18 on Sunday.

The younger star produced a few well timed victories in System 2 within the weeks earlier than the summer time break, and the one factor that would cease him getting the seat at this level would seem like Verstappen making a shock exit from Purple Bull.

There may be additionally a good quantity of certainty round who Alpine will give their second seat, with reserve driver Jack Doohan anticipated to lastly get his likelihood in F1.

The uncertainty at RB stems from the highest of the Purple Bull system. Sergio Perez is technically contracted for 2 extra seasons, however his dismal kind has created doubt over whether or not he’ll get the possibility to start out the extension he signed in June.

That has resulted in hypothesis that both RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo or Purple Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson might take the seat. Tsunoda is contracted for an additional season with RB, however Ricciardo has considerably bizarrely but to be assured of his RB future whereas additionally being linked with a promotion.

Purple Bull are more likely to need to see how Perez will get on over the approaching weeks earlier than making a call throughout their two groups.

Lastly, the Sauber group – that may grow to be Audi in 2026 – have but to substantiate a team-mate for incoming driver Nico Hulkenberg. Incumbent Valtteri Bottas would seem like the favorite, however no deal has been agreed regardless of an obvious lack of sturdy alternate options.

Adjustments on the prime for Sauber and Alpine

A doable reason for the delay over a call on Bottas at Sauber is a few important adjustments within the group’s administration.

Former Ferrari group principal Mattia Binotto took up his twin positions as chief working and chief technical officer at Sauber in the beginning of August and will have introduced a brand new perspective to the group’s driver line-up.

Sauber have additionally appointed Jonathan Wheatley as their new group principal, however the long-time Purple Bull sporting director won’t be able to take up his position till subsequent season.

There might be a brand new group principal within the paddock in Zandvoort, with Alpine having employed 36-year-old Brit Oliver Oakes to take cost of the struggling squad.

Wheatley is the newest key determine to depart Purple Bull, following chief technical officer Adrian Newey leaving his position earlier this season.

Newey’s exit had been linked to the environment on the group amid tensions between group principal Christian Horner and Verstappen’s administration group, most notably his father Jos.

A really public row performed out after allegations round controlling behaviour have been made towards Horner by a feminine Purple Bull worker. The allegations have been dismissed in February, however the complainant appealed the choice in March, leaving the scenario hanging over the group.

The attraction was dismissed on August 8. Horner and Verstappen are more likely to be requested concerning the scenario when going through the media in Zandvoort later this week.

System 1 returns after the summer time break with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on August 23-25, stay on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream each F1 race and extra with a NOW Sports activities Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime.

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