Winners and Losers from the entire F1 2024 season

The 2024 F1 season was a dramatic season on all accounts. From unpredictable races to in-season driver replacements, it was a campaign like no other.

Some parties step away from the year with their heads held high and able to reflect on the season with positivity.

Others, however, are left licking their wounds and battle scars from a tough period full of remorse and incidents.

But who are considered our ultimate winners and losers from the 2024 campaign? Read below to find out!

Winner - Max Verstappen

Let's start off with the obvious pick! Verstappen prevailed for his fourth F1 title, joining even more prestigious company in the F1 history books.

Red Bull's early season was marred by off-track drama but Verstappen kept his head in the game to deliver seven wins in the opening 10 races.

It proved to be vital in the final outcome of the year. As the field closed on Red Bull, so too did the gap to Verstappen in the drivers' championship.

Although his racing tactics were called into question late on in the year when he went toe-to-toe with Lando Norris, the Dutchman was undoubtedly the strongest driver across the entire season.

2024 was an all-different challenge for Verstappen as he faced adversity from multiple angles.

However, he faced the difficulties with admirable strength and determination to ensure he emerged as the reigning title holder once more.

Loser - Mercedes

Mercedes entered the 2024 campaign with a dark cloud already looming over its head. Lewis Hamilton informed the team on the build-up to the new season that he would be leaving for rivals Ferrari in 2025.

It marked a sad moment in Mercedes' F1 journey as it knew it would soon be without the services of the most successful driver in the sport's history.

However, it was determined to end the tenure, which began in 2013, on a high note.

Unfortunately, Mercedes was unable to produce a competitive car for the third consecutive year under the current set of technical regulations.

Although Hamilton was able to add another two victories to his name, it was a grief-ridden season overall.

Mercedes slipped to fourth place in the constructors' championship as it now looks to a new era with rookie Kimi Antonelli joining alongside George Russell. 

Winner - McLaren

It's quite incredible to think back to the start of the 2023 season when McLaren was competing at the back of the grid and analyse just how far it has come in a short space of time.

McLaren ended this past season as F1 champions, fending off the competition to lift its first teams' trophy in 26 years.

The Woking-based squad's tough period is not just restricted to the start of 2023 - it endured many years of challenges before reaching the highs it experienced this year.

With a solid driver line-up and competent management in place, it has cast aside the demons that have long plagued it during the turbo-hybrid era.

Lando Norris continued to grow from strength to strength as a team leader while Oscar Piastri, in just his second year, showcased that his ceiling stretches high.

It's an exciting period for McLaren, who no doubt will be entering the new season with even bigger goals in mind.

Loser - Red Bull

21 race victories. 30 podiums. Easy triumphs in the drivers' and constructors' championships - Red Bull's 2023 season was immaculate.

It was inevitable that it would be caught up by the competition at some point, but after such a dominant display last year, few thought its decline would come so rapidly.

Although Verstappen was able to clinch the drivers' title, Red Bull slipped to third place in the constructors' standings.

This was largely in part due to Sergio Perez's disappointing run of results, culminating in his exit from the squad after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

With off-track drama circulating in the early stages, it was an overall messy season for Red Bull.

It can take pleasure in adding another drivers' championship trophy to its cabinet and thank its lucky stars for having Verstappen in its arsenal.

But there is little doubt the team is under major pressure to perform in 2025 or risk dropping even further down the F1 pecking order.

Winner - F1 fans

Any way you look at it, the 2023 season was a tough watch. Verstappen's dominance, while brilliant, was heavily predictable - taking away the core element of what makes F1 exciting.

It seemed in the early part of the 2024 season that we would be subjected to the same story - but that quickly changed as McLaren stepped up to challenge Red Bull.

Ferrari and Mercedes were also able to get in the mix with the top four teams winning at least three times throughout the season.

Each weekend was a reset for the teams and the prospect of who would come out on top, making it an exciting situation for the fans to follow at home.

F1 has been in a competitive lull since the introduction of new technical regulations in 2022.

But the field has converged as it became increasingly difficult for Red Bull to add extra speed to its car, resulting in an unpredictable and highly engaging season to watch from the sidelines.

2025 now promises to be a season for the ages.

Loser - Williams

2024 looked to be a season of promise for Williams. It enjoyed some strong results the previous year and was poised to make even bigger steps this time around.

Williams' early season results were impacted by an overweight car, and when it finally got on top of the concerns, it had fallen behind. 

However, its season was majorly overshadowed by a series of crashes that shot up the repair bill, which could have hangover effects into the new season.

A mid-season driver change saw Logan Sargeant dropped in favour of Franco Colapinto. The Argentine displayed stronger speed on the track, but as a rookie, made many of the same mistakes his predecessor did.

The signing of Carlos Sainz on a multi-year deal from 2025 marked a significant moment for the Grove-based squad.

However, the Spaniard will likely find Williams in a difficult spot next year as it continues to lick its wounds from a crash-ridden campaign that saw it end the year ninth in the standings.