The 2024 Formula 1 racing campaign is becoming more interesting than expected. Controversies are common in F1 every year, and the latest news is that Max Verstappen from Red Bull is dominating the Championship title while Mercedes continues to struggle. Despite performing well in practice and qualifying, the Mercedes cars fail to deliver during each Grand Prix, and their engineering team is still trying to understand the issues and find solutions. This uncertainty will definitely affect the future race odds for those who like to bet on top sites. However, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has more challenges this year. His wife, Susie, is taking legal action against the FIA for an investigation that seems unfounded. He is also dealing with the team’s underperformance and the fact that Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, has announced his move to rival team Ferrari from next season.
Looking ahead, 2024 seems to be another year of victory for Red Bull and Verstappen. However, things are not settled in their camp either. There are ongoing headlines about team boss Christian Horner leading to various allegations and counter-allegations. One of the colleagues who made the original allegations has been suspended, and Horner vehemently denies the accusations against him. These stories have also sparked rumors that Verstappen himself is unhappy at Red Bull and may consider leaving at the end of his contract. Additionally, there are other wild headlines about power struggles and sabotage that I will not address at this time. This racing season is getting bizarre.
Amidst the turmoil at Red Bull, Wolff took the opportunity to shift the focus to Mercedes. He expressed interest in replacing Hamilton with Verstappen, should the opportunity arise. In recent interviews, Wolff referred to Verstappen, a 26-year-old world champion, as his top choice. However, he acknowledged that, given Mercedes’ position in F1, they will not be short of potential candidates. Any decision regarding the future driver will not be made hastily, as they want to ensure they choose the most qualified candidate who offers the greatest potential for success.
The twists and turns of 2024 are far from over, and racing fans hope that the headlines will come from the grid and not elsewhere. However, 2025 seems to be in a league of its own when it comes to unpredictable events.