F1 2024’s top 10 drivers: Was anyone better than Max Verstappen?

2024 will go down as one of the most thrilling and competitive F1 seasons in years. 

There were seven different winners, a three-way scrap for constructors’ championship glory, and plenty of shock storylines, but it was Max Verstappen who once again prevailed as he claimed a fourth successive world title.

Based solely on their performances through last season alone, here are the drivers who we think impressed the most from F1’s class of 2024. 

1. Max Verstappen

It couldn’t have been anyone else. Verstappen made the most of having a dominant car at the start of the season to win the first five races as he built a healthy championship advantage over McLaren’s Lando Norris.

But it was the second half of the season where Verstappen was at his most impressive. As Red Bull struggled amid off-track turbulence and on-track performance issues, Verstappen kept his cool to get maximum results even when his car was difficult to drive.

Verstappen ended a 10-race winless streak with a stunning comeback drive from 17th to first in treacherous conditions in Brazil, which proved to be the pivotal moment in the title race. The Dutchman never finished lower than sixth, recorded eight pole positions and stood on the podium 14 times.

While he took less than half the amount of wins than he did last year with nine, 2024 was arguably Verstappen’s most impressive F1 campaign to date given the adversity he faced along the way.

2. Charles Leclerc

While he finished higher as the championship’s runner-up in 2022, 2024 will go down as Charles Leclerc’s most successful season in F1.

Leclerc equalled his total of wins from 2022 with three (including a memorable home win on the streets of Monaco to end his curse), claimed more podiums (13) and scored more points (356) despite taking fewer pole positions.

The Monegasque ended up just 18 points adrift of Norris by seasons end but enjoyed a more complete season, making fewer errors and capitalising on every opportunity that presented itself. Had Ferrari not gone down a development rabbit hole for part of the year, Leclerc could have emerged as a championship contender thanks to his fine form.

3. Lando Norris

Some may be surprised to see Norris, F1 2024’s championship runner-up, placed lower than Leclerc after enjoying his strongest season in grand prix racing to date.

There is no denying that Norris had a brilliant season. It began with a maiden career win at the Miami Grand Prix, and three more victories followed at Zandvoort, Singapore and the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

Norris emerged as Verstappen’s nearest challenger in 2024 as his McLaren transformed into the fastest car on the grid. But his title hopes were dashed by driver and team mistakes at critical moments, which ultimately prevented a much closer battle.

By his own admission, Norris “wasn’t ready” for a title fight with Verstappen this year, but if he can turn take those learnings into 2025, with a car that is a frontrunner from the off, he should be a more potent threat to Verstappen.

4. Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz bowed out from Ferrari with class and dignity, having turned in arguably the strongest and most consistent season of his career. A driver with a point to prove as he looked to secure his future away from Ferrari, the 30-year-old Spaniard claimed two victories and nine podiums as he and teammate Leclerc brought Ferrari within touching distance of their first F1 world title since 2008.

Sainz incredibly won the Australian Grand Prix just 16 days after having his appendix removed, an operation which ruled him out of the second race of the season in Saudi Arabia. He impressively converted his only pole into victory with a cool, calm and collected drive in Mexico City. Sainz fittingly ended his four-year Ferrari tenure on the podium alongside Leclerc at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

5. George Russell

2024 was the year George Russell made his mark at Mercedes and underlined his credentials as the future of the Silver Arrows in the post-Lewis Hamilton era. 

Russell comprehensively outperformed his seven-time world champion teammate 19-5 in the qualifying head-to-heads with an average qualifying gap of nearly two tenths of a second over the course of the year. The Briton also finished 22 points and a position ahead of Hamilton in the drivers’ championship, taking sixth.

Russell’s qualifying superiority over Hamilton was highlighted by the fact he put the inconsistent W15 on pole four times. While Russell’s win in Austria came rather fortuitously after Verstappen and Norris took each other out of contention, there was nothing lucky about his dominant victory in Las Vegas, which marked a real statement on a weekend his teammate made costly errors in qualifying.

6. Oscar Piastri

Stepping up a level from his already impressive rookie F1 season, Oscar Piastri continued to star in his sophomore campaign in 2024. His strong performances alongside teammate Norris were crucial in helping McLaren triumph in the constructors’ championship.

The young Australian notched up two victories in Hungary and Azerbaijan and finished on the podium eight times. He also qualified on the front trow of the grid on six occasions. His best days were sometimes stronger than even Norris could manage, but he lacked the consistency of his more experienced teammate and ended up 82 points adrift by seasons end.

7. Lewis Hamilton

By his lofty standards, 2024 will go down as being one of Hamilton’s poorest F1 seasons. On paper, P7 in the drivers’ championship marked the lowest point of his career. Hamilton, F1’s all-time record holder for most poles with 104, disappointed in qualifying and suffered a convincing defeat to teammate Russell. He struggled more than Russell with taming the tricky W15 and endured several below-par weekends.

Nevertheless, Hamilton’s highs were higher than most drivers on the grid. An emotional home win at Silverstone - ending a 945-day wait for victory - was one of two impressive drives that took Hamilton back to the top step of the podium. Hamilton also turned in superb comeback drives in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi, while standout performances in Spain and Hungary went somewhat under the radar.

8. Nico Hulkenberg

There could be a case for Nico Hulkenberg to be listed higher than Hamilton given the German’s consistent performances were almost single-handedly responsible for Haas claiming seventh place in the constructors’ championship.

Hulkenberg regularly starred in qualifying and converted many of his brilliant laps on Saturday into points, scoring 41 of Haas’ total haul of 58. Two sixth places were the high points of Hulkenberg’s season, which ended with a streak of five top-10 finishes in the final seven rounds.

One imagines it will be much more difficult for Hulkenberg to replicate such peaks at Sauber next year. 

9. Pierre Gasly

Alpine started the campaign with the slowest car on the grid but despite their torrid beginning, and a generally tough campaign, Pierre Gasly still shone. There was very little to shout about during a challenging start to the season, but in the second half of the year, when Alpine finally made some progress with their A524, it was Gasly who made the most of it.

It took Gasly eight rounds to get off the mark, but he racked up 42 points to help Alpine secure sixth place in the constructors’ championship. The season’s high point came in Brazil, where the Frenchman translated a stunning third in qualifying into a podium finish, just behind teammate Esteban Ocon.

Gasly grabbed P3 on the grid with another sensational qualifying display in Las Vegas, only for a technical issue to rob him of another potentially big result. His late run of points saw him beat Ocon by 18 points to finish 10th in the championship, while he became the first F1 driver to record zero crash damage over a whole season.

10. Fernando Alonso

2024 may not have matched the highs of 2023 for Fernando Alonso with no trips to the podium, but it still featured the two-time world champion’s trademark, dogged ability to wring out the maximum from an underperforming car.

The 43-year-old once again had the measure of teammate Lance Stroll and continued to regularly score points in a car that rarely warranted a place inside the top 10 amid Aston Martin’s continued development troubles compared to their midfield rivals.

16 Q3 appearances and 70 points for Alonso (versus Stroll’s 24) was the main reason Aston Martin’s P5 in the constructors’ championship never came under threat.