As the first few races of the 2024 F1 season unfolded, Max Verstappen and Red Bull looked a force to be reckoned with after notching up several victories. However, with the gaps amongst the field closing in as the campaign has progressed, the Dutchman and his team’s position at the top has come under threat from a number of their rivals.
Six other drivers have claimed race wins across the season so far, allowing for an increasingly tight battle in the standings to develop, while Red Bull will need to fight back in the second half of the year if they want to maintain their lead in the constructors’ championship.
It is clearly all to play for, with several names still mathematically in with a chance of taking the fight to the reigning world champions during the final 10 races of 2024. So who is most likely to pose a challenge to Verstappen and Red Bull? Let’s take a look at the candidates…
The drivers:
Lando Norris
The man who currently looks to be Verstappen’s biggest threat – both in terms of statistics and form – is Norris, with the McLaren driver in second place of the standings.
While he might be 78 points away from the reigning champion, Norris has earned praise for his performances throughout the year so far, having taken his debut victory in Miami as well as coming agonisingly close on other occasions.
After stating that he needed a “reset” over the summer break following some errors across recent races, it will be fascinating to see if Norris returns with an added sense of momentum – and a readiness to battle Verstappen – when the campaign resumes.