by Alex Johnston, Topher Smith, Issie Jones, Luke Barraclough & Sophia Fallows
The year is up and with it, racing - it’ll soon return but in this article, we’re going to reflect on our favourite moments from the year. Our moments can come from any race in any series - so we’re definitely not short of options!
Alex’s Choice: Juan Manuel Correa makes his return to the F2 podium in Spain
The return of Juan Manuel Correa to Formula 2 after his 2019 Spa Francorchamps accident with Anthoine Hubert is a well documented one and is to never be forgotten, but the timing of this podium is what makes it special.
Denied a podium on Sprint Race day in Barcelona due to a post race penalty, Correa fought through in the Feature Race to take a deserved podium - exactly five years to the day after he had shared a podium at Le Castellet with the late Anthoine Hubert who was lost in untimely fashion at Spa five years prior.
Asked post race if he was aware of the timing, the Ecuadorean-America responded with a simple, “I was aware. That was a good day five years ago”.
I don’t believe Correa would ever doubt Hubert’s presence is with him while racing, but it was never clearer than that weekend in Catalunya.
Topher’s Choice: The final laps of the Indianapolis 500
Ok seriously, is there any better spectacle than the Indianapolis 500? In my mind, nothing even comes close to the edge-of-your-seat action that the 200mph+ race produces.
Time and time again, the race goes down to the wire as the drivers take more risks in pursuit of crossing the yard of bricks first and 2024 provided another close, albeit heartbreaking, encounter as Josef Newgarden denied a tearful Pato O’Ward at the penultimate corner of the final lap.
I was at the 2023 edition of the race when Newgarden won his first Indy 500, seeing firsthand the American taking the lead from Marcus Ericsson on the final lap. Seeing this sort of action with your own eyes gives you a whole new level of respect for these drivers, and for Newgarden to go back-to-back with consecutive final lap passes was absolutely unreal, proving that this is one race that is never over until it is over.
Anyone who says the Indy 500 is just driving around in circles, actually watch the thing then tell me it’s not the greatest race ever. I dare you.
Issie’s Choice: Hamilton returns to winning ways for the first time since 2021
For me, the best racing moment in 2024 has to be Lewis Hamilton’s record-breaking ninth British Grand Prix win at the Silverstone circuit. Having not won a race since Saudi Arabia 2021, the Brit’s hometown triumph during his last year at Mercedes was truly poetic.
I had the privilege of watching the race and his victory from the final corner of the track, and I can honestly say the way the grandstand shook when his Mercedes crossed the finish line still gives me goosebumps when I think about it now. Silverstone 2024 had all the elements to create a golden moment in F1 history: a tense race with multiple leaders, a legendary driver proving doubters wrong, and an iconic (and teary) victory celebration.
It just goes to show that even after 945 days without a race win, a seven-time champion never forgets how to bring home gold. No matter what the future holds for Lewis Hamilton and his new Ferrari uniform, he can rest easy knowing that his penultimate win at Mercedes was one of the best racing moments in 2024.
Luke’s Choice: Lando’s First Win
Lando Norris’ maiden win has to be one of the greatest moments of the 2024 season with the flood of emotion and relief stemming from his victory. Having not won a race in Formula 1 since his debut in 2019, this win was truly a spectacle and a chaotic surprise.
After a long, difficult rollercoaster of five seasons prior to 2024 Norris had only clinched pole position once in Sochi 2021. With the chance to win that race lost to Hamilton on the closing laps due to a poor judgement of his skill in the wet and the performance of his tyres.
However, this only added to the true beauty of Lando Norris’ maiden win. Fuelled by emotion and determination, Norris crossed the line in first for the first time in his Formula 1 career on the 5th May - much to the delight of his hard working McLaren team.
Norris’ loyalty to McLaren is admired by many with him sticking with the team through the hardest seasons with their car (2022 and 2023) and ultimately deciding to stick with his McLaren allegiance. The Briton went on to win three more races after his near transfer to Red Bull in 2023 showing that loyalty pays off.
Sophia’s Choice: Leclerc holds on to win in front of the Tifosi
The Monza GP; the atmosphere and the fans that made the race, it has to be one of the best moments of the 2024 season. With Leclerc's win at his second home race of the season and it being Ferrari’s first home win in their homeland since Charles last did it in 2019, it was so good he had to go and do it twice, nothing could beat the chaos that entailed.
After a long and thrilling race Ferraris one stop strategy paid off with Leclerc's hard tyres clinging onto the track and caused an outburst of excitement from the team and fans alike including the track storm, where the circuit was painted red in ferrari shirts, flags and red flares.
The Monegasque had expressed how difficult it was, especially on the last few laps, but he managed to pull through it and beat the Mclarens to get that sweet home victory and in true Italian fashion exclaimed “Mamma Mia, Mamma Mia!” in his post race radio.
📸 Image credits: Formula Motorsport Limited, McLaren Racing, NTT IndyCar Series.
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