F1 March Rewind
by Shayla Ho
Formula One is the absolute highest level of single-seated motor racing. It’s an incredibly challenging sport for drivers and an entertaining competition for viewers. Ten teams of two drivers compete, fighting wheel-to-wheel throughout twenty-four races, all pushing to earn the most points in the almost year-long season. After 2023 competitors’ two-month break, it’s finally F1 race season once again! The first three races were completed this month, taking place in Sakhir, Bahrain; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and lastly, Melbourne, Australia. This article will review all the flashy highlights and ultimately help you navigate the first few races of the season!
Bahrain, Sakhir
Before the races started, news of Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion (eight to some), switching to Ferrari was released to the public. Fans were appalled—some were happy for the opportunity Hamilton was getting, and some were utterly mortified. Lewis Hamilton was coming to Ferrari, replacing Carlos Sainz, the world’s “Smooth Operator.” Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz’s bromance alone fueled the souls of some Ferrari fans, so the news breaking was tragic. This dampened the mood for those fans, but excitement for the races elsewhere remained high!
Saying “wheel to wheel” in the intro was a bit misleading. Max Verstappen, a driver for Red Bull, dominated the majority of all Grand Prix last year and eventually won the 2023 F1 World Championship. No fans doubted he’d be coming into this year as powerful as ever. Planes landed, and eventually, all twenty drivers landed in Sakhir for testing. Verstappen placed first in qualifying, but never again during the practice drives; this sliver of hope charged non-Red Bull fans up for the rest of the week. Looking back, it was naive to have any. Max obtained pole position even while reporting car trouble. As lights-out hit and the race started, Verstappen seemed to wring out every last bit of hope against him and chugged it for extra speed.
Any F1 fan knows the importance of just one second. Two cars could have a two-second gap between each other, and they would look miles apart. Max Verstappen held first place for several rounds, which was expected, but the end of the race also came with a shocking 22.457-second gap between Verstappen and the second-place competitor, his teammate Checo Perez. Obviously, Verstappen had won, and the Dutch anthem was spammed everywhere. However, Carlos Sainz scored P3, and fans were proud he was showing Ferrari what they lost. Max’s win unfortunately set the mood for the rest of the races. So many people had lost hope, they started saying P2 was the new P1. I have to admit, even I was losing hope for exciting races. In the following two races, I was surprisingly proved wrong.
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
This race started on March 9th and didn’t seem so special. The practices go as normal, Max’s car troubles seem to settle, and he gets pole position again. P3 winner Carlos Sainz was diagnosed with appendicitis and wasn't able to drive. No one knew how long it would be until he was fully recovered. Stepping in for him was F1 reserve driver Ollie Bearman. He made history as the youngest-ever Ferrari F1 driver, and his subbing for Carlos made Jeddah a little more exciting. Lights went out, and cars flew past. Lance Stroll of Aston Martin crashed in lap seven while Ollie steadily gained positions. The race ended with another Verstappen win, the Dutch anthem haunting all of us again, and Ollie Bearman earning points for Ferrari. These are the main names I’m bringing attention to, but Mclaren and Fernando Alonso deserve some recognition. Carlos Sainz returned to the paddock the literal next day of his surgery, stumbling about but seemingly determined to race next week.
Melbourne, Australia
This was the last race of March, and it was in the homeland of Daniel Ricarrdo and Oscar Piastri. Carlos Sainz was back in his car sixteen days after his surgery, and he admitted he wasn’t at 100% at all. All was normal until lap five; as if touched by a divine hand, the collective prayers of thousands of F1 fans were finally granted. Max Verstappen had DNF’d, or “Did Not Finish.” His car started blowing blue smoke, and his engine ended up catching fire. He wasn’t harmed at all, but his 43-race-winning streak came to an end. This immediately woke every non-Redbull fan up, and seemingly every other driver too. Other competitors seemed to get a second wind, realizing they could have a shot at earning points. This feeling intensified as Lewis Hamilton’s car stopped working, and he was DNF’d too.
As the race played out, Carlos Sainz fought for P1 and eventually won it! On the very last lap, Carlos cemented his spot in P1, and George Russell had a bad crash, fortunately unharmed. Charles Leclerc followed Carlos in P2, and Lando Norris scored P3 for McLaren. Carlos consistently racked up points, once again demonstrating what Ferrari would be missing in 2025 by achieving this so soon after his surgery.
What’s Next?
These are the 2024 Driver Standings – the top three drivers during March and their points.
Max Verstappen: 51 PTS
Charles Leclerc: 47 PTS
Checo Perez: 46 PTS
The next races in April are in Suzuka, Japan, and Shanghai, China. You can watch these upcoming races with an F1 subscription, ESPN, Fubo, Amazon Prime, and more. Australia was a lucky race, but I have a feeling I’ll be writing Max Verstappen’s name a lot more in the future. With all that’s happened this month, I don’t expect a boring season. It’s never too late to dive into Formula 1, and if you like winning, my sole recommendation would be to root for Red Bull or Ferrari.
