Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are among the many F1 stars who win large in our completely (un)critical 2024 end-of-season awards which can or might not imply something in any respect
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The FIA holds its 2024 Prize Giving gala in Rwanda on Friday.
As common, it will be a really lengthy and completely uninteresting ceremony with nothing of any actual curiosity happening, after which Max Verstappen will decide up his trophy for profitable his fourth System 1 title. Fortunately, we will spare you the difficulty of watching all that via glazed-over eyes.
As a result of Mirror Sport’s 2024 F1 end-of-season awards are right here! From the highest driver and workforce, to the very best radio messages, press convention second and TV blooper of the 12 months, we have recalled a number of the greatest moments of 2024 – and the sarcasm is totally free.
So, let’s start, lets? Beginning with…
Driver of the 12 months – Max Verstappen
Solely NINE race wins, Max? Had been you even making an attempt this 12 months? Truthful sufficient, it was nonetheless a complete which received him a fourth consecutive drivers’ championship by 63 factors. Even when his Pink Bull was a bit naff he was nonetheless in common competition for race wins. And that drive to victory at Interlagos was up there with a number of the finest particular person race performances in current reminiscence. A worthy champion and winner of this award, even when he did really feel the necessity to go all Wacky Races on Lando Norris at instances.
Crew of the 12 months – McLaren
It is superb what two high drivers, competent administration, a hard-working and high-morale team of workers and 0 journeys to photocopier retailers in Woking can do, is not it? McLaren lastly received the constructors’ title for the primary time since 1998, although they could have accomplished it in 2007 had they not been excluded from the championship over Spygate. However this 12 months their automotive was essentially the most persistently good of all the highest groups and each Norris and Oscar Piastri had been in nice type. Hats off to all on the MTC.
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Rookie of the 12 months – Oliver Bearman
Anybody else consider the previous Batman theme music and simply exchange the phrases with “BEARMAN” any time they hear his identify? No? Simply me? Welcome to inside workings of my mind in December. He solely raced thrice this 12 months, did younger Oli, however scored factors within the first two and received us all very enthusiastic about what he can obtain sooner or later. Bearman additionally completed the season because the rookie with essentially the most factors, above a number of others who raced much more than he did. Nonetheless, I look ahead to the livid accusations of ‘British bias’.
Race of the 12 months – Brazilian Grand Prix
There have been just a few corkers this 12 months to be sincere, however Interlagos all the time delivers – particularly when there’s rain of biblical proportions like there was this 12 months. There have been about one million crashes (give or take), a qualifying session held at daft o’clock on Sunday morning and a race director who was presumably awoken from his nap in order that he might order crimson flags simply the 44 seconds after somebody had smashed up their automotive. Plus, Verstappen’s win from seventeenth and Lewis Hamilton driving an Ayrton Senna McLaren. What a weekend.
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Racing second of the 12 months – Lewis Hamilton wins the British GP
The place else was Hamilton going to finish that lengthy anticipate a win? It had received to the purpose the place it grew to become an actual chance that the seven-time champ might by no means stand on the highest step of a podium once more. After which he did, in entrance of his dwelling followers after an exciting wet-dry British Grand Prix to finish one among Britain’s best moments of the 12 months throughout all sports activities. There I’m going once more with the jingoism, eh?
Non-racing second of the 12 months – Zhou Guanyu’s tears in Shanghai
Poor Zhou did not have so much to smile about this 12 months, saddled with a garbage Sauber automotive and spending most of his time qualifying in twentieth – after which not making a lot progress the next day. However earlier than he lastly scored factors in Qatar, there was a stunning second when, after racing in entrance of his dwelling followers for the primary time, F1’s first Chinese language racer broke down into tears in entrance of an enormous stand stuffed with followers cheering his identify over the emotion of all of it. Warmed the cockles, it did.
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Underrated performer of the 12 months – Pierre Gasly
There have been just a few sturdy contenders for this award however Gasly edges it for not solely ending the 12 months tenth within the championship, however for managing it whereas representing absolutely the s***present that has been the Alpine workforce this 12 months. Amid all of the nonsense happening behind the scenes, the Frenchman has proven once more that he deserves one other crack at a high workforce having been too younger and uncooked when he received his Pink Bull probability again in 2019. If any of the large 4 discover themselves in want of a brand new racer subsequent 12 months, they need to name the Fuel man.
Villain of the 12 months – Mohammed ben Sulayem
Identical to in a blockbuster movie, we won’t have heroes if we do not have somebody doing the whole lot they will to make issues more durable for them at each flip. Actually in his ‘I do not give a f***’ period, the FIA president wins this award having demonstrated spectacular dedication to firing completely everybody throughout the organisation who he would not just like the look of, emboldened by the actual fact the way in which presidential elections work makes it just about unimaginable to take away him. I might go on, however Mr Ben Sulayem simply texted me to say I am sacked.
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Technique choice of the 12 months – Pink Bull/Alpine in Brazil
As talked about earlier, issues at Alpine have been fairly messy this 12 months. One factor they did nail, although, was their strategy to the Brazil race and that gutsy choice to maintain each their drivers out on observe with Verstappen earlier than the crimson flag for Franco Colapinto’s crash earned them a double podium no-one noticed coming. So each these two groups scoop this one for these choices which successfully assured Verstappen the drivers’ title and Alpine sixth place within the constructors’ championship.
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Radio message of the 12 months – Lewis Hamilton at Silverstone
“Thanks a lot guys. It means so much to get this one. Huge due to all of the followers right here, I like you guys. I like you Bono.” These phrases had been choked out via the tears as Hamilton let his emotions get to him after that first win since 2021. We might simply have gone for a humorous one right here however the feelings of this second simply needed to take high spot. Plus, he will not be capable of get a phrase in edgeways subsequent 12 months together with his new Ferrari race engineer continuously providing him totally different technique choices. “How do you are feeling about Plan Q, Lewis? Query.”
Press convention second of the 12 months – Max Verstappen’s protest
Refusing to correctly reply questions in an FIA press convention in protest at being handled like a baby as a result of he had sworn in a earlier one is a degree of pettiness we should always all aspire to. Bonus factors for then holding his personal impromptu media session outdoors the room in order that journalists might nonetheless get quotes, simply not via the governing physique. Superb. The neighborhood service Verstappen carried out in Rwanda this week was positively value it.
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TV blooper of the 12 months – Ted Kravitz’s slip of the tongue
Ahh Ted, supplier of loads of superb TV moments over the 12 months, and much more frankly bizarre ones. It has been a protracted 12 months with 24 races and by the Singapore Grand Prix in September, one poor Sky Sports activities producer was drained sufficient to unintentionally air a failed take of Kravitz messing up a line and muttering: “Oh f***ing hell”, into his microphone. Of their defence, it was already the 18th spherical of the season and we had been all working on fumes by that time.
Dedication to media duties award – Lance Stroll
The Canadian is famed amongst F1 media for simply LOVING his obligations to talk to the media. No, I imply it. Significantly, cease laughing. Okay yeah, fantastic. Something greater than three phrases to reply a query and a complete time spent within the media pen of over 60 seconds is a win in relation to Lance. However on the Thursday earlier than the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix he spoke to us for nearly THREE minutes! Blimey. We had been honoured.
Be taught extra
Catch all of the motion from System One on Sky Sports activities and get unique entry to races, qualifying and rather more for each Grand Prix. From Max Verstappen to Lewis Hamilton, you will not miss a lap on Sky Sports activities.
