Formula 1 is currently experiencing an incredibly unpredictable season, leaving fans and teams on the edge of their seats.
With six different winners in the last eight races, representing four different teams, 2024 is shaping up to be one of the most competitive seasons in recent memory. It could be one to rival some of the great battles in F1 history, alongside Michael Schumacher v Damon Hill in 1994 and Niki Lauda v Alain Prost in 1984.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown, whose driver Lando Norris is currently Max Verstappen's closest title challenger, believes this could be the best F1 season he's ever seen since he joined the sport in 2016.
"I don't know which of these four teams might win. I don't know which of these eight drivers might win," he said.
"I can't recall Formula 1 having that level of competitiveness," he told reporters from the IndyCar season finale at Nashville Superspeedway in Tennessee.Verstappen, whose dominance in 2022 and 2023 broke records, still leads the standings. But his last win was in June.
After yesterday's thrilling Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Oscar Piastri, another McLaren hopeful, narrowly pipped Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to the post, now could be the time to address whether Brown's statement has any merit.
Where does 2024 rank compared to the sport's legendary seasons of the past? We take a closer look below—and you can have you say here:
2021—Verstappen vs. Hamilton
The 2021 season will forever be remembered for its intense rivalry between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
After all, it came down to the final lap of the season's final race.
Some fans are still scarred from the controversy over Michael Masi's safety car decision, which paved the way for Verstappen to capitalize on a last-lap restart to win his first title, denying Hamilton a record-breaking eighth championship.
Collisions and further questionable decisions defined this era—notable examples include the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where Hamilton and Verstappen collided on the opening lap, and the Hungarian Grand Prix, where a dramatic first lap crash reshuffled the field.
The drama, paired with the global reach of Netflix's Drive to Survive, drew millions of new fans to the sport.
2012—A Seven-Way Battle
The 2012 season began with an unprecedented seven different winners in the first seven races, showcasing a level of unpredictability rarely seen in F1.
Fernando Alonso led the championship for much of the year, despite driving a less competitive Ferrari.
After a two-year hiatus from the sport, 2007 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen returned to with Lotus, much to the chagrin of his contemporaries.
His comeback performances, including a victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and his famous "Leave me alone, I know what I'm doing" radio message, added to the season's drama and entertainment.
It was Sebastian Vettel, however, who clinched his third consecutive title after a dramatic comeback in Brazil. His ability to recover from a first-lap collision to finish sixth and secure the championship cemented his status as one of F1's greats.
2007—Raikkonen, Hamilton, and Alonso
At just 22 years old, Lewis Hamilton burst onto the scene in 2007 as one of the most exciting rookie drivers in the sport's history.
What made Hamilton's rise to fame even more dramatic was his close title fight against McLaren teammate and reigning two-time champion Alonso, as well as Räikkönen, who was with Ferrari at that time.
The championship battle went down to the wire, and though Hamilton narrowly missed out on the title by just one point, he had already established himself as a major star in the sport.
Raikkonen stole the championship in the final race in Brazil, winning by just one point.
1994—Schumacher vs. Hill
The 1994 season was marred by the tragic deaths of Ayrton Senna, one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, and Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger at the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola.
Sweeping safety reforms, like better head and neck protection, and adjustments to high-speed corners, became the norm as a result.
Controversies persisted—Michael Schumacher started the season dominantly, but various penalties and disqualifications, including being banned for two races, allowed Damon Hill to close the gap in the standings.
His collision with Hill at the final race in Adelaide secured his first World Championship, marking the beginning of Schumacer's decadelong dominance in the sport.
1984—Lauda vs. Prost
McLaren teammates Niki Lauda and Alain Prost battled it out until the very end, with Lauda's half-point lead marking the closest championship margin in F1 history.
Lauda's comeback story was the heart of the season. After nearly losing his life in a horrific crash at the Nürburgring in 1976, Lauda had made a miraculous return to racing.
At 35 years old, Lauda was seen as the more experienced and calculated driver, while Prost was the younger, rising star.
It was an unconventional and compelling clash of the hare and the tortoise—Prost's blistering speed versus Lauda's calculated approach provided an engaging dynamic all season long.
1976—Lauda vs. Hunt
Ron Howard's 2013 production Rush will forever immortalize this season as a pivotal one.
The larger-than-life personalities of Lauda and James Hunt, portrayed by Daniel Brühl and Chris Hemsworth respectively, blurred the lines between what fans expected from the sport, and how the press began to treat athletes like entertainers.
Treacherous, rain-soaked conditions during their final race at the Japanese Grand Prix in Fuji made for truly cinematic viewing.
Against all odds, Lauda led Hunt by just a few points, having returned to racing after a near-fatal crash at the Nürburgring just months before.
Hunt managed to edge him out by one point, his fearlessness and aggressive driving style emulating his playboy antics off the track.