2024 Motorsports First Look: What to Expect, NASCAR, Formula 1, & IndyCar
Two of Three Motorsports Saw Repeat Champions, Will They Repeat Again in 2024?
The 2023 season saw dominant years from Max Verstappen in Formula 1 and Álex Palou in IndyCar. Verstappen re-set the records for wins in a F1 season (19) and winning percentage (86.36%). Palou became the first IndyCar champion to wrap up the title before the season finale in Laguna Seca. By contrast, Ryan Blaney rode a strong playoff performance to win his first NASCAR Cup Series title. But will they repeat as champions again? Here’s what to consider in our 2024 Motorsports first look.
2024 Motorsports First Look: Can Anyone Catch Verstappen?
Verstappen enjoyed arguably the most dominant season in Formula 1 history in 2023. He won all but three races and was on the podium in two of those three. Aside from Red Bull’s struggles at the Singapore Grand Prix, no one could match his pace. McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes came close to challenging at some points in 2023, but none of them were close enough to be a threat.
Red Bull were fined $7 million and had a restriction on both wind tunnel and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) time imposed over 2023. That could impact Red Bull’s car in 2024 but they’re far enough ahead they can easily take a hit. Most F1 drivers won’t be in the car to challenge Verstappen again given the gap to the rest of the field.
If anyone can challenge Red Bull, McLaren looks most poised to do so. Though they finished fourth in the constructors’ standings, McLaren were consistently quick on higher-speed tracks in the second half of the year. Due to their position in the standings, they had a higher development allotment than Ferrari or Mercedes. The latter could come back stronger with a better concept, though, and may challenge closer than in 2023.
2024 Motorsports First Look: Another Tight Cup Series Fight
The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series was an open fight throughout the regular season and the playoffs. Martin Truex Jr.’s consistency gave him the regular season title but he wasn’t the best driver in NASCAR by season’s end.
Instead, Blaney’s two wins and crucially a second-place finish in the season finale sealed the Team Penske driver’s first Cup title. He was the first Cup Series champion to win without a pole position since Brad Keselowski in 2012.
Blaney’s championship made it two in a row for Team Penske. Either Team Penske or Hendrick Motorsports have now won five of the last six Cup Series titles.
Kyle Larson finished one point behind Blaney in the finale and will likely challenge again for his second championship in 2024. Larson’s string of bad luck in the regular season kept him down but not out of contention.
Larson’s teammate and 2020 champion Chase Elliott had his worst Cup Series season due to a leg injury that kept him out of six events. Both will look for bounce-back years in 2024.
Truex Jr. and teammate Denny Hamlin led the way by the end of the regular season. The Joe Gibbs Racing teammates will look to make up for lost opportunities in 2024 as well.
2024 Motorsports First Look: New Engines for Star-Studded Grid
The IndyCar series was set to introduce hybrid powertrains for the season opener but won’t debut them until later in the IndyCar schedule. The new 2.2-liter hybrid engines will debut after the Indianapolis 500. That could be a challenge for drivers halfway through the season.
Many drivers are moving teams in 2024, including:
- Marcus Ericsson from Chip Ganassi Racing to Andretti Global.
- Romain Grosjean from Andretti Global to Juncos Hollinger Racing.
- Felix Rosenqvist from Arrow McLaren to Meyer Shank Racing.
- David Malukas from Dale Coyne Racing to Arrow McLaren.
Palou’s second title in three years makes him the driver to beat once again in 2024. He was the most consistent IndyCar driver in 2023 and that made the difference but other drivers could improve in 2024.
Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward had bad luck in multiple races. He looked poised for a potential win in the Indy 500 and pit stop trouble ruined his chances in Detroit. He could return stronger in 2024, as could Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden.
Newgarden nearly swept the oval races in 2023 after just missing out on his third IndyCar title in 2022. Chip Ganassi’s longtime star Scott Dixon also finished the season strong with three wins in four races to close 2023. That form could give him momentum in 2024.
There’s plenty to look forward to in motorsports for 2024. Exciting racing awaits in multiple series with some of the best drivers in recent history competing for victories.
For motorsports betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
Can’t get enough? Here’s more!
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- Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Betting Pick: Unexpected Finish to Uneven Season
- Palou, Herta could battle in 2023 Firestone GP of Monterey finale
- 2023 Motorsports Recap: The Year in Formula 1, NASCAR, and IndyCar
- 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Odds: Verstappen favored in season finale
