Formula 1 Season 2024: Can Anyone Topple Max Verstappen?

The 2024 Formula 1 season starts with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 2, kicking off what promises to be an exciting and extended 24-race programme.

Max Verstappen heads into the campaign as the overwhelming favourite on UK betting apps to win the Drivers’ Championship for the fourth consecutive year.

Read on as we assess whether Verstappen will retain his title or if any of his rivals can upset the odds and knock him off his perch. 

The 2024 F1 season gets underway in Bahrain on March 2 and concludes in Abu Dhabi on December 8. Here is the full schedule: 

• March 2 - Bahrain     
• March 9 - Saudi Arabia 
• March 24 - Australia 
• April 7 - Japan     
• April 21 - China 
• May 5 - Miami     
• May 19 - Emilia Romagna 
• May 26 - Monaco 
• June 9 - Canada 
• June 23 - Spain     
• June 30 - Austria     
• July 7 - United Kingdom 
• July 21 - Hungary     
• July 28 - Belgium 
• August 25 - Netherland     
• September 1 - Italy     
• September 15 - Azerbaijan 
• September 22 – Singapore 
• October 20 - United States 
• October 27 - Mexico     
• November 3 - Brazil     
• November 23 - Las Vegas 
• December 1 - Qatar     
• December 8 - Abu Dhabi 

Verstappen blew everyone away last season, winning 19 of the 22 races. He also claimed victory in four of the six sprint races.

He ended the campaign a whopping 290 points ahead of teammate Sergio Perez – highlighting just how one-sided the title race was.

Even if his Red Bull team suffer a dip this season, it is impossible to imagine it would be enough to prevent him from claiming another title.

With Perez expected to leave the team at the end of the season, the path could be clear for another driver to claim second place in the title race.

The Mercedes pairing of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will fancy their chances of achieving the feat and the former looks a good bet to get the job done.

The seven-time world champion will be eager to demonstrate he is still a force to be reckoned with ahead of his move to Ferrari in 2025.

Russell should claim more podium finishes than last season, but he is yet to prove he has the killer instinct Hamilton possesses.

Lando Norris should also be in the mix to finish runner-up behind Verstappen after recording a season-high six second-place finishes last year.

Norris is yet to win an F1 race, but he is strongly fancied to break his duck during the upcoming campaign. 

The latest outright odds via Sportingbet for the 2024 F1 Drivers’ Championship are as follows: 

• Max Verstappen - 1/5 
• Lando Norris – 12/1 
• Lewis Hamilton - 12/1 
• Charles Leclerc – 16/1 
• George Russell - 25/1 
• Sergio Perez - 28/1 
• Oscar Piastri – 40/1 
• Fernando Alonso - 40/1 
• Carlos Sainz - 50/1 
• Alexander Albon – 250/1 
• Daniel Ricciardo – 500/1 
• Lance Stroll - 500/1 
• Esteban Ocon - 750/1 
• Pierre Gasly - 750/1 
• Yuki Tsunoda - 750/1 
• Valtteri Bottas – 1500/1 
• Guanyu Zhou - 1500/1 
• Kevin Magnussen - 2000/1 
• Nico Hulkenberg – 2000/1 
• Logan Sargent – 2000/1