F1 2024. Since the acquisition of Liberty Media, dated 7 September 2016, the world of Formula 1 has changed in its entirety (here to read what impact it has had on the category). Over the years, the American company has opened the doors to the giant of streaming films and TV series, Netflix, with the docuseries/reality series "Drive To Survive" which has caused a lot of discussion, for better or for worse, among riders and fans of the discipline .
An event that seems to have had good success in the States, so much so that it allowed the United States Grand Prix to be accompanied by two other events held on the street circuits of Miami and Las Vegas (organized by Liberty Media itself). Something that hadn't happened since 1983, with the Western United States Grands Prix, in Long Beach, Detroit and Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
On the eve of yet another regulation change, which will take place in 2026, it seems that the 2024 F1 world championship seems to have to be run only because the TVs pay good money. Content-wise, in fact, it is very poor.
![Lewis Hamilton](https://www.formulacritica.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Hamilton-1-750x375.webp)
F1 2024, Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari: the transfer of the century
The first piece that began to give less importance to this championship was the shock announcement, made between the night of January 31st and February 1st, of the passage of the 7-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton, from Mercedes to Ferrari starting from 2025.
First, this turns out to be the turn of the century. Something that Liberty Media really likes and has the dream of bringing two to every team top drivers so that, in the event of dominance by a single team, an internal duel can take place that still attracts interest. In second analysis, the passage already puts hype, irons in the fire so to speak, in view of the 2025 championship. For this reason alone, many supporters are already looking forward to next year.
F1: red wedding at Red Bull
The second piece that buries the 2024 World Cup was born on February 5th. When Red Bull GmbH, owner of the Anglo-Austrian team of the same name, opens an investigation into its team principal and CEO, Christian Horner, who had been accused of harassment by an employee. The internal investigation will conclude on February 28 with an acquittal, and Horner remains more or less firmly in place.
The next day, February 29, just after the end of the second free practice of the Bahrain Grand Prix, an e-mail sent from an anonymous address containing screenshot of the chats that occurred between Horner and the employee mentioned above, are delivered by the leaders of the FIA and F1. And to all team principal.
The issue widens and does not seem to concern a serious case of harassment but more of an internal struggle within Red Bull between the Austrian side which wants Christian Horner's head and the Thai side, led by Chalerm Voovidhya, son of Chaleo, co-founder and co-owner of the group at 51%, which is alongside the English manager. The tension arose after the death of the other co-founder and co-owner (at 49%), the Austrian Dietrich Mateschitz, on 22 October 2022.
Other prominent figures within the team, such as the Dutch Jos Verstappen, father of the spearhead, the 3-time world champion Max, and Helmut Marko seem to be among Christian Horner's biggest opponents today.
The rumors of a possible departure of the latter (for now frozen) could open the domino effect in the driver market given that Max Verstappen has always linked his future in Red Bull with that of the former driver from Graz. If the latter were to be released from the team, the Dutchman could sensationally decide to land in other shores. One of these could be the one represented by the vacant seat left by Lewis Hamilton. Certainly Toto Wolff wouldn't miss an opportunity like this.
![Chris Horner and Mohammed Ben Sulayem](https://www.formulacritica.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Chris-Horner-e-Mohammed-Ben-Sulayem-1-750x375.webp)
Before all this is accomplished – if it happens – there have already been two Grands Prix, that of Bahrain and that of Saudi Arabia, both of which ended with Verstappen first and Sergio Pérez second. Annihilated races with abysmal gaps over the competition. There is nothing else to add.
Conclusions
European fans, the hard core of F1, have always accused Liberty Media of debasing the sport and its history by preferring exotic places to take the series; countries that often do not respect civil and human rights. Realities that give more prestige to the contours of each GP than to the main event represented by the race.
From a sporting point of view, criticism comes for an excessive spectacularization of the F1 product, a story that has become falsely dramatic to cover the lack of competitiveness that should have existed with the new 2022 regulation which aimed to bring back, after 40 years, the ground effect single-seaters banned in 1982 due to numerous fatal accidents such as that of Canadian ace Gilles Villeneuve in a Ferrari.
This body of rules was supposed to allow the various single-seaters to be able to follow each other with less difficulty with the contribution of budget cap a give greater competitiveness to the category. But Adrian Newey, the most successful man in the history of Formula 1, was not of the same opinion and designed one of the best single-seaters ever; capable of winning 21 races out of 22 in 2023. And this year the trend doesn't seem to be too different. For this reason – and those listed above – there is a feeling that the 2024 F1 World Championship is almost superfluous.
Crediti foto: F1, Oracle Red Bull Racing, Mercedes AMG F1