Outside Line: Expecting ten epic Grand Prix weekends as F1 resumes

The WDC and WCC F1 title battles are still very much alive, and I predict that this latter half of the season will be one of the most epic we've ever seen.

Let's start with the current state of play. Seven drivers have won races this year, with Max Verstappen claiming seven victories - only seven. By this time last year, Red Bull had won all 14 races. Initially, I expected Max to dominate this season as well, especially after his strong start. Many of us had almost handed him the title early on in the year. He will still win, but it will be mighty close.

However, surprisingly for me, McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari have all closed the gap significantly faster than I expected, while Red Bull has been fumbling both on and off the track. Sergio Perez, in particular, has been struggling every weekend, and he's in the worst form of his career that I can recall. And then that Christian Horner 'thing' that won't go away, then Adrian Newey departing, now Jonathan Wheatley! Who next Max?

Right now, on track the issue with Perez is that he could bounce back at any time - it's like he's searching for an "on" switch. Many people are offering advice, but only Perez knows what he needs to do to beat Max. However, at the moment, he’s nowhere near, which leaves Verstappen to fly solo.

Despite this, Max has managed to secure most of the points needed to lead the F1 Constructors' Championship. It's hard to imagine him losing the gap he has over the chasing pack in the F1 Drivers' standings, and knowing Max, he'll manage it.

His challengers, McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are in prime form, pushing each other hard. Norris continues to improve, and Piastri, despite being the youngest driver on the grid, is giving him a real run for his money. If either of them can challenge Max, it would be a tremendous achievement for McLaren and the sport. Their rivalry is intense, but it’s clear that Piastri isn’t content to play second fiddle.

As for Ferrari, Charles Leclerc has had a difficult season. His consistency has been poor, and he remains crash-prone, making small, silly mistakes. Despite taking responsibility, my jury is still out on him. Carlos Sainz, on the other hand, has been doing his best to show that Ferrari may have made the wrong decision by letting him go, with Lewis Hamilton set to replace him next year.

With Sainz moving to Williams in 2025, he'll finally be the team leader aka their number one driver, something he’s never fully been at Ferrari or any of the teams where he has raced. Starting this weekend in Holland, expect the Spaniard to do everything to prove Ferrari wrong while remaining the smooth operator we know and not burning bridges...

Speaking of seven-time F1 World Champion, his move to Ferrari marks the end of an era at Mercedes. It's a bittersweet farewell, as both Hamilton and Mercedes have achieved so much together. As for George Russell, we've seen 'Version 1.0' of him so far, and I think he'll continue to play it safe while Hamilton is still around.

However, with Mercedes back to winning form after their recent success in Spa and Silverstone, who knows what else they can achieve? And be sure Toto Wolff wants this final chapter of the Hamilton Mercedes Legend to end on a high.

Aston Martin, after a strong start to last season with Fernando Alonso on the podium several times, lost their way. The team's performance has been a mystery, amid rumours of them wooing Adrian Newey and even Verstappen to Lawrence Stroll's team, they need to find something soon.

Alonso is not interested in driving the sh!tbox he has been handed by Aston Martin every weekend for the past year, while Lance Stroll does all he can - without crashing - to beat a demotivated, 43-year-old triple F1 World Champion.

At Williams, Logan Sargeant is in the final stretch of his Formula 1 career, with just 10 races left to prove he is not the worst F1 driver of the past decade. Perhaps also to make a case for Indycar and WEC where alternative greatness can also be found, ask Marcus Ericsson (Indycar) and Antonio Giovinazzi (Le Mans).

Alex Albon is likely to be fired up with the arrival of Sainz. The competition between them will be fierce, especially as Williams tries to rebuild and improve. Alfa Romeo, on the other hand, has been anonymous, with their cars performing poorly. The team is clearly in a transitional phase, waiting for new leadership to steer them in the right direction. Alboin will finally have a good benchmark.

Similarly, Alpine is going through a massive revolution, possibly signalling the end of Renault’s Formula One project. Flavio Briatore’s recent comments suggest that the drivers are not a priority right now, which won't be music to the ears of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon.

Haas has shown significant improvement under Ayoko Komatsu’s leadership, nearly tripling their points tally compared to last year. With Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen set to leave, the team is entering a new era.

In closing, Daniel Ricciardo's future remains uncertain, as he struggles to return to his former self. At VCRAB the Aussie veteran cannot even match Yuki Tsunoda. The once ruthless Red Bull driver succession programme has turned soft, as their prodigal son fails despite all the signs at McLaren years ago!

Let’s see what the remainder of the 2024 season has in store, as mentioned in the headline: expect Epic-ness. Bring on the Dutch Grand Prix! On that note: McLaren! Let's Go!