What to look out for in 2024

With the holiday season now behind us, the eyes of the Formula 1 world are firmly trained upon the date of February 21st – the start of pre-season testing.

The 75th Formula 1 World Championship is set to be a mammoth season, with more races than ever before and we cannot wait to get started.

Here are five things that all Williams Racing fans should be keeping an eye on as we make our way into 2024.

As we’ve already mentioned, 2024 is set to be the biggest season in F1 history with 24 rounds pencilled in across a span of nine months.

There will be four double-headers scattered throughout the calendar, as well as three triple-headers. Two of these triple-headers come at the very end of the season, ensuring an enthralling end to the campaign where momentum in both championships could swing.

The 2024 calendar also features two mid-season breaks. The traditional summer shutdown remains, as well as a near month-long gap between Rounds 18 and 19, giving all the teams a chance to recharge before the busy run to the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi.

2023 was initially due to feature 23 races before the cancellation of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, which means there is an additional venue on the calendar this season.

That venue is the Shanghai International Circuit as the Chinese Grand Prix returns for the first time since 2019, when it played host to the 1,000th World Championship race. Three races will also take place on Saturday in 2024 – Bahrain and Saudi Arabia as well as Las Vegas.

As Formula 1 continues to aim for greater calendar regionalisation to help the logistical challenges of our global sport, several Grands Prix have shifted from what could be considered their traditional spots on the calendar.

The most obvious example of this is Japan, which moves from its usual September/October billing all the way forward to Round 4 in April.

This should mean our visit to Suzuka should coincide with the famous cherry blossom season, creating some added spectacle to an already iconic venue.

Another big mover is the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Baku City Circuit has played host to F1 races in April, May and June over the years, but 2024 will see us head there in September as the first Grand Prix after the European run.

It will be the first part of a double-header that sees us move on to Singapore as soon as the on-track action is complete in Baku.

Qatar will now host the penultimate round of the season, with the race taking place on the first weekend of December. This is a shift of almost two months from when the 2023 edition was run, which should present relatively cooler conditions, akin to those experienced during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Last season marked the first time Williams Racing scored points in an F1 Sprint, with Alex Albon’s remarkable rise from P17 to P7 in Qatar.

Sprint returns for 2024 with six venues locked in to host the format, namely China, Miami, Austria, Austin, Brazil and Qatar.

As for the format itself, including any potential changes to F1 Sprint weekends, will be confirmed by the Sporting Advisory Committee and the F1 Commission after their first meeting of 2024.

For the very first time in F1, there will be no new faces on the grid at the start of the season – every driver that competed in the final round of 2023 will take the grid for the season opener in Bahrain.

However, just because there are no changes on track, doesn’t mean that there aren’t changes off it.

Formula 1 doesn’t sit still for long, with team rebrands taking place as well as a new Team Principal at the Faenza-based outfit who will be just one door down from us in our new spot in pit lane.

Following Logan Sargeant’s rise from Formula 2 to Formula 1 ahead of the 2023 season, the Williams Driver Academy didn’t have any representation in the leading support series, but that won’t be the case this time around.

The 2023 F3 Vice Champion Zak O’Sullivan has graduated up the ladder alongside Franco Colapinto. Both will race in our colours in F2, for ART and MP Motorsport respectively.

They won’t be our only support series interests of course, with Luke Browning competing in his sophomore year in F3 as well as Lia Block beginning her maiden campaign in F1 Academy.

All this means that at some Grand Prix weekends, there will be a Williams Racing driver competing in every on-track session, be that F1, F2, F3 or F1 Academy.