Formula 1: The only driver change for 2024 already happened
By Asher Fair
The 20 drivers who competed in the 2023 season finale are all set to return to the sport in 2024 with their respective teams, a rare occurrence in Formula 1.
After a silly season full of rumors, from Red Bull replacing Sergio Perez to Williams moving on from Logan Sargeant to Liam Lawson getting a ride to Lawrence Stroll selling Aston Martin and thus leaving his son Lance without a seat, no driver lineup changes have actually taken place.
That said, the lineup at the start of the 2024 season will not be the same as the lineup at the start of the 2023 season. That is because of the fact that the only real driver change for the 2024 season already took place in 2023.
After the season's first 10 races, AlphaTauri replaced struggling rookie Nyck de Vries with veteran Daniel Ricciardo, who had been left without a ride for the 2023 season after McLaren released him a year before his contract was set to end.
Formula 1 driver lineup sees no changes
Ricciardo did miss five races with a broken wrist late in the season, and Lawson took his place while he was out. But that did not keep AlphaTauri from bringing him back for the remainder of the year and signing him for 2024. Lawson is set to serve as a reserve driver for both Red Bull and AlphaTauri in 2024.
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are set to return to Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are set to return to Mercedes. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. are set to return to Ferrari. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are set to return to McLaren. Fernando Alonso and Stroll are set to return to Aston Martin.
Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon are set to return to Alpine. Alexander Albon and Sargeant are set to return to Williams. Yuki Tsunoda and Ricciardo are set to return to AlphaTauri, which will use a new name in 2024.
Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu are set to return to Alfa Romeo, which have been renamed Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber. And finally, Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen are set to return to Haas.
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The 2024 Formula 1 season is scheduled to begin on Sunday, March 2 with the Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit.
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