Formula 1 as a sport, at its core, is ruthless and pits two teammates against each other first before anything else. This nature of F1 is highlighted every season within various teams amongst teammates. However, this nature is also contradicted by the Constructor’s Championship. Once a driver is realistically in no position to fight for the driver’s championship, we see the unity in a team. This is where the team needs their drivers to be at the highest level, performing every race weekend while keeping the collective goal in mind. This is why teams opt for two drivers of close if not equal, racing abilities to earn them points in the championship table with massive rewards attached to every position.

With the 2024 grid locked in place, in this piece, we will look at three teams and compare their driver lineups for the coming season. We will highlight the Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren 2024 driver lineups and compare them to see which team has a stronger pairing. The McLaren duo made a late claim in this comparison against the Ferrari and Mercedes duos, with Red Bull being a one-man army. So, without further ado, let’s see who ranks higher, starting with McLaren.

McLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

The McLaren men were a surprise package in the season thanks to their upgrade package introduced right before the summer break. The upgrade propelled McLaren second in the grid hierarchy behind just Red Bull. Lando Norris took the most advantage of this newfound performance and finally showcased his true abilities behind an F1 single-seater since his debut. In fact, after his first podium of the season at Silverstone, Norris became a genuine contender for the second Red Bull seat.

However, it wasn’t just Norris who took advantage of the upgrade package. Even Oscar Piastri verified the hype with his incredible performances in the second half of the season. The two McLaren men were outstanding and collected multiple podiums. Piastri sprung the surprise of the season when he won the Qatar GP Sprint race.

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However, we also saw instances where both of them made costly mistakes. We saw Norris admit to making multiple errors, without which he could’ve even won a race. We saw instances where Piastri made contact on multiple occasions in a single race battling in midfield. These errors are acceptable for a rookie but not Norris, which is why the McLaren men are on the list but third.

Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz

Ferrari’s hope has always been pinned on Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque carried those hopes at the start of the 2022 season, however, those quickly dissipated because of Ferrari‘s own doing. The strategic blunders and the unreliability ailed the team throughout 2022, which made them lose momentum. Momentum they haven’t gathered until now.

However, there were positive signs in the 2023 season despite the team finishing 3rd in the championship. Instead of being a one-man team, Carlos Sainz showcased he’s a reliable driver as well and earned the respect of all his critics with his race win in Singapore. Leclerc also proved he can take the fight to the mighty Red Bulls with his performance in Vegas.

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However, despite the strong pairing, Ferrari is still its own biggest enemy as they can’t enable the drivers without a car. Although, the last stint of the season showed us the Italian team is on the right track. However, is it as strong as Mercedes?

Mercedes Lewis Hamilton and George Russell

No team has struggled more internally in the past two seasons than Mercedes. The Brackley outfit has arguably one of the best drivers in the sport’s history and another who is a champion in the feeder series and has the same ambitions in F1. However, Mercedes has yet to figure out the base problem of their troubled challenger.

The past two seasons have been especially painful for Lewis Hamilton, heading into the twilight of his career still chasing the eighth championship title. However, this is proof enough that if the Brit gets is given a car worthy of winning races and championships, he will be a force to be reckoned with.

Speaking about his teammate, George Russell, showcased he can be a reliable driver and consistently deliver in his first season with the team. Sure, Russell struggled during the opening half of the season when Mercedes changed the car’s design, which favored Hamilton more. However, Russell was back to being his ambitious self in the second half with incredible performances and would’ve been much higher in the driver’s standings if it wasn’t for a lot of lost points throughout the season, perhaps the most painful outcome coming in Singapore.

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However, these errors and erratic behavior make the Mercedes men second on our list. The most well-rounded team for us going into the 2024 season seems to be Ferrari, with some discord within the team but mutual respect all around and consistent performances. Perhaps, if it wasn’t for Sainz’s unfortunate penalty in Vegas, Ferrari could’ve snatched the P2 from Mercedes.

However, 2024 will be a clean slate and it will be interesting to see how these pairings fair in the new season.

Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EssentiallySports.