Motorsport.com writers’ most memorable moments of 2024

Working in motorsport media is a privilege that’s not misplaced on the workers at Motorsport.com.

Travelling to races all over the world and reporting on what occurs – each on and off the observe – is one thing we take very severely. However it additionally affords loads of alternatives to make lasting private recollections.

From a primary go to to the fabled streets of Melbourne and Macau, to the reward for a prolonged anticipate clarification on a Le Mans qualifying puzzle and emotional title deciders, there have been loads of excessive factors to replicate on because the yr involves a detailed.

In our annual function, our writers pick their favorite recollections from 2024. 

By Jake Boxall-Legge, Stuart Codling, Sam Corridor, Ed Hardy, Alex Kalinauckas, Stephen Lickorish, James Newbold, Marcus Simmons, Kevin Turner and Ben Vinel

18-24 March – Two ‘idiots’ go to Australia

When a few of your fondest recollections of watching Method 1 contain the early wake-up name for the season opener at Albert Park (not a lot the decision itself, however the pleasure of a brand new season), it was fairly particular to truly go to Australia for the primary time. Joined by my erstwhile colleague Matt Kew, for whom the Australian Grand Prix can be his final race earlier than transferring to pastures new, we determined to make it one of the best one but and luxuriate in Melbourne’s quirks and eccentricities.

Our Airbnb in St Kilda was a superb discover: a two-bedroom flat about 10 minutes’ taxi experience to the observe, a five-minute stroll from Blencowes Milk Bar (a purveyor in fantastic breakfast items), and five-minutes-the-other-way from Balaclava’s Carlisle Avenue.

It was a pale baseball cap, mullets-and-moustaches form of space, the sort the place the cafes are intentionally embellished with mismatched furnishings and unfinished pine. The kind the place a hapless father, chasing his hyperactive little one by way of the aisles of Coles, would weakly exclaim “Ezra, in the event you do not cease working you are not going to get a babyccino…” in an effort to quell the toddler twister. The form of place that was in all probability tough as soon as, however reclaimed by individuals who put on their socks excessive, personal a Hario V60, and mistrust the Crosley file participant. The nice form of individuals.

The ephemera of on a regular basis observations apart, the Australian Grand Prix expertise was good.

It was heat and sunny, with a slight chew within the breeze to remind the native inhabitants that the heights of summer time had slipped away. We would watched St Kilda beat Collingwood in Thursday evening’s Aussie guidelines sport with a few of our fellow journalists then, on Friday, we would perched upon the photographers’ tower at Flip 2 and had a good time watching the vehicles flow into the Albert Park circuit from trackside.

From there, we went so far as Flip 3 (an extended stroll than you would possibly surmise) earlier than Alex Albon gave us a crimson flag along with his car-bending antics. Who knew that this was to start Williams’ penchant for giant shunts over 2024? Poor Logan Sargeant did the 24-hour flight to Melbs, solely to get benched…

The race wasn’t half unhealthy both. Carlos Sainz’s excellence and Max Verstappen’s damaged brake drum gave us much more to get our tooth into – at that stage, it appeared prefer it may be one other Pink Bull cakewalk. Generally, you need a little bit of selection – and you will at all times get that Down Below. JBL

5 Could – A much-needed second of sunshine aid

Verstappen’s good-humoured response to initially taking on the fallacious seat within the Miami GP press convention added to our correspondent’s respect for him

Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Pictures

Max Verstappen supplied a second of mighty aid on what was, personally, the toughest weekend of the 2024 Method 1 season: the Miami Grand Prix.

Having acquired the information that my Dad had suffered a (fortunately) minor stroke as race day in Florida started, the morning I’d deliberate to spend within the paddock inside Laborious Rock Stadium bought slightly written off. However, having been assured by members of the family again dwelling that sticking to my authentic journey schedule and coming dwelling the subsequent day was one of the best plan of action, with no instant additional hazard obvious, concentrating on offering our on-the-flag race report protection and our long-form post-event evaluation was a useful distraction.

Lando Norris then went and scored a well-known first F1 win, which meant he arrived on the post-race press convention lengthy after Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. In main Leclerc in, Verstappen had duly plonked himself in the course of the FIA press convention couch – the winner’s place. It was comprehensible, he’d headed there 23 occasions from the earlier 27 GPs.

A cut up second of silence adopted. Then, when it was identified to Verstappen he wanted to shift one spot proper, he flung his head again and laughed – the room then becoming a member of him. It may’ve been an ungainly second, however Verstappen dealt with it with aplomb.

It added one other layer to the ‘really feel good’ run of tales from early 2024. However in that transient howl of laugher, Verstappen confirmed how even F1’s hardest can have a self-deprecating facet. It added to my stage of respect for him and supplied a much-needed outlet from ideas flying elsewhere. Cheers, Max. AK

11 Could – A chaotic day at Spa

There was continuous motion for Newbold when the WEC headed to Spa for its third spherical warming up for Le Mans

Picture by: JEP / Motorsport Pictures

A mix of things tally as much as make the third spherical of the 2024 World Endurance Championship my standout reminiscence of the yr. And in contrast to the 2023 occasion, that had nothing to do with chilly tyres.

For starters, there was the shock resolution to renew the race after it had been scheduled to complete, following a prolonged crimson flag brought on by Earl Bamber’s slight misjudgement that resulted in an infinite shunt for him and Sean Gelael on the Kemmel Straight. My race report explaining how Ferrari’s 499P had taken its first win at a standard WEC spherical, moments from being despatched, was immediately consigned to the dustbin.

That call to restart can be topic to protest by Ferrari, and never simply because it might scupper everyone’s dinner plans. However it was undoubtedly a preferred one among the many many followers who had caught round, and there was a feel-good issue to seeing Jota turn into the primary privateer winner of the Hypercar period. It was tinged with emotion too, as Callum Ilott devoted the end result to Anthoine Hubert, 5 years on from his loss of life on the observe in Method 2.

Then there was the LMGT3 race, which stored us guessing proper till the tip. There have been shades of Monaco 1982 because the lead modified arms a number of occasions within the closing stint, then twice within the area of some seconds on the ultimate lap. Franck Perera’s Iron Lynx Lamborghini had ducked into the pits, ending its hopes of win that might have been among the many yr’s greatest upsets, earlier than the 2 Manthey Porsches swapped locations as Richard Lietz pounced on a fuel-saving Klaus Bachler at Les Combes for victory.

Off the circuit, issues had been no much less frenetic.

Wonderful technique from colleague Gary Watkins ensured we missed the worst of the raceday visitors, exacerbated by native building work rendering the primary entry street impassable, which snarled a media colleague who solely simply made the race begin. And as for the hordes of followers gathered behind WRT’s pit hoping to lock eyes on Valentino Rossi? Utter carnage. JN

17-19 Could – Commemorating Senna

A statue devoted to the reminiscence of Ayrton Senna acquired many guests on the weekend of the Emilia Romagna GP, together with from F2 correspondent Corridor

Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Pictures

This was a decent one between two recollections, however blasting round Goodwood in a collection of supercars both within the driver’s seat or on the passenger’s facet was pipped by a primary go to to Imola.

What tipped the dimensions on this one was the pure emotion of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend, which marked the thirtieth anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s deadly accident on the observe in the course of the 1994 San Marino GP. Certainly one of my formative recollections was Murray Walker showing on the TV to announce the Brazilian’s loss of life, one thing that cemented a need to someday make it to Imola. Due to this fact, when the chance arose alongside my F2/F3 duties this yr, there was no hesitation.

Making my manner alongside the trail inside Tamburello, I first noticed the wall of flags, photos and different private memorials left by followers to honour Senna. Studying as many notes as doable within the stark silence that surrounds the world, I got here near strolling straight previous the well-known statue. I had anticipated it to be in a secluded space, not out within the open as seems to be the case.

There’s really one thing disarming about being round a memorial of this sort. Though on a very completely different scale, the sensation of relative vacancy and awe can solely be in comparison with once I first visited Belgium’s Menin Gate.

With the varied tributes paid throughout the weekend to mark the anniversary, the emotion stored coming. I really feel really lucky to have been within the paddock to witness the occasions, and that first go to to the Senna memorial will stick with me without end. SH

24-26 Could – Sampling the magic of Monaco

Are you able to get nearer to the motion at any F1 circuit?

Picture by: Stuart Codling

Enhancing a month-to-month journal with a everlasting workers of simply three individuals has entailed spending the previous two and a half years largely chained to a desk whereas performing as puppet grasp to these on the bottom. So it was a delight to punch out and work ‘on the bottom’ at a grand prix, all of the extra so since a pet bereavement earlier within the month had left the house workplace a colder and sadder place.

Monaco ranks amongst Method 1’s most polarising grands prix for the reason that race itself is, admittedly, a high-speed parade awaiting the just about inevitable second of mind fade on the a part of a number of individuals, whereupon every little thing can change. It’s OK. You don’t have to love it.

Monaco stays quaintly and virtually innocently distinctive in a calendar that’s starting to turn into overstuffed with new venues making an attempt too laborious to outdo each other’s schtick at the same time as they hurtle down a funnel of diminishing returns.

Evening races? Finished. Day into evening races? Additionally accomplished. Quickest ever road circuit? Yeah, yeah, there’ll be one other one alongside subsequent yr. An evening race on a road circuit, however on Saturday evening? Puh-lease.

Considering the crop of recent venues I’m reminded of the historical past of the Azerbaijan nationwide flag which ripples within the wind that blows into Baku off the Caspian sea. It sits on what was – upon first hoisting in 2010 – the world’s tallest flagpole, 162m. This file was however fleeting since inside a yr it was eclipsed by a brand new and fractionally taller (165m) erection in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, which in flip was out-heighted by poles in Jeddah (171m), then St Petersburg (175m).

Pissed off, the Azerbaijan regime then prolonged its pole to 192m however – absolutely not! – even earlier than this edifice reached completion Egypt performed its 202m trump card in Cairo. Worry not, doughty residents of Baku – the brand new iteration of the Azerbaijan flag is the world’s largest, virtually the scale of a soccer pitch, and at 500kg indubitably the heaviest. Sew that, Egypt!

In distinction Monaco stays, by and enormous, what it at all times has been – for higher and for worse. Asphalt has changed packed dust criss-crossed by tramlines, however the observe format is kind of as initially set out by Agent normal de la Regie des tabacs Antony Noghes after a collection of walkabouts in 1928. Overtaking was difficult even within the days when vehicles had cable-operated brakes actuating the entrance axle solely.

Even amid the enlargement of the calendar to venues looking for to one-up current haunts, Monaco retains its attraction for Codders

Picture by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Pictures

As to the inhabitants – properly, Somerset Maugham was describing your complete French Riviera when he coined that oft-repeated descriptor “a sunny place for shady individuals”, however it’s seldom extra appositely deployed than when summing up the principality. A whiff of old-world decadence nonetheless wafts across the many storeys of freshly poured concrete.

And but this stays a magical occasion to attend even when it isn’t with out its inconveniences, such because the first-day logistical faff of getting to drop off colleagues on the media centre after which schlep half manner throughout city on foot, with full pack, to gather my very own credentials – by which period I used to be sweating like Boris Johnson taking a polygraph.

There’s no different circuit the place you’ll be able to stand that near racing vehicles travelling at completely ridiculous speeds given the proximity of the limitations. Or the place you’ll be able to stand at a selected spot and picture Stirling Moss glancing again up the hill to measure his lead over the chasing Ferraris in 1961. That’s why, basically, the haters are those that have by no means been.

For the remainder of us it’s an expertise to savour – and also you would possibly even come away with a piece of Stake… SC

13 June – Shedding mild on a misunderstanding within the Bourdais camp at Le Mans

Vinel confirmed admirable persistance ready for Bourdais to emerge after he’d missed out on pole at Le Mans

I’ve been protecting the Le Mans 24 Hours for a very long time, however the 2024 race was a particular one for me as a result of it was the primary since I moved to Motorsport.com International and Autosport after being a part of our French group for a decade.

The spotlight of my week was determining what occurred at Cadillac when Thursday evening’s Hyperpole was red-flagged with slightly below eight minutes remaining on the clock.

Members of the Chip Ganassi-run manufacturing facility group had been seen celebrating round their driver Sebastien Bourdais, who had set the provisional quickest time, and his father Patrick… mere seconds earlier than the session was restarted. Bourdais’ #3 Cadillac didn’t return out and dropped to 3rd within the classification.

It was round 8:30pm when this occurred, and I spent one of the best a part of the subsequent 4 hours ready for the French veteran in entrance of the Ganassi storage in an effort to get his model of what appeared like a blunder – lengthy sufficient to get acquainted with their safety guard, who was type sufficient to let me shelter below the awning when it began to rain.

Bourdais lastly emerged round quarter previous midnight and wasn’t in a terrific temper – I can’t blame him; as a driver, media duties wouldn’t be what I’m wanting ahead to at the moment of evening – however defined that he didn’t have sufficient gasoline to return out after extending his first run as a result of threatening climate.

Whereas the above was communicated to different media, he additionally made it clear to me that he personally wasn’t celebrating – and hit out on the press.

“If something, I used to be telling everybody: ‘There are seven minutes and 40 seconds left, I do not know why you are right here asking me for photos,’” he associated. “That is fairly humorous, as a result of once we weren’t on pole, no person was there anymore. It was humorous, however it’s fairly typical from the press.”

One would possibly argue the photographers did precisely what they had been meant to do. BV

28-29 September – British GT crowns its champions

Hardy bought to see the fruits of an excellent season of British GT unfold at Manufacturers Hatch

Picture by: JEP

I’ll at all times look again on 2024 with fond recollections given it was my first championship gig, protecting British GT. The function began with an exhilarating McLaren GT3 passenger lap at a moist Donington Park in March, pushed by Le Mans class winner Chris Buncombe, and culminated in an emotional season finale at Manufacturers Hatch in September.

That weekend, Rob and Ricky Collard grew to become simply the second father-son pairing to clinch the GT3 crown after Glynn and Jim Geddie in 2011. I’ve spoken to the Collards rather a lot this yr so I used to be not stunned to see Rob’s son Ricky, who typically wears his coronary heart on his sleeve, burst into tears in parc ferme after a rollercoaster of a weekend.

The pair arrived at Manufacturers with a 24.5-point lead over title rivals and Barwell Lamborghini team-mates Sandy Mitchell/Alex Martin, so it initially appeared like a comparatively simple job given such a big margin has by no means been overturned on the ultimate day.

However no. The #63 Huracan suffered an engine failure in first follow, which means the Collards managed simply eight laps throughout the opening two classes in comparison with 67 for the sister Huracan.

It was the worst form of preparation for qualifying, the place the Collards clocked in sixth. The session included a 360 rotation for Ricky, whereas Mitchell/Martin certified third. After I spoke to Rob and Ricky within the paddock, the look on their faces was one in every of bewilderment and despair.

May Mitchell/Martin do the unthinkable and clinch the title? A number of media centre colleagues definitely thought so.

However Rob drove beautifully all yr and confirmed his class within the race by climbing as much as third within the first of two hours, earlier than Ricky confirmed nice composure to remain throughout the points-scoring positions he wanted to – which was high 5 – regardless of Mitchell/Martin taking a most rating.

The daddy-son duo shared an emotional hug in parc ferme and I’ll at all times keep in mind being within the Barwell storage afterwards, because the Lamborghini squad celebrated such a dominant yr. The story simply had a feel-good issue as Ricky had beforehand spent two irritating seasons in touring vehicles, whereas 2024 could show to be Rob’s remaining yr of racing given he’s now aged 56. So, hats off to the pair. EH

5-6 October – Bennetts journeys and Hill leaps to BTCC glory

This yr’s BTCC finale was memorable for a couple of causes this yr

Picture by: JEP

“Good job I wasn’t carrying my Breitling.”

It was an inauspicious begin to the British Touring Automobile Championship title-deciding weekend for West Surrey Racing chief Dick Bennetts. He’d been his cellphone whereas strolling behind the Manufacturers Hatch pits, and got here a cropper when he tripped on one of many quite a few plastic covers that groups set up to cowl the electrical energy cables working out of their garages.

There was a nasty gash to poor previous Dick’s cheek, and his watch had been smashed within the influence with the asphalt. “It’s the primary time I’ve had an accident within the paddock since 1982, once we had been altering a Method 3 engine at Thruxton and it dropped on my foot,” he mused.

That was on the Saturday morning, however by Sunday afternoon all harm to self and property had been forgotten. Bennetts and his WSR workers had been celebrating Jake Hill’s championship success – and, after all, BMW’s umpteenth producers’ crown.

It was an emotional time for a lot of. From my facet, I’ve recognized Jake’s dad Simon since we each raced in Method First in 1989-90; he labored like hell even then to realize a foothold within the sport, and if something has toiled even tougher for his son.

The web result’s a consortium of Hill supporters and backers. A kind of who goes below the radar is John Miskin, who was instrumental in Hill’s supervisor Mark Blundell’s mid-Nineteen Eighties FF1600 and FF2000 exploits with Fleetray Racing, and who I first bought to know when he supported my previous pal Piers Hunnisett throughout his 1992 Method Vauxhall Lotus title-winning season.

“I by no means go and discuss to Jake on the grid,” associated Miskin among the many glad throng afterwards, “however earlier than the final race right now, he beckoned me over and thanked me for every little thing I’ve accomplished.” It was that form of a day. MS

23-24 October – Watching the subsequent era battle it out

Turner cherished the chance to observe Fairclough, Sharp, Lindblad and Slater be put by way of their paces

Picture by: Motorsport Pictures

You’d assume the three.7-mile Silverstone Grand Prix circuit in vehicles totally unfamiliar to them can be sufficient to comfortably separate 4 youngsters. However no. This yr’s shootout for the Silverstone Autosport BRDC Younger Driver of the 12 months Award was ridiculous.

The judging panel, led as ever by the power of nature that’s Derek Warwick, was already fairly excited in regards to the 2024 finalists. Arvid Lindblad had received extra Method 3 races than anyone else this season, in his rookie marketing campaign, Deagen Fairclough and Freddie Slater completely dominated their respective F4 championships in Britain and Italy, and Louis Sharp had taken the GB3 title in his first yr within the collection.

However the stage and closeness of the battle in MotorSport Imaginative and prescient F2, Beechdean Motorsport Aston Martin GT3 and RLR M Sport Ligier LMP3 equipment was unprecedented. The winner received’t be introduced till the new-look Autosport Awards in January, however I don’t assume it’s gifting away an excessive amount of to present a snapshot.

Throughout the 12-lap pursuit run within the F2 vehicles, the ‘successful’ margin – by way of whole time – was 0.001 seconds, and 1.3s lined all 4. And, after all, they didn’t have the decency to complete in the identical order throughout completely different classes!

Many hours had been subsequently spent wanting on the information and debating which runs, if any, must be weighted greater than others. And it was positively shut as a result of the extent was excessive – simply ask the benchmark drivers… KT

13-17 November – Majestic Macau

Enthralling GT contests in Macau justified a prolonged journey for Lickorish

Picture by: Macau GP

There is no such thing as a actual contest in the case of my spotlight of the season. Being requested to report on this yr’s Macau Grand Prix was an enormous privilege. And what a spot for a motorsport occasion it’s! The backdrop of ludicrous skyscrapers and the sheer wealth on show of the particular administrative area is staggering. Then the circuit itself is one thing else!

Having the ability to stroll nearly all of the observe on the Wednesday gave a real perspective of simply how slender it’s. Being pushed across the Melco hairpin in a street automobile is loopy sufficient, not to mention racing equipment. The Guia circuit additionally provides some really good viewing alternatives. Certainly one of my favourites was on the within of R Bend, the place you might be virtually on high of the vehicles as they negotiate the ultimate flip.

And that nook was the scene of some fairly exceptional motion in the course of the thrilling FIA GT World Cup race. It’s not famed as an overtaking place, however no person had advised Antonio Fuoco that! Ferrari’s Le Mans winner made two sensational passes on the within of the nook to seize the lead, just for a controversial conflict with Raffaele Marciello to ship him plummeting down the order.

Whereas the single-seaters had been shambolically cease/begin amid the rain, the GTs greater than made up for it with a Macau contest that will probably be remembered for a few years to return. SL

There really is nowhere like Macau, and getting acquainted with it trumps Le Mans street tripping for Lickorish

Picture by: BMW Motorsport