Autosport writers’ most memorable moments of 2024

Working in motorsport media is a privilege that isn’t misplaced on the employees at Autosport.

Travelling to races world wide 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 await 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 an in depth.

In our annual characteristic, Autosport’s writers select 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

JBL and Kew loved getting a flavour of Melbourne and seeing Ricciardo et al take to the Albert Park Circuit

Picture by: Jake Boxall-Legge

When a few of your fondest recollections of watching Formulation 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 really go to Australia for the primary time. Joined by my erstwhile colleague Matt Kew, for whom the Australian Grand Prix could be his final race earlier than transferring to pastures new, we determined to make it the most effective 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 tremendous breakfast items), and five-minutes-the-other-way from Balaclava’s Carlisle Avenue.

It was a light baseball cap, mullets-and-moustaches sort of space, the sort the place the cafes are intentionally embellished with mismatched furnishings and unfinished pine. The type the place a hapless father, chasing his hyperactive baby by means 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 type of place that was most likely tough as soon as, however reclaimed by individuals who put on their socks excessive, personal a Hario V60, and mistrust the Crosley report participant. The nice sort 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 chunk within the breeze to remind the native inhabitants that the heights of summer time had slipped away. We might watched St Kilda beat Collingwood in Thursday evening’s Aussie guidelines recreation 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 pink flag together with his car-bending antics. Who knew that this was to start Williams’ penchant for big shunts over 2024? Poor Logan Sargeant did the 24-hour flight to Melbs, solely to get benched…

The race wasn’t half dangerous 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 seemed prefer it is likely to be one other Crimson Bull cakewalk. Typically, you desire a little bit of selection – and you may at all times get that Down Below. JBL

5 Might – A much-needed second of sunshine aid

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

Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Photographs

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

Having obtained 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 Exhausting Rock Stadium acquired somewhat written off. However, having been assured by relations again house that sticking to my unique journey schedule and coming house the subsequent day was the most effective plan of action, with no instant additional hazard obvious, concentrating on offering Autosport’s 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 instances 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 a clumsy 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 temporary howl of laugher, Verstappen confirmed how even F1’s hardest can have a self-deprecating aspect. It added to my stage of respect for him and offered a much-needed outlet from ideas flying elsewhere. Cheers, Max. AK

11 Might – 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 Photographs

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 determination to renew the race after it had been scheduled to complete, following a prolonged pink flag attributable to Earl Bamber’s slight misjudgement that resulted in an infinite shunt for him and Sean Gelael on the Kemmel Straight. My Autosport.com 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 could be subject to protest by Ferrari, and never simply because it will 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 become the first privateer winner of the Hypercar era. It was tinged with emotion too, as Callum Ilott devoted the end result to Anthoine Hubert, 5 years on from his dying on the observe in Formulation 2.

Then there was the LMGT3 race, which stored us guessing proper till the top. There have been shades of Monaco 1982 because the lead modified fingers a number of instances 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 may have been among the many yr’s largest 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 site visitors, exacerbated by native building work rendering the principle 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 Might – Commemorating Senna

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

Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Photographs

This was a good one between two recollections, however blasting round Goodwood in a collection of supercars both within the driver’s seat or on the passenger’s aspect 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. Considered one of my formative recollections was Murray Walker showing on the TV to announce the Brazilian’s dying, one thing that cemented a want to sooner or later 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 type. Though on a very totally different scale, the sensation of relative vacancy and awe can solely be in comparison with after I first visited Belgium’s Menin Gate.

With the assorted 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 Might – Sampling the magic of Monaco

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

Picture by: Stuart Codling

Modifying a month-to-month journal with a everlasting employees of simply three individuals has entailed spending the previous two and a half years largely chained to a desk whereas appearing 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 Formulation 1’s most polarising grands prix because the race itself is, admittedly, a high-speed parade awaiting the virtually inevitable second of mind fade on the a part of a number of contributors, whereupon every thing can change. It’s OK. You don’t have to love it.

Monaco stays quaintly and nearly innocently distinctive in a calendar that’s starting to grow to be overstuffed with new venues making an attempt too laborious to outdo each other’s schtick whilst they hurtle down a funnel of diminishing returns.

Night time races? Accomplished. Day into evening races? Additionally finished. Quickest ever avenue circuit? Yeah, yeah, there’ll be one other one alongside subsequent yr. An evening race on a avenue 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 report 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).

Annoyed, the Azerbaijan regime then prolonged its pole to 192m however – certainly not! – even earlier than this edifice reached completion Egypt performed its 202m trump card in Cairo. Concern not, doughty residents of Baku – the brand new iteration of the Azerbaijan flag is the world’s largest, nearly 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 filth criss-crossed by tramlines, however the observe structure is kind of as initially set out by Agent basic 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 present haunts, Monaco retains its enchantment for Codders

Picture by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Photographs

As to the inhabitants – effectively, Somerset Maugham was describing the 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 totally ridiculous speeds given the proximity of the boundaries. 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, on the whole, 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 overlaying 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 World 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 just below eight minutes remaining on the clock.

Members of the Chip Ganassi-run manufacturing unit 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 the most effective a part of the subsequent 4 hours ready for the French veteran in entrance of the Ganassi storage so as to get his model of what seemed like a blunder – lengthy sufficient to get acquainted with their safety guard, who was sort 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 fantastic temper – I can’t blame him; as a driver, media duties wouldn’t be what I’m trying ahead to at the moment of evening – however defined that he didn’t have sufficient gasoline to return out after extending his first run because of the 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, but it surely’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 acquired to see the fruits of an outstanding 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 for Autosport, overlaying 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 became just 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 shocked to see Rob’s son Ricky, who usually 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 apply, that means the Collards managed simply eight laps throughout the opening two periods in comparison with 67 for the sister Huracan.

It was the worst sort of preparation for qualifying, the place the Collards clocked in sixth. The session included a 360 rotation for Ricky, whereas Mitchell/Martin certified third. Once I spoke to Rob and Ricky within the paddock, the look on their faces was one among 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 may prove to be Rob’s final year 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 number of causes this yr

Picture by: JEP

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

It was an inauspicious begin to the British Touring Automotive Championship title-deciding weekend for West Surrey Racing chief Dick Bennetts. He’d been his telephone 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 outdated 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 Formulation 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 employees 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 aspect, I’ve identified Jake’s dad Simon since we each raced in Formulation 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 acquired to know when he supported my outdated pal Piers Hunnisett throughout his 1992 Formulation 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 at present, he beckoned me over and thanked me for every thing I’ve finished.” It was that sort of a day. MS

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

Turner cherished the chance to look at Fairclough, Sharp, Lindblad and Slater be put by means of their paces

Picture by: Motorsport Photographs

You’d assume the three.7-mile Silverstone Grand Prix circuit in vehicles solely unfamiliar to them could 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 Formulation 3 races than anyone else this season, in his rookie marketing campaign, Deagen Fairclough and Freddie Slater totally 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 giving freely an excessive amount of to offer a snapshot.

Throughout the 12-lap pursuit run within the F2 vehicles, the ‘successful’ margin – by way of complete 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 totally different periods!

Many hours had been subsequently spent trying on the knowledge and debating which runs, if any, ought to 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 isn’t any 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 automotive is loopy sufficient, not to mention racing equipment. The Guia circuit additionally gives some really good viewing alternatives. Considered 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 outstanding motion in the course of the thrilling FIA GT World Cup race. It isn’t famed as an overtaking place, however no person had informed 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 clash 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 come back. SL

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

Picture by: BMW Motorsport