Johnny Herbert Forecasts Intense Rivalry in 2024 F1 Season, Urges Teams to Challenge Red Bull’s Reign
Former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert predicts a more competitive 2024 F1 season, spotlighting the potential for teams like McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes to challenge Red Bull’s dominance. Herbert’s insights, based on his extensive experience, highlight a possible shift in the racing hierarchy.
Key Takeaways:
- Teams’ Development: Herbert emphasizes the importance of all teams, including Red Bull, in advancing their vehicles. He points out that while Red Bull is expected to make incremental improvements, teams like McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes have a larger scope for significant advancements.
- Previous Season’s Progress: Reflecting on last season, Herbert acknowledges the strides made by McLaren and Ferrari towards competitiveness. He raises the question of whether these teams can sustain their momentum and integrate their learnings into this year’s vehicles effectively.
- Uncertainty and Hope for Competition: Drawing from his experience with Stewart-Jaguar, Herbert underscores the unpredictability inherent in Formula 1. He reminisces about the rapid shifts in competitive dynamics and expresses hope for a more closely contested 2024 season.
The 2023 Formula 1 season was marked by Red Bull’s overwhelming success, clinching both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships and dominating nearly every race. However, as the 2024 season looms, the F1 community is abuzz with speculation: Can the other teams rise to the occasion and disrupt Red Bull’s dominance?
Johnny Herbert, a seasoned veteran of the Formula 1 circuit, weighed in on the conversation with some insightful predictions. He elaborated, “The teams have to improve on what they have got, even a Red Bull, and they will. The question is how much McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes can improve for us as race fans who want to see cars go wheel to wheel.”
“We saw some good moves last season for teams to get more competitive and to get closer to Red Bull, especially McLaren and Ferrari. Can they keep that knowledge and momentum and incorporate it into this year’s car?” Herbert pondered. He emphasized the relative advantage these teams have in potentially making larger strides compared to Red Bull.
Herbert also delved into the unpredictability of the sport, sharing his experiences from his Stewart-Jaguar days. “I remember Mercedes saying at the start of last season that they knew what they were doing. But clearly they didn’t. You can always improve. I remember from my Stewart-Jaguar days when we went from a very competitive car in 1999 to 2000, to a really good one. But everybody else jumped in front of us because they improved even more. Teams can always think they have made progress, but they will not know what others have done.”
In a concluding note full of optimism, Herbert said, “There is a chance that the top four will become more competitive for this season and let’s hope that is the case.”
