2024 F1 Cars Ranked: Best to Worst

Rev the engines and get ready for an exciting F1 racing season. All 10 cars have been revealed, with new liveries and powerful updates, but how will they perform on the asphalt during the 24 grueling Grand Prix races? That’s the question on every F1 fan’s mind as we prepare for an exciting new season.

Red Bull Racing had the best car for last year, with 21 wins for a record-setting 95.4% win percentage. Will the Honda-powered car repeat in 2024, or will Ferrari, Mercedes, Aston Martin, or McLaren find their way to the top?

2024 F1 Cars Ranked Best to Worst

A new season of F1 racing is here, and we’ve examined the cars and teams to predict how they will perform. Each team on the F1 grid has revealed their new liveries, announced upgrades to the vehicle and engines, and taken part in the 3-day pre-season testing. With this data in hand, we were able to rank the 10 cars from best to worst.

1. Red Bull: Favorite to Repeat as Champions

As long as Max Verstappen is behind the wheel of the iconic Red Bull car, it doesn’t feel like anything else really matters. The team didn’t update the livery too much, sticking with the same basic design and colors it featured last year. 

Red Bull surprised everyone in Bahrain during the pre-season launch by actually bringing a real car, as they revealed the new RB20. The biggest improvements are the sidepod inlets which improve the aerodynamics and cool the engine faster, for a better overall performance.

2. Ferrari: The Top Contender to Red Bull

Ferrari was about 4/10 of a second slower than Red Bull in testing. The team fixed the tire degradation issues that they went through last year, and both drivers were happy with its performance in several race simulations. 

Unlike in 2023, Ferrari’s new car launch was very low-key with no fanfare or livestream for the fans. From what we’ve seen, the SF-24 car is visually stunning, with an updated livery that includes streaks of yellow on the body.

 3. Mercedes: Their Best Pre-Season Testing in a Decade

The good news for Mercedes is that it had its best pre-season testing since F1 updated its regulations more than a decade ago. The W15 car performed well over the long run, although technical director James Allison said that it’s not completely ready, and there is still work to do “on the single laps.” 

The team revealed major changes at the launch event, with a change to the anti-dive level on the front suspension. They did this by moving the back leg of the upper wishbone to a lower mounting point, which should stabilize the backend when it hits the corners at top speeds.

4. McLaren: Improved On Its Biggest Weakness from Last Season

Pre-season testing didn’t go exactly as McLaren had planned. Disruptions meant they couldn’t complete all the runs they wanted. Additionally, some of the newer parts weren’t included in the MCL38 launch car, but these are seen as improvements and developmental potential, rather than integral parts of the car. 

With all that being said, there is plenty of optimism, as driver Oscar Piastri said they fixed the “slow-speed characteristics” that plagued McLaren last season. We also enjoyed the updated livery, which features bright papaya orange and a more aggressive design.

5. Aston Martin: Building On Last Season’s Successes

The Aston Martin team had its best season in 2023, as it became a consistent contender in the second tier cars, behind Red Bull. The AMR24 kept its British racing greens, with minor tweaks to sponsor logos. The bigger news than the car launch was two-time champion Fernando Alonso announcing he will be available for other teams in 2025. 

As far as the car itself, team owner Mike Krack was really happy with the pre-season testing, and is hopeful that Aston Martin can solidify its place in the second tier this year.

6. RB: Consistent Long Run Pace

AlfaTauri rebranded as the Visa Cash App RB F1 Team – or simply RB – and they’re bringing the RB VCARB 01 to the pit lane. Naturally, the chassis is inspired by the Red Bull car, with similar suspension in the front and back, plus its platform control. 

It’s not an exact copy, though. It includes several features that evolved from RB’s late successes in the 2023 season. The pre-season testing wasn’t as hopeful; it showed consistent long-run pacing, but not at the same level as the top 3 or 4 teams.

7. Williams: Showed Improvement on Day 3 of Testing

Williams had a slow start to the pre-season testing before coming into its own on the final day. They didn’t have a proper car launch, so many of the details are still a mystery, although it did reveal a blue livery that’s a throwback to its championship pedigree of the late 1990s. 

During a media session, the team announced they made significant changes to the car’s floor and rear wing, aiming for improved aerodynamic efficiency. This should be enough to keep them in the lead of the third-tier teams.

8. Kick Sauber: New Name Same Expectations

Alfa Romeo rebranded the team to Kick Sauber, for at least the next two years. The team sought to improve on two major weaknesses, high-speed stability, and the drag level. 

The simulation tests were positive, and it appears the driver of the C44 will have better control of the mechanical platform. Whether these improvements will lead to better results on race day remains to be seen.

9.  Alpine: Beautiful Livery but Not Fast Enough

If we were ranking the cars on the livery alone, Alpine would be near the top. The black, pink, and blue look sleek, but sadly the car is too heavy and too slow. It ranked 8th in terms of laps covered in the pre-season testing and 9th in speed. It couldn’t even complete a simulation run and didn’t fare well during long runs.

10. Haas: Still Fixing Tire Problems

There are no grand expectations for Haas, as even Ayao Komatsu, their new team principal, expects a slow start to the season. Much of the 30-day pre-season testing was spent on long runs, to see if there were any improvements to the tire-chewing issues that derailed them last season. 

As a result, Haas finished more laps than any other team, but progress was limited. Even if they fix the tire issue, the car still has problems with fuel consumption that will keep them out of contention.

2024 F1 Pre-Season Testing Results 

Position	Team	Engine	Lap Time	Driver
1	Ferrari	Ferrari	1’29.921	Carlos Sainz
2	Mercedes	Mercedes	1’30.368	George Russell
3	Sauber	Ferrari	1’30.647	Zhou Guanyu
4	Red Bull	Honda	1’30.679	Sergio Pérez
5	RB	Honda	1’30.775	Yuki Tsunoda
6	Williams	Mercedes	1’30.984	Alexander Albon
7	McLaren	Mercedes	1’31.030	Oscar Piastri
8	Aston Martin	Mercedes	1’31.159	Fernando Alonso
9	Haas	Ferrari	1’31.686	Nico Hülkenberg
10	Alpine	Renault	1’32.061	Esteban Ocon

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Red Bull Looks Ready to Repeat with the Best Car

The pre-season testing is complete, the new updated liveries have been revealed, and it’s time to race. It appears like Max Verstappen and his Red Bull are ready to dominate the F1 grid yet again. As you would expect, Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren have all brought significant upgrades as they try to pull off a surprise and win the 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship.

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