VOTE: Who was the luckiest driver in 2024?

Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez, Britain, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

GPFans F1 Awards

F1 AWARDS - VOTE: Who was the luckiest driver in 2024?

The 2024 season has ended, but here's your chance to vote in the GPFans Awards!

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Wednesday 1 January 2025 15:57

Max Verstappen's 2024 championship success already seems a long time ago, and before the 2025 season gets underway, we're asking for who you think was the luckiest driver of 2024.

Lewis Hamilton will feel pretty relieved to be jumping ship at Mercedes and instead trying to secure an eighth world championship title with Ferrari, while Liam Lawson will be rubbing his hands together at the prospect of sitting alongside Verstappen at Red Bull.

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But who was the most lucky driver of the season? Have your say in the GPFans poll below!

Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari in 2025

Hamilton lucky to avoid F1 axe?

One of the leading candidates for this award will be Hamilton, on two accounts. Firstly, the seven-time champion appears to have played a blinder by jumping ship at Mercedes and instead joining Ferrari, who got themselves back into championship contention in 2024. The move looks well timed.

Secondly, Hamilton's move will avoid any awkward questions around his future in the sport, with his 2024 performances looking like a driver who was very close to announcing their retirement. However, a long-term deal being signed before the year silenced any whispers of a potential F1 exit.

Sergio Perez was arguably very lucky to have lasted the whole of the 2024 season at Red Bull, especially following what happened to Daniel Ricciardo at VCARB. Perez did not score a podium from the Chinese GP onwards, and was rumoured to be facing the axe for large parts of the year.

Equally, Lawson will be feeling lucky given the fact he wasn't even on the F1 grid this time last year. Reserve driver to a full-time seat with a race-winning team within six months is something Yuki Tsunoda can only dream of.

Ollie Bearman would only have been an F2 driver in 2024, had it not have been for some unfortunate events. Carlos Sainz's appendicitis gave the Brit his F1 debut at the Saudi Arabian GP, before a Kevin Magnussen one-race ban and subsequent illness led to the 19-year-old having raced in three grands prix and proving his worth.

Both Aston Martin drivers will be feeling extremely lucky to have design legend Adrian Newey on their team from next season, with Fernando Alonso's dreams of securing a third world title given fresh life. Lance Stroll will be grateful that he's managed to keep hold of his seat for another year, after some more dismal performances.

Like Bearman, Franco Colapinto would be largely unheard of by F1 fans, but for his replacement of the underperforming Logan Sargeant at Williams, which has made him a genuine contender for future seats up and down the grid.