By Bodhi Stringer
The first half of the 2024 Formula One season has been a whirlwind of drama for the entire grid, and Australian drivers are no exception. Though Australia has just two representatives on the grid this year, three Aussies have been making headlines: Oscar Piastri, Daniel Ricciardo, and Jack Doohan. Each has captured attention for vastly different reasons. Let’s take a dive into the first half of the F1 season for these three Australian stars.
Oscar Piastri: The star we have been waiting for
Oscar Piastri celebrating his first ever F1 race win
Oscar Piastri has set the world alight ever since making his F1 debut in the 2023 season. Having ended his rookie campaign with a handful of rookie records and an F1 sprint win, the question had to be asked if Oscar could continue the form into his second season. Well only halfway into the 2024 season and Piastri has more than proven that his 2023 form wasn’t a fluke.
Piastri is currently sitting 4th in the drivers’ standings having collected 167 points in the first 14 Grand Prix of the season. In the first 7 races of the season Oscar managed to finish in the points in 6 of the races, finishing 8th in 3 races, 4th in 3 races but it would be at the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix that Oscars star power would be showcased again as he claimed his first podium of the year finishing 2nd in one of the most dramatic races to date this year. Whilst podiums are great an F1 race win is what every driver is trying to achieve and for some it never happens. People had a feeling it wouldn’t be long until we heard the Australian national anthem again but after finishing agonisingly close to a maiden F1 race win in Austria where Piastri was only 2 seconds behind race winner George Russel everyone began to question if Oscar would break through for a first race win in 2024.
But we wouldn’t have to wait long for Oscar to prove to everyone that he could win at the top level. Oscar Piastri’s maiden win at the Hungarian Grand Prix proved to everyone that he is the real deal and showcased to Australian F1 fans that we finally have the star we have been waiting for. Oscar would round out the first half of the year finishing in 2nd only 0.647 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton at the Belgin Grand Prix moving himself into 4th in the world driver standings with a real chance of moving into the top three in coming races.
Daniel Ricciardo: The star that might be burning out
Daniel Ricciardo contemplating before the start of the Dutch Grand Prix
Daniel Ricciardo is the face that brought so many modern day F1 fans to the sport through his smiling appearance on Netflix’s Drive to Survive, but ever since the beginning of Drive to Survive Daniel’s magic has started to ware off and it might finally be fading out. Ricciardo started the 2024 season full of optimism as he had regained a full-time seat on the grid for the season. Despite this optimism to start the year the first half of the season has been nothing short of dramatic for Daniel both on and off the track. Daniel was unable to score a single championship point until a shock 4th place finish in the Miami Sprint race, despite finishing 4th in sprint in round 6 he would have to wait another 3 Grand Prix weekends until he finally broke through for points in a full race in the 2024 season. Despite the early season form slump the support provided by Daniels team still seems to be there. Daniel continues to be brought up in constant driver move rumours particularly around the struggling Sergio Perez’s Red Bull Seat.
Whilst Daniel has struggled to regain his form from his Red Bull days he is still one of the most talked about drivers on the grid. The second half of the season will be pivotal for Ricciardo in his quest to gain a contract for the 2025 season at either his current team or make the long awaited return home to Red Bulls top seat.
Jack Doohan: The star waiting in the wings
Jack Doohan has been confirmed as Alpine's second Formula One driver for the upcoming Formula One season
Whilst Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo are strutting their stuff in Formula One, Australia have another young star waiting patiently for the opening round of the 2025 Formula One season. Earlier this week Jack Doohan gained the trust of Alpine as he signed a contract that will see him debut in his home race next year. Similar to the pathway Oscar Piastri took into Formulae One Doohan has spent the past year as Alpines reserve driver making occasional appearances in an F1 car during the first practice sessions of race weekends. The young Aussie is set to feature in a struggling Alpine lineup for next year as they attempt to regain their pre-covid form when the competed under the Renault name.
Jack Doohan spent his time in junior categories as an Alpine academy driver as did Oscar Piastri, hopefully for Doohan he can follow the same career path as Oscar. The 21 year old is set to become Australia’s second confirmed driver for next season and if Daniel Ricciardo keeps his F1 set it could be the first time that the Australian Grand Prix has 3 home drivers lining up on the first Sunday of the 2025 season.
If Doohan, Piastri and Ricciardo all line up in Melbourne next year it will become an even hotter ticket as three Australians attempt to become the first driver to secure a win for the country at the home race. Obviously as things currently sit Oscar is the likely hero but in the world of F1 anything is possible.
Be sure to keep an eye on the remainder of the 2024 F1 season as Oscar Piastri could become a main antagonist in the attempt to unseat Red Bull as the top constructor and Daniel Ricciardo could revive his F1 dream with a sting of points scoring performances. As well as keeping an eye on the season make sure if you want to get down to Albert Park next year you secure your tickets quickly when the come out as it is sure to be another sell out in Melbourne.
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