Key Dates To Remember For The Upcoming F1 2024 Season!

We’re currently passing through the void that is the F1 off-season. In previous seasons, we at least dealt with some jeopardy in the form of vacant seats, rookie drivers and new regulations. 2024 is easily one of the most boring off-seasons yet, throwing up virtually no drama other than the shocking but not that shocking news of Haas canning Guenther Steiner. 

There’s virtually nothing to talk about, but all is not as bad as it seems. Drive To Survive will surely be on our screens again soon, but we’re also not a million miles away from the season kicking off yet again! It’s almost time to get excited, so how about you refresh your mind with some key dates for the upcoming Formula 1 season? 

February 21 – 23: Pre-Season Testing

Mark your calendars, the F1 season technically gets underway in just a few weeks! Pre-season testing is when we see the cars for the first time in months, and it’s also when all trusted European betting sites get serious and update their odds for the season. 

There’s almost always something to talk about during testing – last year it was the Aston Martins and their incredible pace, juxtaposed by Mclaren’s terrible car. What happens in testing is usually indicative of how the first few races will go. As was the case in 2023 when Aston Martin went on a tear at the beginning of the year while Mclaren looked like imposters. 

Prepare for a host of hot takes across this weekend as well as the inevitable claims that various teams are sandbagging.

February 29 – March 2: First Race Of The Season (Bahrain)

Make sure you’re ready for the first Formula 1 race of the season in Bahrain. Things are a little bit different this year as Ramadan means the race itself will take place on Saturday rather than Sunday. 

Is this the best track on the calendar? No…not by a long shot. But, it’s the first race of the year so we’ll always be super hyped for it. This is when we see if testing was a fluke, and it’s usually where Ferrari fans suffer instant heartbreak knowing they’re up against it again this year. 

In honesty, this Bahrain Grand Prix is one of the most hotly anticipated yet, all thanks to Red Bull. Everyone is eager to see how the Milford Keynes-based outfit fare after a record-breaking year in 2023. Max Verstappen was so good he could’ve technically won the constructor’s championship alone. All eyes will be on Red Bull’s main rivals to see if they’ve made great strides or if 2024 will be another write-off from a competitive driving standpoint. 

April 19 – 21: Shanghai Returns 

The Chinese Grand Prix returns to the calendar for the first time since COVID-19. Shanghai is an awesome race track that a lot of F1 fans have missed dearly. We won’t have to wait long to enjoy it in 2024 as it’s the 5th race up. 

Interestingly, it follows Suzuka (Japan) which is heavily bumped up the order this year. Many are hoping for a phenomenal double-header that’s full of thrills and a tight contest for the win. The last Shanghai Grand Prix was won by Lewis Hamilton back when Mercedes looked unbeatable. We’re sure there are plenty of fans who’d jump at the chance to see his name atop the podium in China yet again. 

May 24 – 26: Monaco Grand Prix

Monaco is always one of the names you look for first when the F1 schedule is released for another year. It’s the most prestigious race in Formula 1 and makes up one part of the coveted Triple Crown of Motorsport. 

There’s something special about seeing such huge cars travel at imperious speeds around a narrow street track. Nothing can match the uniqueness of Monaco and it has the potential to throw up a great race if the weather conditions are perfect. 

We ideally want a bit of rain to encourage pit stop jeopardy, like last year when Fernando Alonso had his best chance to win a race for what feels like centuries. 

July 5 – 7: Silverstone

The British Grand Prix is another one of the races you can’t afford to miss in 2024. It’s a consistently brilliant race that almost always delivers drama in one way or another. We had the iconic Hamilton and Verstappen crash in 2021, Zhou’s near-death experience and Sainz winning his first race in 2022 and then Lando Norris leading the race for a few laps in 2023. 

What will 2024 hold for us? We can’t tell right now, but if McLaren’s development trajectory continues on its path from last year, maybe Lando will be on the top step of the Silverstone podium…

July 28 – August 23: Summer Break & Silly Season

It’s the worst part of the year, but the F1 summer break is set to be a banger in 2024. 

Why? Because silly season is sure to unfold as a host of drivers don’t have contracts for the following season. This year saw zero changes to driver lineups carried over from 2023 to 2024, but the same will not be true next time around. 

For context, here’s a list of all the drivers with contracts expiring in 2024: 

• Sergio Perez
• Carlos Sains
• Pierre Gasly
• Esteban Ocon
• Valtteri Botta
• Zhou Guanyu
• Kevin Magnussen
• Nico Hulkenberg
• Fernando Alonso
• Lance Stroll
• Daniel Ricciardo
• Yuki Tsunoda
• Alex Albon
• Logan Sargeant

It’s virtually the entire grid, so keep an eye and an ear out for news during the summer break. Pay particularly close attention to the Red Bull driver pairing announcement and maybe expect a shock move or two from Ferrari or Alpine. 

August 30 – September 1: Monza

Alongside Monaco and Silverstone, Monza is one of the most iconic tracks on the calendar. It’s technically the second Italian Grand Prix, but everyone knows this as the home of Ferrari. The stands and streets are painted red across the weekend, though there hasn’t been a Ferrari winner since Charles Leclerc in 2019. 

Sainz did his best last year so will the Tiffosi have something to cheer about again in 2024? It’s a rapid track that brings out some slight modifications to teams’ race setups, meaning there’s often a random team or driver entering the points! 

November 1 – 3: The Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Sao Paulo rounds off a crazy triple-header after Austin and Mexico City. Again, it’s a legendary track that’s known to create the best races. We saw a banger in 2023 as Alonso somehow pipped Perez for a podium and Norris battled Verstappen for the lead (for a bit, anyway). 

You can guarantee something will happen here and the fans are incredible. Also, Sao Paulo has the unique capacity to be boiling hot or to tip down with rain at any moment – which is awesome from a racing perspective. 

December 6-8: Last Race Of The Year (Abu Dhabi)

As is customary these days, the F1 season will conclude in Abu Dhabi. Let’s hope that at this point there’s a killer title race that’s gone down to the wire. Our fingers are crossed, but who knows what will unfold over the following 10 or so months. 

The great news for fans is that we’ve got 24 races to enjoy this season – the most there’s ever been. So, strap yourselves in and get excited for what’s coming up in 2024!