Which are the best F1 races from the first half of the season?

The Formula One season has hit the halfway mark, with Silverstone being number 12 on the 24 races calendar. There are also just two more races until the summer break, as F1 visits both Hungary and Beligum. GPblog looks back at some of the best races from the first half of 2024.

After entering the sport in 2019, Lando Norris secured his maiden win at Miami. The Brit held the record for the most podiums without a win, and with the ten upgrades McLaren brought to his car, combined with a safety car, Norris was able to take first position and finish triumphant in the end. There was also the battle between Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz, with the two making contact, and the McLaren driver missing out on points. Nevertheless, the weekend showed the pace McLaren had which they have continued to show since as they have consistently finished on the podium. It was also a better weekend for Daniel Ricciardo, as he finished 4th in Saturday's sprint race.

After Miami, Formula One headed to Italy. The year before, the race had been cancelled due to flooding, but this was not an issue this season. The weekend also paid tribute to Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger. Whilst for the most-part the Grand Prix felt familiar with Max Verstappen leading, the last 20 laps or so are what led it to become another interesting race weekend. Fresh from his Miami win, Norris was on the hunt for his second, as he closed the gap between him and the world champion to 0.765 seconds. Nevertheless, the Dutchman was triumphant, as he took home his 59th career win with Red Bull. That weekend, he also won the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring with his eSports team.

After a rather 'dull' weekend in Monaco for some, this wet weekend in Montreal led to a good battle, with Verstappen, Norris and Russell all fighting for the top spot. The weekend showed Mercedes' new-found performance, after Russell and Verstappen set equal lap-times during qualifying, with Russell taking the pole position. At the end of the race, it also looked like Hamilton could have been finishing third on the podium until his teammate found the pace to overtake him. We also saw a series of retirements during the race, including both Williams, and Ferrari's, as well as Red Bull's Sergio Perez. There was also an off-track 'battle', as Jacques Villeneuve gave his verdict on Ricciardo, who had been struggling during the season, leading the Canadian to ask: "Why is he still here?"

This year's visit to the Red Bull Ring was not short of a battle. Whilst Verstappen was able to claim a victory during Saturday's sprint race, it was George Russell who took home the first-place trophy on the Sunday. This was the first win for both the Brit, and Mercedes since 2022, as he was joined by Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz on the podium. The Grand Prix featured a multi-lap battle between Verstappen and Norris, resulting in both drivers missing out on podium positions. Norris retired from the race, whilst Verstappen finished 5th, and then took a ten-second penalty. Tension also once again increased at Alpine, with Esteban Ocon pushing his teammate Pierre Gasly off the track.

Finally the latest weekend at Silverstone did not disappoint, especially with heavy rainfall across all three days. It saw Lewis Hamilton win at the cicruit for the ninth time, as he broke the record for the most number of wins at a single circuit. During the race, it seemed many drivers could have won, with Russell, Verstappen, Norris and Piastri all leading at one point. Nevertheless, despite starting on pole position, Russell lost out after retiring due to an issue with his car. McLaren also made costly decisions, which left a disappointed Norris finishing third behind Verstappen, and his teammate missing out on a podium. However, it also showed how close the midfield battle is becoming, with Haas' Nico Hulkenberg finishing P6, leaving the American team four points behind Visa Cash App RB who sit in sixth in the Constructors.