Sergio Perez slammed among the four worst drives of the 2024 season by F1 experts

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Crashes and clangers throughout the Formula 1 field kept mechanics busy in the 2024 season, so F1 Oversteer’s expert writers have picked the four worst drives of the year.

Many drivers impressed across the 75th running of the Formula 1 world championship, with the leading stars of Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc to midfield specialists Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Ocon sealing strong results for their respective teams all term.

But other drivers also left a lot to be desired in a campaign where Sergio Perez cost Red Bull the most in crash damage. The Mexican had an estimated repair bill of £3.8m in 2024 to just pip the £3.7m that Alex Albon cost Williams, who also spent £2.7m due to Franco Colapinto.

Mercedes’ George Russell at £2.6m, Carlos Sainz at £2.4m in his farewell tour for Ferrari and Logan Sargeant at £2.4m before being axed by Williams even cost their teams vast fees after their hiccups. Only Pierre Gasly did not get any damage in 2024 among all 24 drivers to race.

So, with that in mind, our expert team of writers at F1 Oversteer have offered their thoughts on which drivers endured the single-worst drives in a Grand Prix during the 2024 F1 season.

Sergio Perez proved why he doesn’t deserve a Red Bull seat at the Monaco Grand Prix

Kyle Archer: “After the way that his F1 title hopes fell apart in the 2023 season when Sergio Perez spurned a promising start to end the year 290 points behind teammate and champion Max Verstappen, the Mexican needed a strong 2024 to show Red Bull he deserved a future.

“Perez started this season entering the final year of his contract, but Red Bull team principal Christian Horner would give the Guadalajara native an initial one-year extension in June. Yet he would come to rue his decision and should have backed out after the Monaco Grand Prix.

“Red Bull confirmed his contract extension for the 2025 F1 season only nine days after Perez crashed with Kevin Magnussen on the first lap of the 2024 Monaco GP. F1’s yearly trip to the Principality should have shown Horner that Perez was not deserving of a future at Red Bull.

“The wheels had already started to fall off Perez’s season in the previous round at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix after only achieving P8. But it was in Monaco that Perez endured abject misery for the second year running, having come P16 after a crash during qualifying in 2023.

“Perez failed to get out of Q1 to start the 2022 Monaco GP winner’s 2024 weekend to forget after posting the 18th-quickest lap time as Red Bull struggled with the kerbs. He would edge into P16 on the grid after Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg got disqualified after qualifying.

“But disaster awaited on the run through Beau Rivage as, despite checking his mirrors many times, Perez’s cost Red Bull £2.5m in repairs by crashing with Magnussen. He saw the Dane was gaining on his outside, so slammed the door and pinched the Haas pilot into the barrier.

“Magnussen had every right to not lift off as his front-left tyre was beside Perez’s rear-right and creeping further alongside the Red Bull racer before being left with nowhere to go. The resulting contact spun Perez, destroying three corners of his RB20 and scattering debris.

“After also enduring a torrid time at Imola, Perez would not recover his campaign following the Monaco GP to justify Horner’s decision to extend his contract for Red Bull. The Mexican never finished another Grand Prix higher than P6 through the remaining 16 rounds of 2024.

“Perez even doubled down on his disastrous days straight after his costly Monaco GP in the following Canadian Grand Prix. On another day that Verstappen put one Red Bull on the top step of a podium, Perez crashed all on his own after even only qualifying in P16 in the rain.”

Franco Colapinto put Red Bull off a move with his crash-laden Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Ben Evans: “Franco Colapinto had an extraordinary start to life with Williams after replacing Logan Sargeant following the Dutch Grand Prix. He scored points in Baku plus in Austin, and suddenly was linked with Red Bull as they looked for a potential successor for Sergio Perez.

“However, the Sao Paulo Grand Prix presented the toughest conditions of Colapinto’s short F1 career. A crash during Q1 meant Williams’ mechanics were in a race against time to get the Argentine’s car ready for a race later that afternoon following the postponed qualifying.

“They got the job done before Colapinto lost control heading towards the start line behind the safety car, which caused his second big crash of the day and brought out a race-defining red flag. Red Bull were put off signing Colapinto after Sao Paulo and it also, ultimately, likely ended his hopes of securing a Formula 1 race seat for 2025.”

Lance Stroll endured an embarrassing and error-strewn time at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix

David Comerford: “Some may argue this shouldn’t count given that Lance Stroll didn’t make it to the starting grid for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after his mistake on the formation lap, but that is precisely why it was the worst drive of the 2024 Formula 1 season.

“It was easy enough to slide off the track in the difficult conditions, as almost every driver in the field did so at some point. But Stroll’s inexplicable attempt to manoeuvre his way out of the situation, which ended with his car being retrieved from the gravel by a crane, spurned the hard work of his Aston Martin mechanics after an earlier crash in qualifying.

“To make matters worse, he’d shown promise in the wet as usual by reaching Q3. Stroll is a better driver than he’s made out to be but moments like this are what stick in the minds of fans. The Sao Paulo crowd chanted Felipe Drugovich’s name – he is Aston Martin’s reserve driver – after Stroll’s second crash and that must have been embarrassing for the Canadian.”

Lewis Hamilton looked dejected in Qatar amid a painful end to his Mercedes career

Luke-John Buckle: “Ahead of his move to Ferrari in 2025, Lewis Hamilton suffered at the end of the Briton’s decorated time with Mercedes.

“The seven-time world champion consistently lagged behind his teammate George Russell in qualifying and the races, with only a brief upturn in form with his victory at Silverstone.

“Hamilton especially floundered at the Qatar Grand Prix when he couldn’t match Russell and got a penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Basic errors like that are uncharacteristic of the 39-year-old and came at a time when Hamilton looked dejected at Mercedes.

“He also got a puncture at Lusail after running over debris from Alex Albon’s mirror, which put Hamilton a lap down and out of contention in a painful end to his Mercedes career.”