We have completed another year, and as we enter the final fortnight of 2024, we will use this time to wrap up the outstanding moments in motorsports. It was a year when a few generational talent shined brighter than others. A few unexpected heroes emerged. There were terrific races everywhere you turned, whether it be two wheels on dirt or on street courses carved out between the blinding lights of a metropolis. Some old names returned to the top while a few new names may have made their first steps toward greatness.
Now is the time to highlight the best that happened, from the competitors on track and what they did to the races, passes and moments that will remain in our minds even as we are months into 2025 and possibly even longer.
Racer of the Year
Description: Given to the best racer over the course of 2024.
And the Nominees are:
Description: Given to the best racer over the course of 2024.
And the Nominees are:
Max Verstappen
Sho Tsuboi
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Francesco Bagnaia
Laurens Vanthoor
And the winner is... Toprak Razgatlioglu
Already a world champion, Razgatlioglu made the surprising decision to leave Yamaha for BMW ahead of the 2024 World Superbike season. In the previous three seasons, Razgatlioglu had finished first, second and second in the championship. BMW had one victory, a SuperPole race victory, in that time. Yet, Razgatlioglu made the decision to change his scenery in hopes of something greater.
It proved to be a wise choice.
Through the first two rounds, the Turkish rider had a pair of victories and he had four podium finishes from six races. It was the start of something good. From there, Razgatlioglu would go on to win 13 consecutive races, starting with the second full race from Assen through the second full race from Portimão. That covered four consecutive round sweeps for Razgatliolgu. He won eight out of a possible eight races from pole position over that span. The World Superbike championship was nearly wrapped up with five rounds remaining.
However, there is always a chance for a turn in the script. At Magny-Cours, Razgatlioglu had a startling accident in Friday practice. He collided with the armco barrier and was clearly hurt. Everyone held their breath waiting for word on his condition.
A back contusion was reported. Not good, but far from the worst it could have been. It did force Razgatlioglu to miss the round from France. He was still not fit for the next round two weeks later at Cremona. He was back for the antepentultimate round in Aragón. Any concern over whether or not the injury would slow Razgatlioglu was quickly erased.
He was runner-up in all three races and championship rival Nicolò Bulega could not make up any ground. In Estoril, Razgatlioglu won the two full races and was second in the SuperPole race. What appeared could have been a championship lost was practically sealed before the Jerez season finale. To put the icing on the cake, Razgatlioglu finished the season with finishes of second, second and first.
At 28 years old, Razgalioglu is a two-time World Superbike champion. In six seasons, he has never finished worse than fifth in the championship. He had 18 victories this season alone. This lifted him to fourth all-time in World Superbike victories, only two behind Carl Fogarty for third.
In what was a pivotal season for Razgatlioglu's career, he proved his ability after making an eyebrow raising decision to change manufacturers. We saw him at his best and he overcame unexpected adversity to win a well-deserved championship.
On the other nominees:
It was another world championship season for Verstappen, as the Dutchman locked up his fourth consecutive championship. This one he clinched early like the two previous seasons, but it was different. He won seven of the first ten races, but in the second half of the season, Red Bull declined. McLaren and Ferrari rose to become the top two in the championship. Verstappen was able to pull out some impressive performances against some tough competition. He won two more grand prix and he ended the season with 21 consecutive points finishes.
Tsuboi completed the Japanese double, the second consecutive year a driver completed the sweep. In Super Formula, Tsuboi won the championship with three victories and seven podium finishes from nine races. He won the title by 30.5 points over Tomoki Nojiri. In Super GT, he defended his GT500 championship. For the second consecutive season, Tsuboi won three races, this year with co-driver Kenta Yamashita. The #36 TGR Team au TOM'S Toyota finished in the points of all eight races.
It did not end in a third consecutive championship, but Bagnaia's 2024 season was an outstanding performance. He won 11 grand prix, a personal best for him and it was the eighth time a rider won 11 races in a season. His 16 podium finishes were also a personal best. He score 498 points, 31 more than last season, but it was only enough for second this year in MotoGP, a valiant effort for a third consecutive title.
Vanthoor had a rather successful season as he was a member of the World Endurance Drivers' Champion winning Porsche team in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Along with Kévin Estre and André Lotterer, Vanthoor won twice in WEC and finished on the podium five times in eight races. Vanthoor's season also started with a victory in the Bathurst 12 Hour.
Past Winners
2012: Kyle Larson
2012: Kyle Larson
2013: Marc Márquez
2014: Marc Márquez
2015: Nick Tandy
2016: Shane van Gisbergen
2017: Brendon Hartley
2018: Scott Dixon
2014: Marc Márquez
2015: Nick Tandy
2016: Shane van Gisbergen
2017: Brendon Hartley
2018: Scott Dixon
2019: Marc Márquez
2020: Lewis Hamilton
2021: Kyle Larson
2022: Max Verstappen
2023: Max Verstappen
Race of the Year
Description: Best Race of 2024.
And the Nominees are:
Description: Best Race of 2024.
And the Nominees are:
São Paulo ePrix (March)
French motorcycle Grand Prix
Indianapolis 500
Rally Italia Sardegna
British Grand Prix
And the winner is... Indianapolis 500
IndyCar's biggest race suffered a massive setback before the cars could even line up on the grid. Rain put into question whether or not the race would occur on the scheduled date. It wasn't going to happen on time as the rain started just a little over an hour from the scheduled green flag time. However, the rain would clear and allow an Indianapolis 500 like we have never seen before, one that would go against sunset.
It was a race filled with motivated drivers. Team Penske swept the front row for the second time in its history. Scott McLaughlin was on pole position and he was positioned to cement himself as one of the best in the world. Will Power started second and was looking for his second Indianapolis 500 victory. Josef Newgarden had a shot to become the first driver to win consecutive Indianapolis 500s in 22 years.
Behind them were three McLaren entries with a serious chance of winning between Alexander Rossi, Kyle Larson and Patricio O'Ward. Chip Ganassi Racing had all of its drivers starting outside the top ten, but there was belief Álex Palou and Scott Dixon could pull something off. Colton Herta felt confident in his car. A.J. Foyt Racing was ready to prove last year was not a fluke with Santino Ferrucci. Hélio Castroneves had another chance at a fifth "500" victory.
It was a choppy start between accidents and mechanical issues, but in the second half, it was clear who the players would be. McLaughlin and Newgarden had been at the front with O'Ward not far behind. Rossi was in the picture. Dixon had climbed his way into contention. Palou was in the background and could not be counted out.
The final restart came with 46 laps remaining. Everyone would need to make one more pit stop. McLaren was at the front, but Newgarden was lurking. After the final round of pit stops, it was set to be O'Ward vs. Rossi vs. Newgarden. Rossi's team was not sure it had gotten enough fuel in his car and he had to lay back. This set up O'Ward vs. Newgarden as we reach seven laps to go.
O'Ward and Newgarden went back-and-forth in a breathtaking display of driving. Neither driver was giving an inch. In the final ten laps of the race, the lead changed five times. O'Ward took the lead from Newgarden at the end of lap 199. The Mexican was 2.5 miles from glory, but Newgarden did not gave up. Using the draft down the back straightaway, Newgarden had one final run into turn three. He made his move to the outside and it stuck.
Newgarden had the lead and momentum heading to the checkered flag. O'Ward could not counter. Newgarden took the checkered flag at 7:42 p.m. local time, 0.3417 seconds ahead of O'Ward.
An incredible day saw Newgarden become the sixth driver to win consecutive Indianapolis 500s as the sun was near gone from the Speedway skyline. It had been a full day and we saw a finish worthy of the wait.
On the other nominees:
In March, Formula E made its second visit to the streets of São Paulo, and it provided a lively race. Over the first 15 laps, the lead changed eight times. Passing was occurring all over the racetrack. Once the race enter the second half, Sam Bird held control and he and Mitch Evans pulled away. Evans took the lead on lap 28. Bird remained close and made a staggering move to take the lead. Bird would get to the line 0.564 seconds ahead of Evans. Meanwhile, the battle continued for third as Oliver Rowland was able to get ahead of Pascal Wehrlein and Jake Dennis for the final podium position.
The French Grand Prix has produced some memorable races the last few seasons for MotoGP. This year's race set the benchmark for what the 2024 season would be. Jorge Martín was on pole position, but Francesco Bagnaia took the lead from the jump, and it set up 27 fierce laps between Martín, Bagnaia and Marc Márquez, who charged from 13th on the grid. Mártin took the lead on lap 21. Mártin held on for victor as Márquez took second on the final lap. The lead was only greater than a half-second for one lap, lap 13. The top three were within a second for the final seven laps.
After 165.36 miles of competition, the 2024 Rally Italia Sardegna came down to 0.2 seconds, matching the closest rally in World Rally Championship history. Sébastien Ogier and Ott Tänak traded the rally lead over the first day, but Ogier took the lead in stage nine and carried the lead into Sunday. Tänak chipped away at the deficit over the final day. Entering the final stage, Ogier led by 6.2 seconds. Tänak ended up finishing second in the final stage, 2.4 seconds off the stage winner Thierry Neuville. Ogier wound up sixth, 8.8 seconds back, but he lost 6.4 seconds to Tänak allowing the Estonian to pull off an unthinkable victory.
At Silverstone, Mercedes came out in flying colors. Fresh off winning its first race at Austria when George Russell swept through after Max Verstappen and Lando Norris collided, the Silver Arrows swept the front row of the grid in Britain with Russell taking pole position and Lewis Hamilton in second. Russell led from the start and the opening portion of the race, but a rain shower saw Hamilton take the lead for a moment. The battle between Mercedes drivers allowed Lando Norris to drive into the lead a few laps later. On lap 34, Russell retired due to a water pressure issue. It felt like this was shaping to be Norris' day. With the track drying, Hamilton put on the soft compound tire on lap 39. Norris stopped a lap later but Hamilton was able to leapfrog ahead of the McLaren. Verstappen drove up to second and the Dutchman spent five laps chasing down Hamilton, but Hamilton held on for a popular victory that many wondered would ever happen again.
Past Winners
2012: Indianapolis 500
2013: British motorcycle Grand Prix
2014: Bathurst 1000
2015: Australian motorcycle Grand Prix
2016: Spanish Grand Prix
2017: All the races at the World Superbike/World Supersport weekend at Phillip Island
2018: Petit Le Mans
2012: Indianapolis 500
2013: British motorcycle Grand Prix
2014: Bathurst 1000
2015: Australian motorcycle Grand Prix
2016: Spanish Grand Prix
2017: All the races at the World Superbike/World Supersport weekend at Phillip Island
2018: Petit Le Mans
2019: Honda 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
2020: Turkish Grand Prix
2021: Monaco ePrix
2022: British Grand Prix
2023: 12 Hours of Sebring
Achievement of the Year
Description: Best success by a driver, team, manufacture, etc.
And the Nominees are:
Description: Best success by a driver, team, manufacture, etc.
And the Nominees are:
Formula One's Number of Multiple Winners
David Alonso's Moto3 Victories Record
Jorge Martín and Pramac Racing's first MotoGP championship for an independent team
Max Verstappen's Fourth Consecutive World Drivers' Championship
And the winner is... Jorge Martín and Pramac Racing's first MotoGP championship for an independent team
Never in the MotoGP era had an independent team and rider won the world championship. Until 2024 when Martín and Pramac Racing took the championship with a customer Ducati. Martín scored three grand prix victories, but in this contemporary MotoGP a championship can be won many different ways. In this case, it was through grand prix consistency, but it was also through sprint race success.
Martín had 16 podium finishes this season in grand prix. He ended the year with seven consecutive podium results. Combined with that was the Spaniard winning seven sprint races. He was on the podium in 16 sprint races! While Francesco Bagnaia led the way with 11 grand prix victories, Bagnaia failed to finish three grand prix and scored zero points. The Italian had only ten podium finishes in sprint races with seven sprint victories. Bagnaia failed to score in four sprint races while Martín failed to score in only two races.
The 2024 season was a thrashing for Ducati. It won 19 of 20 races with three of its four teams winning a race. For an independent team to dethrone the factory outlet with a bike as sensational as the Desmosedici GP24 is quite staggering. One would think the factory Ducati team would have led the way and had the independent teams riding its coattails. You could argue that was the case as the factory Ducati team won 13 times, but Martín and Pramac found a way to win this championship through maximizing points in what is now the sprint era of MotoGP.
On the other nominees:
Seventy-five seasons is a long time, and never in Formula One history had seven drivers each won multiple times in a season. Until 2024. After two years of sheer Red Bull dominance, Formula One had seven drivers with at least two victories, starting with Max Verstappen, but McLaren had each of its drivers win twice. For both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, it was their first career victories. Ferrari saw Carlos Sainz, Jr. and Charles Leclerc each win multiple times, three victories for Leclerc and two for Sainz, Jr. Lewis Hamilton won twice after going over two years without a victory. George Russell won twice. It was a nice change to Formula One.
Expectations were high for David Alonso this Moto3 season. As a rookie, he won four times and was third in the championship last year. I don't think we anticipated this. Fourteen victories in the 20-race season. He scored 421 points and won the Moto3 title by 165 points over Daniel Holgado. Alonso clinched the title with four races to spare. The Colombian closed the season with seven consecutive victories. His victory in the Barcelona finale earned him the record for most victories in a Moto3 season. An incredible end to a remarkable season with all eyes focused on the 18-year-old's move to Moto2.
It may have been seen as inevitable, but winning four consecutive World Drivers' Championships is a rather tremendous accomplishment. Though Verstappen won this one with a few races to spare, it required him being cutthroat in the opening portion of the season, and then extracting more out of a race car that had fallen behind the competition in the second half of the season. Verstappen won this title, but his teammate Sergio Pérez was 285 points back in eighth. Pérez was on the podium in four of the first five races, and he was in the top five in each of the first six races. He then never finished in the top five again. Verstappen may have made this look easy, but he pulled out some incredible runs that few could likely replicate.
Past Winners
2012: DeltaWing
2013: Sebastian Vettel for winning nine consecutive races on his way to a fourth consecutive title
2014: Marc Márquez: Setting the record for most wins in a premier class season.
2015: Justin Wilson Memorial Family Auction
2016: Jimmie Johnson for his seventh NASCAR Cup championship
2017: Jonathan Rea: For becoming the first rider to win three consecutive World Superbike championships.
2018: Robert Wickens for winning IndyCar Rookie of the Year despite missing the final three races.
2012: DeltaWing
2013: Sebastian Vettel for winning nine consecutive races on his way to a fourth consecutive title
2014: Marc Márquez: Setting the record for most wins in a premier class season.
2015: Justin Wilson Memorial Family Auction
2016: Jimmie Johnson for his seventh NASCAR Cup championship
2017: Jonathan Rea: For becoming the first rider to win three consecutive World Superbike championships.
2018: Robert Wickens for winning IndyCar Rookie of the Year despite missing the final three races.
2019: Joe Gibbs Racing setting single-season record for most Cup victories by a in NASCAR's modern-era.
2020: Donald Davidson for 55 years of service to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500
2021: Team WRT's championship success across multiple series and disciplines
2022: Max Verstappen achieving the most grand prix victories in a single season
2023: Max Verstappen breaking the record for highest winning percentage in a Formula One Season
Moment of the Year
Description: The Most Memorable Moment in the World of Racing during the 2024 season.
And the Nominees are:
Description: The Most Memorable Moment in the World of Racing during the 2024 season.
And the Nominees are:
The Indianapolis 500 Post-Storm
Lewis Hamilton ends his winless drought
McLaren's team orders in the Hungarian Grand Prix
Marc Márquez ends his winless drought
NASCAR penalizing Christopher Bell at Martinsville
And the winner is... The Indianapolis 500 Post-Storm
It had been 17 years since the Indianapolis 500 had been significantly delayed due to weather. It had been 20 years since the race start had been delayed. The radar made it clear this would not be a minor inconvenience. The rain was set to be heavy for a few hours. The good news was the rain would clear in time for the middle of the afternoon. An Indianapolis 500 would take place on the scheduled date, but the party had been hampered.
With any rain storm, it washes out the grandstands. Everyone must seek cover. In this case, the lightning forced the 300,000-plus spectators to seek shelter. With how long the wait would be until the green flag, it was expected that the grandstands would have some bare spots. Some people would accept the loss and head home. They could watch the race from their own living room and dry out after a soaking day out.
When it was time for the race to begin at 4:44 p.m. local time, there wasn't an empty seat in the building. Everyone stayed. There is no better illustration to the importance of the Indianapolis 500 than that. IndyCar is not close to being the top motorsports series in the United States. The Indianapolis 500 is not close to being one of the top 50 most-watched sporting events every year. Many of the 300,000 spectators only attend and watch one IndyCar race a year.
The Indianapolis 500 is set up for plenty of fans to leave early without feeling like they are missing much, and yet everyone stayed. That race means that much that people will stick around regardless of their interest in the NTT IndyCar Series.
The fans staying was enough but then the race lived up to the wait and it turned what could have been a horrible experience into one of the most memorable Indianapolis 500 experiences in recent memory.
On the other nominees:
For two-and-a-half seasons, Lewis Hamilton had come short of victory, and he appeared to be sliding further away from what was once a familiar spot on the top step of the podium. The 2024 season opened with Hamilton having already confirmed he would move to Ferrari for 2025. In the first 11 races, Hamilton had one podium finish. Mercedes had found something going into Silverstone, and it appeared the man on the other side of the garage would be Hamilton's largest obstacle for victory. When George Russell dropped out of the race, it was on Hamilton to beat Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. Though the thought could have been Hamilton might have lost it, he showed in the final half of that race that the magic was still there, leaping ahead of Norris and then keeping a charging Verstappen at bay. There was no better location for this release and relief to occur. Hamilton returned to the top at home in front of countless adoring fans.
It would not be long for Formula One to have another memorable moment. Two weeks later, McLaren was on top at Hungary. Norris qualified on pole position with Piastri starting second. Piastri got the lead at the start and the Australian controlled the first half of the race. Piastri continued to lead until a decision to stop both McLaren drivers for the medium tire compound. Norris ended up coming out in the lead after the pit cycle. McLaren radio messages to Norris called for the Brit to allow Piastri back into the lead. With each passing lap, it became unclear if Norris would give back the position. On lap 68, Norris allowed Piastri through to lead the final three laps and take his first career victory. In its first 1-2 finish since 2021 and only the second in a decade, McLaren left in a tense state. It had maximized the points for the world constructors' championship, but it had an unhappy driver who believed he had a chance at a championship of his own.
The move to a Ducati customer team revived Márquez's career. It took him the first half of the season to get his legs under him, but Márquez was able to make the year-old Ducati a competitive machine. At the time of the summer break, he was third in the championship, but he had yet to win a grand prix. He was knocking on the door, and the moment came in Aragón. Márquez took pole position. Then he won the sprint race. In the grand prix, Márquez dominated and took his first victory since the 2021 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.
With championship hopes on the line, the penultimate race of the NASCAR Cup Series season set up another controversial finish. Ryan Blaney pulled away to take victory and lock up one of the four championship-eligible spots in the Phoenix finale. The final spot would be down to William Byron and Christopher Bell. Bell was trapped a lap down and did not have any positions to gain. Byron was on worn tires and losing positions. Byron had dropped to sixth while Bell was 19th and needed one more points. Toyota driver Bubba Wallace started falling back and off the lead lap. Chevrolet drivers Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon lined up behind Byron, neither attempting to pass. On the final lap, Bell made a move on Wallace into turn three, but bounced off the wall in the process. At the checkered flag, Bell had the final championship four spot on tiebreaker. After over a half-hour of deliberations, NASCAR determined Be had illegally rode the wall to get the positions, and relegated him four spots, the worst finisher among those one-lap down. This knocked Bell out of the playoffs, but it also caused a stir over race manipulation and the playoff format.
Past Winners
2012: Alex Zanardi
2013: 24 Hours of Le Mans
2014: Post-race at the Charlotte and Texas Chase races.
2015: Matt Kenseth vs. Joey Logano
2016: Toyota Slows at Le Mans
2017: Fernando Alonso announcing his Indianapolis 500 ride
2018: Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson battle at Chicagoland
2012: Alex Zanardi
2013: 24 Hours of Le Mans
2014: Post-race at the Charlotte and Texas Chase races.
2015: Matt Kenseth vs. Joey Logano
2016: Toyota Slows at Le Mans
2017: Fernando Alonso announcing his Indianapolis 500 ride
2018: Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson battle at Chicagoland
2019: Kyle Kaiser and Juncos Racing knocking out Fernando Alonso and McLaren and Penske Purchasing Hulman & Co.
2020: March 12-13
2021: The entire Formula One season
2022: Ross Chastain's final corner at Martinsville
2023: Shane van Gisbergen winning the NASCAR Cup race at the Chicago street course
Pass of the Year
Description: Best pass of 2024.
And the Nominees are:
Description: Best pass of 2024.
And the Nominees are:
And the winner is... Josef Newgarden on Patricio O'Ward for the lead on the final lap of the Indianapolis 500
It was a move we have seen attempted many times before. The outside of turn three at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is not the best place to make a pass. It could work out. It more likely will not and it will more likely end in heartbreak for whoever is making the attempt.
For Josef Newgarden, it was the last move he had in this year's Indianapolis 500. Patricio O'Ward had just taken the lead and was playing the greatest defense of his life. It was never going to be an easy move for Newgarden. Newgarden had to trust the car would have enough grip to make it work.
The tires were not that old, but they were far from their greatest strength to pull off a move on the outside. Entering the corner, Newgarden went for it. It was going to be checkers or wreckers, and it stuck. Newgarden pulled off the move and he sailed to the finish line to win his second consecutive Indianapolis 500.
On another day, it could have been the agony of defeat instead of the thrill of victory. It could have been a roll of the dice that came up snake eyes. In this case, Newgarden pulled off a move that will be remembered for many years to come. It is one of the best passes we have seen in Indianapolis 500 history. It is the stuff of dreams. A move on the outside on the final lap. It either work or it doesn't. There was no wondering "what if?"
Newgarden brought the house down on his way to making history, and we will be seeing this pass for many years to come.
On the other nominees:
The Canadian Grand Prix featured mixed conditions. As the track dried, a clear dry line formed, but there was no room to step out and make a pass without risking sliding off course. Entering the final chicane, Alexander Albon was drafting behind Daniel Ricciardo. Albon was able to step out of line and slide along Ricciardo. As he was braking into the final set of corners, Albon was catching Esteban Ocon. In quick time, Albon slid to the right in front of Ricciardo and this allowed Albon through on the inside of Ocon. Albon made it through ahead of both drivers and in a flash he was up two positions despite the tricky conditions he faced.
Makino's pass on Oyu was one that took five corners to complete. Into turn one, Makino made a look up the inside on Oyu. This put Makino on the outside into turn two. Through turn three, Makino slip to the inside and the two remained side-by-side to the right-handed turn four. Something had to give, but both drivers remained side-by-side through the corner. Makino still had the outside into turn five, but he was able to carry more speed out of turn four and complete the pass on the outside. This was for second, but it set up Makino to chase down his teammate Kakunoshin Ohta, only to get the lead when Ohta spun due to a throttle issue coming to two laps to go. Makino wound up taking the victory that started with a daring pass about ten laps earlier.
The IndyCar finale from Nashville Superspeedway exceeded expectations. It help that there was a battle to the checkered flag as Colton Herta ran a different strategy and was chasing down Patricio O'Ward as the lap wound down. Herta was going to make a push, but O'Ward was going to prove to be a difficult driver to overtake. Passing was not impossible on the 1.333-mile concrete oval, but it was tricky. Herta had the speed, but he had to find the moment. It came at an unlikely time. Entering turn two with five laps remaining, the leaders caught the lapped car of Sting Ray Robb. O'Ward went high and Herta went low. It appeared Herta was about to run into the back of Robb, but Herta got his car to stick on the low line and he carried the speed down the back straightaway into turn three. Herta powered into the lead and never looked back, winning the season finale and stealing another one from O'Ward.
Road Atlanta has a number of places that test a driver's nerve. Throw in the darkness of a Petit Le Mans night, and there are many occasions where a driver will be faced to make a daring decision. In the closing minutes, in a Cadillac with electrical issues that already had a headlight out, Renger van der Zande was second but had a run on the Porsche of Nick Tandy into turn one. Not one shy to making a bold move, van der Zande threw his Cadillac up the inside and pulled off what was the pass for the victory. Van der Zande still had to battle the electrical gremlins, losing all his lights on multiple occasions over the final minutes, but the move on Tandy was crucial and it allowed Cadillac to cap off a tough season with a grand result.
Past Winners
2012: Simon Pagenaud at Baltimore
2013: Robert Wickens at Nürburgring and Peter Dempsey in the Freedom 100
2014: Ryan Blaney on Germán Quiroga
2015: Laurens Vanthoor from 4th to 2nd on the outside in the Bathurst 12 Hour
2016: Scott McLaughlin on Mark Winterbottom at Surfers Paradise
2017: Renger van der Zande: From second to first on Dane Cameron at Laguna Seca
2018: Alexander Rossi for all his passes in the Indianapolis 500
2012: Simon Pagenaud at Baltimore
2013: Robert Wickens at Nürburgring and Peter Dempsey in the Freedom 100
2014: Ryan Blaney on Germán Quiroga
2015: Laurens Vanthoor from 4th to 2nd on the outside in the Bathurst 12 Hour
2016: Scott McLaughlin on Mark Winterbottom at Surfers Paradise
2017: Renger van der Zande: From second to first on Dane Cameron at Laguna Seca
2018: Alexander Rossi for all his passes in the Indianapolis 500
2019: Álex Rins on Marc Márquez in the final corner at Silverstone in the British motorcycle Grand Prix
2020: Pipo Derani on Ricky Taylor into turn one at Road Atlanta
2021: Shane van Gisbergen from fourth to second at Sandown
2022: Ross Chastain's final corner at Martinsville
2023: António Félix da Costa on Jean-Éric Vergne in turn eight of the final lap of the Cape Town ePrix
The Eric Idle Award
Description: "When You're Chewing on Life's Gristle, Don't Grumble, Give a Whistle, And This'll Help Things Turn Out For The Best, and... Always Look On The Bright Side of Life."
And the Nominees are:
Description: "When You're Chewing on Life's Gristle, Don't Grumble, Give a Whistle, And This'll Help Things Turn Out For The Best, and... Always Look On The Bright Side of Life."
And the Nominees are:
Théo Pourchaire
Kyle Larson
Esteban Ocon
Jaguar TCS Racing
Dane Cameron
And the winner is... Kyle Larson
It is difficult to tell the man who won six NASCAR Cup Series races, including the return of the Brickyard 400 as well as winning the Knoxville Nationals to look on the bright side, but the standout memory from Larson's 2024 season will be the one weekend that didn't go to plan.
For the first time in a decade, a driver was attempting The Double, running the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in the same day. Larson had long been seen as the driver most capable of joining Tony Stewart as the drivers to complete 1,100 miles of racing in one day. It was even believed Larson could do better and score the best aggregate finish over the attempt, possibly winning one if not both races.
We knew Larson would be competitive in Charlotte, and the speed was impressive in Indianapolis. Expectations were high for what Larson could achieve. There was only one problem. The weather.
The entire week leading into the Indianapolis 500 called for rain on race day. The closer we got to race day, the more we saw the storm was set to hit right at the start of the race. Any weather delay would disrupt Larson's plans to run both races in their entirety. Sure enough, at 11:00 am on Sunday, the rain was at the Speedway, and Larson was faced with the tough decision that left many wondering what would be decided for weeks. What would Larson do? Would he stay in Indianapolis or go to Charlotte and forgo attempting the "500?"
Larson stayed, but he knew he would be missing the start of the race in Charlotte, sacrificing points as he would not start the race. It was a good race for Larson, but a bogged down restart and a pit lane speeding penalty left Larson in 18th on debut. The Coca-Cola 600 was underway, but Larson could make it to become relief driver for Justin Allgaier.
There was one final problem. That rainstorm that hit Indianapolis in the morning and early afternoon kept heading east. When Larson arrived in Charlotte, that storm was on the vicinity of Charlotte Motor Speedway. Larson was on the pit wall ready to enter the race when the rain began to fall and eventual caused the early end to NASCAR's longest race with Larson failing to complete a lap.
Memorial Day weekend could not have gone more against plans than the way it did for Larson in 2024. He will attempt The Double again in 2025, but this time will be different. It doesn't sound like sticking around in Indianapolis is an option.
On the other nominees:
Pourchaire started his season as a Sauber reserve driver who would run in Super Formula this season. When David Malukas' wrist injury kept him out for an extended period, it opened a spot for the Frenchman in IndyCar with McLaren, and Pourchaire had some good results. He looked settled and excited, and he was confirmed to finish out the season in June. Looking forward to Laguna Seca, news broke that Pourchaire would not see out the season and Nolan Siegel took over the #6 Chevrolet. It was a crushing end for a promising talent.
After four seasons at Alpine, which saw a victory in the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, Ocon announced he would move to Haas for the 2025 season. It had been a trying season for Alpine, but a double podium finish at Interlagos with Ocon in second helped the French make finish sixth in the constructors' championship over Haas and the team formerly known as Toro Rosso. However, Ocon was unceremoniously removed from the team prior to the 2024 season finale from Abu Dhabi.
Jaguar TCS Racing entered the Formula E finale weekend from London with the top two drivers in the championship. Jaguar had won four races and it had 12 podium finishes. It felt positive that either Nick Cassidy or Mitch Evans would leave London as championship. Instead, Porsche's Pascal Wehrlein went first and second in the doubleheader. Evans was second and third and fell six points shy of the German. Cassidy completed his disaster end to the season with a seventh and a retirement from pole position in the final race. Jaguar took the teams' championship and manufacturers' championship but those were hardly a satisfactory consolation prize.
A 24 Hours of Daytona victory? Check. A 6 Hours of the Glen victory? Check? Seven podium finishes and eighth top five finishes in nine IMSA starts? Check. An IMSA GTP championship? Check. What did that get Dane Cameron? A release from Porsche Penske Motorsport at the end of the season. This was Cameron's third championship in IMSA's top class with a third different manufacturer. Cameron and Nasr even won the Endurance Cup championship, but it was not enough for Cameron to keep a ride in IMSA's top class.
Past Winners
2012: Ben Spies
2013: Sam Hornish, Jr.
2014: Alexander Rossi
2015: McLaren
2016: Toyota
2012: Ben Spies
2013: Sam Hornish, Jr.
2014: Alexander Rossi
2015: McLaren
2016: Toyota
2017: Nick Heidfeld
2018: Brett Moffitt
2018: Brett Moffitt
2019: Dennis Lind
2020: Marc Márquez
2021: Liam Lawson
2022: Linus Lundqvist
2023: Eli Tomac
Comeback of the Year
Description: The Best Comeback in the 2024 season.
And the Nominees are:
Description: The Best Comeback in the 2024 season.
And the Nominees are:
Carlos Sainz, Jr.: Appendectomy to grand prix victory
Eli Tomac: From 16th to second at Arlington
Chase Sexton: From last to first in Hangtown
Toprak Razgatlioglu: From midseason injury to champion in World Superbike
And the winner is... Chase Sexton: From last to first in Hangtown
In the second round of the AMA Motocross championship, Chase Sexton won the first race from Hangtown, but in the second race, Sexton went down almost immediately and he was dead last on lap one. This wasn't 22nd in a Supercross round. This was 40th, but there was a half-hour racing to go.
Never dispirited, Sexton put his head down and worked on passing one rider at a time. He picked his way through some slower competitors, but it would get tougher as he got closer to the top. With 20 minutes remaining, Sexton was eighth, but over 23 seconds off the lead. However, Sexton kept up a staggering pace and continued to move forward.
With ten minutes remaining, he was 18 seconds back in sixth. With just over four minutes remaining, Sexton moved ahead of Hunter Lawrence for third and was ten seconds off the lead. Sexton took second from Justin Cooper was three laps to go, but Sexton was still five seconds behind Aaron Plessinger in the lead.
On the final lap, Sexton was 1.6 seconds off Plessinger, but the chase continued. Sexton had the energy to swing around on the outside of Plessinger and pull off an improbable victory, which would highlight Sexton's eventual championship season.
On the other nominees:
Not many drivers undergo surgery midseason these days. With the increase in races each Formula One season, it is tougher to find recovery time. In Saudi Arabia, Sainz, Jr. suffered an appendicitis and was forced out of the car for the second round of the season. There was 15 days between Saudi Arabia and the Australian Grand Prix, but Sainz, Jr. did not have the same preparations ahead of that race. Despite the change, the Spaniard qualified second. When Max Verstappen suffered brake issues, Sainz, Jr. swept into the lead and led the final 57 laps to lead a Ferrari 1-2.
Tomac went down early in the Supercross round from Arlington. He was battling for sixth but was sound 16th and 13 seconds off the lead. Over the final 25 laps, Tomac kept climbing up the order. He was into the top five on lap 18. He was third on lap 23. Jett Lawrence's issues in the closing laps allowed Tomac to take second and Tomac finished three seconds behind Cooper Webb.
The World Superbike championship was put in doubt when Toprak Razgatlioglu went down in practice from Magny-Cours and collided with the barrier. What looked to be a potentially devastating injury was a back contusion, but it kept Razgatlioglu out of the Magny-Cours round and the following round at Cremona. In the final three rounds, Razgatlioglu finished no worse than second. He won three more races, and he took his second championship when for a moment it appeared he may have lost it.
Past Winners
2013: Michael Shank Racing at the 24 Hours of Daytona
2014: Juan Pablo Montoya to IndyCar
2015: Kyle Busch
2016: Max Verstappen from 15th to 3rd in the final 18 laps in the wet in the Brazilian Grand Prix
2017: Kelvin van der Linde: From third to first after a botched pit stop in the final 20 minutes in the 24 Hours Nürburgring
2018: Billy Monger: Returning to racing after losing his legs and finishing sixth in the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship with four podium finishes and a pole position at Donington Park.
2013: Michael Shank Racing at the 24 Hours of Daytona
2014: Juan Pablo Montoya to IndyCar
2015: Kyle Busch
2016: Max Verstappen from 15th to 3rd in the final 18 laps in the wet in the Brazilian Grand Prix
2017: Kelvin van der Linde: From third to first after a botched pit stop in the final 20 minutes in the 24 Hours Nürburgring
2018: Billy Monger: Returning to racing after losing his legs and finishing sixth in the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship with four podium finishes and a pole position at Donington Park.
2019: MotoE: For getting to the grid after fire destroyed every motorcycle prior to the first round of the season
2020: The #7 Acura Team Penske: Coming from last in the championship to winning the IMSA DPi championship
2021: Kyle Busch's victory at Pocono
2022: Robert Wickens
2023: McLaren's 2023 Formula One Season
Most Improved
Description: Racer, Team or Manufacture Who Improved The Most from 2023 to 2024.
And the Nominees are:
Description: Racer, Team or Manufacture Who Improved The Most from 2023 to 2024.
And the Nominees are:
Porsche 963: From good to great around the world
Winward Racing: From tenth on 2,562 points to first on 3,266 points with four victories in IMSA's GTD Class
Santino Ferrucci: From 19th on 214 point to ninth on 367 points with 12 top ten finishes in IndyCar
McLaren: From fourth on 302 points to first on 666 points in the World Constructors' Championship
BMW: From fourth on 224 points with no podium finishes to second on 606 points with 19 victories.
And the winner is... McLaren
It wasn't long ago where McLaren was one of the worst team on the Formula One grid after taking on Honda engines. In two of three seasons with Honda engines, McLaren ended up ninth in the constructors' championship. It went over five years between podium finishes. After a spell with Renault engines, a move to Mercedes saw strong results.
McLaren won the 2021 Italian Grand Prix with Daniel Riccardo, its first victory in nearly nine years. Lando Norris saw a rise in competitiveness. Last season, the team turnaround a slow start to fourth in the constructors' championship on 302 points, its most since 2012. With the pace at the end of last season, it felt like McLaren was poised to a big gain in 2024. I don't know if anyone imagined a world championship.
It wasn't the most blitzing of starts, but McLaren got its first victory of the season in the sixth round at Miami. It was the second race of a 14-race podium streak for the manufacturer, which would include additional victories in Hungary, Netherlands, Azerbaijan and Singapore. This form combined with Red Bull's downturn saw McLaren become the clear favorites for the constructors' championship. With a 1-4 finish in Azerbaijan, McLaren took the lead and never looked back.
For the first time since 1998, the World Constructors' Championship trophy is going to Woking.
On the other nominees:
Porsche had a year in sports cars. With the 963, Porsche won the IMSA GTP championship and the World Endurance Drivers' Championship. In 2023, the 963 won zero races in WEC. In 2024, it won three races, including with the Hertz Team Jota operation. In IMSA, Porsche increased its victory total to four, including a triumph in the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Winward Racing has been a good team across the world of GT3 racing. Last year, it had an ok year in IMSA. It won, but it wasn't that much of a threat. In 2024, Winward manhandled the GTD class. It won the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. Phillip Ellis and Russell Ward would go on to win four of the first five races. The #57 Mercedes-AMG was on the podium six times in ten races, and Winward Racing took the GTD championship.
Ferrucci has shown promise in his IndyCar career, but he had yet to put together a full season. Unexpectedly, he and A.J. Foyt Racing went from one good day to consistency the likes he and the team have not seen in a long time. This was the first time a Foyt driver finished in the top ten of the IndyCar championship in 22 years.
BMW might have signed one of the best riders in World Superbike, but one rider was not going to turn around the fortunes of the German manufacturer. Prior to 2024, BMW had one victory in the previous decade of World Superbike competition, and that was a SuperPole race. Its most recent full race victory was in 2013. In 2024, BMW won 19 races. It was second in the constructors' championship, its best finish since second in 2013.
Past Winners
2012: Esteban Guerrieri
2013: Marco Andretti
2014: Chaz Mostert
2015: Graham Rahal
2016: Simon Pagenaud
2017: DJR Team Penske
2018: Gary Paffett
2012: Esteban Guerrieri
2013: Marco Andretti
2014: Chaz Mostert
2015: Graham Rahal
2016: Simon Pagenaud
2017: DJR Team Penske
2018: Gary Paffett
2019: Cooper Webb
2020: Joan Mir
2021: Francesco Bagnaia
2022: Scott McLaughlin
2023: Jorge Martín
And that will do it. Considering all the unexpected we saw in 2024, we must consider what could happen in 2025. For all that we expected from this year, there were many things we didn't see coming. A few things played out as we believed they would, but a number of things we did not have in our scripts. As much as we think we know what is coming, we truly don't have a clue and are open for a surprise.
Enjoy these days of the holiday season. A new year will be here soon enough. Before we get their, we have some predictions and presents to pass out.
