Mid-season reliability report 2024: the best and worst technical performances

At mid-season 2024, the time has come to assess the reliability of Formula 1 cars. This year, several teams have shown unwavering reliability, while others have faced numerous technical issues. It is time to review the best and worst performances of this first part of the season.

Red Bull: Exemplary reliability.

As usual, Red Bull has managed to stand out at the front of the grid this season thanks to its reliability. The team led by Christian Horner is currently leading the constructors’ championship with 71 points ahead of Ferrari. In total, only 3 retirements so far this season, two of which are not related to the car.

Sergio Pérez, despite an incident with Kevin Magnussen which led to his first retirement and a second DNF in Canada, benefited from a generally very reliable car. Max Verstappen, although less performing compared to last year and having experienced his first retirement of the season due to a brake issue, did not suffer from any major technical problems. The Dutch driver was able to make the most of the car’s capabilities to maintain his position as the championship leader.

The Red Bull team is showing that their car is still one of the most performant this year.

McLaren: A car that surpasses Red Bull

McLaren should also be mentioned when talking about reliability this year. The English team’s car, driven by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, has shown strong performances this season, allowing them to reach the third place in the constructor’s championship. Except for the contact between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, both drivers have finished each race in the points.

No major technical issues have been reported so far, McLaren is therefore positioned as the most reliable team of 2024. While the car seemed to have traction problems in 2023, the team was able to turn things around and offer an extremely competitive car for the new year.

Mercedes: A car that is not very reliable, but scores points.

As the German team manages to stay at the top of the constructors’ standings, pointing at the fourth position just behind McLaren, the car has not been able to show its reliability on track. With three retirements shared between the two drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, two are the result of issues with the car. The Mercedes W15 had notably suffered from engine problems and hydraulic issues in Australia and Canada.

Despite the few issues with the car, the Mercedes team drivers have managed to place themselves in the points in every Grand Prix finished since the beginning of the season. This shows that the car is able to deliver good performances when it doesn’t encounter any technical issues.

Honorable mention for Haas and Nico Hülkenberg.

Haas also deserves an honorable mention this season. The cars of the American team, driven by Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, displayed great reliability throughout. Apart from Magnussen’s accident at the Monaco Grand Prix, both drivers completed the entirety of the races without any technical issues. Hülkenberg even managed to finish in the top 6 in his last two races.

Despite a still low number of points for the team as a whole, Haas is showing that it can compete with other teams towards the end of the season, even if the championship results are still limited.

Ferrari: A significant loss of performance

Ferrari, which had started the season well, experienced more and more difficulties as the mid-season approached. Charles Leclerc was particularly affected by reliability issues, forcing him to retire in Canada due to an engine problem. In the last two Grand Prix races, the Monegasque driver only managed to score 2 points compared to the 28 points from the first two races of the season. A statistic that shows the loss of performance of the car on the track.

The situation has become more complicated with the introduction of new parts during the Spanish Grand Prix, resulting in rebound issues that have impacted the car’s performance. Ferrari must find solutions urgently to improve the reliability of their car if they want to get back in the race for the second half of the season.

Moreover, the McLaren team, currently in third place, is now only 7 points behind second place.

Clean: A difficult season

The title of the worst student of the season undoubtedly goes to Kick Sauber, who struggles to get out of their situation. The team, which will change its name to Audi in 2026, is the only one not to have scored a single point this season. Both drivers have failed to finish all races without encountering serious technical problems.

With two retirements due to mechanical failures and an overall disappointing performance, Sauber is far behind the other teams.

Compared to the previous year, before the Hungarian Grand Prix, the team had accumulated 9 points with two fewer races. This drop in performance is proof that the team failed to provide an adequate car for 2024, and the transition to Audi could be an opportunity for much-needed innovation.

The technical performances of the teams at mid-season reveal obvious disparities. While Red Bull and McLaren stand out for their exceptional reliability, Ferrari and Sauber are struggling to earn a few points in the latest Grand Prix. The upcoming races will be crucial for the teams as they will have a final opportunity to improve their cars during the summer break. The teams will need to produce convincing enhancements if they wish to score points in the second half of the season.