F1 2024 supercomputer rules out Lewis Hamilton as Max Verstappen’s main rival

Max Verstappen was a dominant player in 2023, untouchable by the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris. But who will be his biggest challenger in the upcoming campaign?

Lewis Hamilton has rarely come close to beating Max Verstappen in 2023, but let’s be honest, few people have come close to either.
Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz were the only drivers other than the Dutchman in last year’s race. They’ve only done it three times and Verstappen is breaking records left, right and centre.
Hamilton finished the season as the best non-RB19 driver. However, they failed to win a second race in a row, with Mercedes still trailing Red Bull in terms of race pace.
And by the end of the season they weren’t even the closest team to being champions. McLaren made great strides with the car throughout the year, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piatri becoming regular podium contenders in the second half of the season.

Christian Horner advises Max Verstappen on what the Formula 1 executive wants to change.

The Ferrari also looked strange. Sainz won in Singapore and Charles Leclerc took multiple pole positions. Aston Martin dropped out of the race but Fernando Alonso took two wins from the summer break.
All of the above and maybe a few more dreams of dethroning Verstappen in 2024. However, this will not be an easy task as Red Bull’s lead for next season is a result of their historic dominance last season.
After crunching the numbers and looking at recent results and past trends in Formula 1, supercomputer OLBG tends to agree. This means there is a 65% chance of Verstappen successfully defending his title in 2024. For context, the next highest of his rivals is just 10%.

Ironically, it’s not Hamilton who thinks Red Bull’s supercomputer has the best chance of ending its winning streak. Instead, Norris was named Verstappen’s most likely challenger.
Hamilton is expected to have the second-best chance of tasting title glory outside the Dutchman in 2024. But the seven-time world champion’s chances of winning an eighth crown were just 6%.
Next up are Leclerc, Piastri and Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell, but each has just a 4% chance of winning this year. Despite driving another Red Bull, Perez’s chances are rated at just 3%. Alonso has a 2% chance, while everyone else has a 1% or less chance of beating Verstappen.