Damien Smith - RACING LINES

Hope springs eternal in motorsport as we step into 2024. Before a Formula 1 wheel has been turned, Max Verstappen is the hot favourite to win a fourth consecutive title - but there is genuine optimism that he and Red Bull will at least be pushed harder than in their phenomenal 2023 season. Mercedes-AMG, Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin will all believe they can kick on, and in the third season of this now familiar rule set, by logic the grid should concertina in the right direction.

- Damien Smith

It needs to, for all our sakes. F1 will embark on a record 24-race schedule in March and a third season of one-team domination wouldn't be great for business.

F1 draws by far the most eyeballs and will continue to do so whatever happens. But for those of us with a wider (and healthier) motorsport perspective, there's a palette of colour elsewhere to dazzle.

My tip to make the greatest splash has to be the World Endurance Championship, with the Le Mans 24 Hours jewel at its heart. Premier level sports car racing soared in 2023, and it promises to maintain that trajectory this season. The strength and depth is now a match and I'd argue exceeds that of any era from the past 100 years.

BIG CHANCE FOR KUBICA

A haul of 19 Hypercars and 18 of the new LM GT3 entries are gathering for the eight-round series, which will start at Losail in Qatar on 2 March, and the list is bristling with manufacturers lined up to play a part in sports car racing's brave new world. Outside of F1, the WEC is the prime motorsport location for big brands - and for a growing cast of world-class drivers.