The season's unsung heroes

Adam Cooper gives credit to the characters in the Formula 1 paddock whose achievements in 2024 have gone under the radar

- Adam Cooper

FLAVIO BRIATORE

A few eyebrows were raised when in June it was confirmed that Flavio Briatore was returning not just to Formula 1, but to the team he left so abruptly in the wake of the Nelson Piquet Jr Crashgate scandal in 2009, and amid a ban by the FIA on having any involvement in the sport. However he was always engaged in the background thanks to his long association with Fernando Alonso, and he also had a hand in the birth of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. More recently his close friendship with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali saw him bringing sponsors to the organisation. He then landed a role as executive adviser to Renault Group boss Luca de Meo and returned to Enstone and what is now the Alpine team.

A revolving door of team principals and the departures of key technical figures had rocked the team. He brought back trusted past cohorts, but also looked to the future by hiring Oliver Oakes as team principal. Crucially he brought with him the big-picture vision and political savvy that helped to win four world championships, and his almost talismanic presence gave the team a sort of collective self-confidence that was lacking before and it paid off.

ROB MARSHALL

Hundreds of people contributed to McLaren's title success in 2024, and the leadership team of Zak Brown and Andrea Stella provided the perfect balance, with one dealing with the politics and commercial aspects and the other so brilliantly managing both the drivers and the technical team. However, if another individual deserves to be highlighted it is perhaps chief designer Rob Marshall.