Ranked: The 24 most shocking motorsport news stories in 2024

No matter what race series you enjoyed in 2024, there was a good chance you were subject to some incredibly shocking — and hugely influential — news stories that promised to change the scope of the sport as you know it.

As we say goodbye to 2024, we’re taking a broad look at the motorsport news stories that shocked the world.

Ranked: The 24 most shocking motorsport news stories in 2024

24. The FBI raids Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Over in the IndyCar world, the 2024 season provided news long after the year had closed — including a breaking story on 18 September that FBI agents were conducting an on-site investigation of the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing garages. Details are still sparse, but from what we currently understand, a former Andretti Global employee brought the team’s intellectual property to their new role at RLL.

23. IMSA’s arcane penalties

The 2024 IMSA season was chock-full of delayed penalties, with BMW and Ferrari stripped of their manufacturer points after the Rolex 24, while Porsche Penske and Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti faced a similar fate after a  September event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

What made the penalties so shocking was the fact that fans simply could not understand where they had come from. The arcane rules of the series resulted in so much chaos that not even the competitors themselves seemed to understand what was happening.

22. Ferrari wins at Le Mans

Scuderia Ferrari came home victorious at the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans after rain equalized the playing field via safety car for a record amount of time. It was an impressive feat for a team that had only just renewed its prototype efforts after a 50-year hiatus.

It wasn’t the only marquee event won by Ferrari this year, either. Charles Leclerc took victory at the Monaco and Italian Grands Prix, which were both notable in their own right.

21. NHRA provides specific healthcare for pregnant competitors

In September, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) introduced a groundbreaking healthcare policy designed to support competitors who are or wish to become pregnant — the very first gender-specific policy in the history of motorsport.

The NHRA boasts a vast array of strong female competitors, many of whom have had to bring an end to their careers in order to start a family. This policy allows those drivers to elect another driver to carry on their championship total for a partial season in which they depart for childbearing reasons.

20. Rolex 24 ends early

The 2024 Rolex 24 at Daytona kicked off the motorsport season in competitive fashion… only to end early.

A heated battle between the No. 7 Porsche Penske and the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac came down to the wire, with both teams battling hard for victory after taking a quick pit stop during a final-hour safety car. The No. 7 Porsche had the lead when, 90 seconds early, the checkered flag waved. IMSA organizers admitted fault, but it kicked the year off on a sour note, especially as cheating allegations rocked Penske’s IndyCar organization just weeks later.

19. IndyCar (finally) goes hybrid

IndyCar announced that, for the 2021 season, it would introduce a hybrid power unit to its race cars, bringing the series up to date with more contemporary technology. Instead, those engines were delayed all the way until after the 2024 Indianapolis 500 — meaning that the hybrids were debuted suddenly partway through the year.

The roll-out was not particularly smooth, as multiple drivers faced hybrid issues during critical moments of the championship.

18. The Monaco GP date swap

For decades, F1’s crown jewel event, the Monaco Grand Prix, has fallen on the final Sunday in May. But for 2026, the series announced that Monaco would move to June, swapping dates with the Canadian Grand Prix.

Making matters worse? The Canadian Grand Prix may end up being scheduled in conflict with the Indianapolis 500 — a slap in the face to North American race fans.

17. Liam Lawson moves up to Red Bull

With just 11 Grand Prix starts under his belt, Kiwi Liam Lawson was announced to be partnering Max Verstappen during the 2025 Formula 1 season.

Thus brought to an end a contentious season that saw Red Bull driver Sergio Perez fall further and further behind his teammate, thus sacrificing the World Constructors’ Championship to a string of poor performances.

The team was evaluating Daniel Ricciardo to replace Perez mid-season, but ultimately decided to replace Ricciardo with Lawson — all for Lawson to earn a promotion in 2025, which will be his very first full-time season in F1.

16. Katherine Legge’s e.l.f. sponsorship

Katherine Legge was the only woman to start the 2024 Indianapolis 500, and she did so with backing from e.l.f. Cosmetics, an affordable makeup brand that went on to also become the presenting sponsor for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

The sponsorship was groundbreaking in many ways; e.l.f. went all-out with its activations at the Indy 500, drawing in huge crowds of men and women alike to experiment with free lipstick, foundation, or sunscreen, depending on your preference.

What set the e.l.f. partnership apart from F1 Academy’s Charlotte Tilbury sponsorship was the level of meaningful, on-the-ground activations with fans, not just influencers.

15. Austin Dillon tries to wreck into the Playoffs

Coming to the checkered flag at Richmond Raceway, NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Dillon wrecked both Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin in order to secure a massively controversial race win.

In NASCAR, a race victory automatically grants you a slot in the Playoffs, which ultimately decides the Cup Series champion. Many worried that Dillon’s dangerous move would further incentivize big wrecks, and the Cup Series had to do some deep introspection in order to set its boundaries in this regard.

Ultimately, Dillon was allowed to keep his win, but NASCAR determined that he would not be eligible for the Playoffs.

14. Kyle Larson tries The Double

Kyle Larson made headlines for a variety of reasons in 2024, but his decision to do The Double — or, competing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day — elevated his profile to a whole new level.

The NASCAR Cup Series driver spent three weeks at Indianapolis, learning how to master an open-wheel car while also flying out to continue competing in NASCAR races so as to retain his place in the Playoffs.

But when race day came, Mother Nature rained on Larson’s parade — literally. The Indianapolis 500 was delayed by four hours for a huge storm, and Larson made the call to start that race rather than fly out for the start of the Coke 600. A relief driver started for him, but by the time Larson arrived in North Carolina, that race was also called to an early end due to rain.

Larson will try to repeat the feat in 2025.

13. IndyCar cheating scandal

Josef Newgarden of Team Penske took a commanding win at IndyCar’s St. Pete season opener — only to have that victory stripped several weeks later when it became clear that he had illegally used “Push to Pass,” the series’ overtake button, on restarts. His teammate Scott McLaughlin also faced disqualification.

It was a shocking turn of events for many reasons — most notably because it seemed to highlight ongoing concerns that Roger Penske, owner of both the IndyCar team and the IndyCar series, felt comfortable fudging the rules in favor of his drivers. It also transformed the all-American Newgarden into the series’ unofficial villain, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of fans when he snatched the Indy 500 win from Pato O’Ward several weeks later.

Deep dives into the big news of 2024:

👉 Explained: IndyCar’s charter system, and what it means for the business of racing

👉 NASCAR lawsuit: All the allegations of monopoly-like behavior against the Cup Series

12. Ralf Schumacher comes out

In July, former Formula 1 driver turned pundit Ralf Schumacher announced to the world that he was in a relationship with another man. Though many naysayers wondered why someone’s personal life should matter, Schumacher’s courageous decision to open up about his sexuality was a sign that motorsport is growing more hospitable to more diverse communities.

11. IndyCar implements a charter system

Motorsport is one of the few sports where teams have little ownership stake in the sport — and IndyCar decided to change that in 2024 by adopting a charter system similar to the one used by NASCAR.

In effect, longstanding teams were granted charters, which serve as an exclusive guarantee that that car will start a race. That guarantee translates into monetary value, which theoretically will encourage sponsors or investors to buy in — which will provide those IndyCar teams with value outside of its physical assets.

The move was not universally popular, and even NASCAR is facing the consequences of its own charter.

10. Max Verstappen wins his fourth title

After winning four of the first five races in 2024, Max Verstappen’s championship pursuit fell apart. Competitors like Lando Norris found their footing, while Ferrari and Mercedes also snatched up race wins as Red Bull struggled to come to terms with its finicky RB20.

And despite it all, Verstappen still won his fourth World Championship, with two races remaining in the season.

Perhaps even more impressive was that Verstappen’s title came amid a controversial year for Red Bull, which grappled with everything from allegations that team boss Christian Horner had behaved inappropriately to the mid-season sacking of Daniel Ricciardo at VCARB.

9. Lewis Hamilton takes the British GP win

When Mercedes introduced its zero-sidepod concept for the 2022 F1 season, the team fell apart, and Lewis Hamilton’s reign of dominance over the sport came to a conclusive end. Fans wondered if the struggling driver would ever win again — and he proved that he would by securing victory at his home race, the British GP.

The race’s cold conditions perfectly suited the Mercedes, and Hamilton crossed the line in first place, a perfect send-off for his time at Mercedes.

8. NASCAR goes to Mexico

IndyCar and NASCAR have been in an unofficial battle to secure an international race for years, and the Cup Series got there first. In 2025, the stock car series will head to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for an international points-paying event — and pulled the rug out from under IndyCar.

7. McLaren’s Formula 1 resurgence

At the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, McLaren brought with it an upgrade package that completely changed the Formula 1 season. Lando Norris took advantage of a safety car to win that race, and then went on to win several others in his pursuit of a title against Max Verstappen.

Though Norris couldn’t get the job done on the WDC front, his performance, paired with that of Oscar Piastri, netted the team a well-deserved victory in the World Constructors’ Championship, its first in over 25 years.

6. Adrian Newey moves to Aston Martin

As tensions mounted in the Red Bull camp and dissatisfaction grew, Adrian Newey announced that he would be departing the organization at which he’d long served as a designer. But where would he go?

Rumors abounded about Newey’s options, but the designer ultimately opted for Aston Martin. It was a particularly surprising move, considering Aston hasn’t had the most impressive track record of late — but it seems that Newey is ready for a new challenge.

5. Liberty Media buys MotoGP

On April 1, Liberty Media, the company that owns Formula One Management and therefore Formula 1, acquired 86% of the MotoGP bike racing series from Dorna for $3.8 billion.

The move was shocking, but so too was the fact that the European Union soon after announced a probe into the takeover, alleging that it could be an antitrust case. Or, effectively, that Liberty Media is trying to create a monopoly.

Fascinatingly, that wasn’t Liberty Media’s only antitrust case; the US government also began an antitrust investigation after Andretti Global’s petition for an 11th F1 team was rejected.

4. GM gets the OK to join F1

In early 2024, the FOM rejected Andretti Global’s petition to enter Formula 1 as an 11th team, stating that the team would fail to bring value to the sport. It did, however, note that it was interested in General Motors joining as a power unit supplier.

The complex saga took plenty of twists and turns this year: Greg Maffei allegedly told Mario Andretti he would never allow Michael Andretti to join the sport. Michael Andretti stepped down from his role at the helm of Andretti Global, with Group 1001 CEO Dan Towriss taking control.

Then, in November, the FOM granted preliminary approval to GM to join the F1 grid in 2026.

3. NASCAR teams sue NASCAR

Two NASCAR teams — 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports — have filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR alleging that the series’ charter agreement allows the sport to operate as a monopoly.

NASCAR has long been owned by one family, the Frances, and the lawsuit alleges that they have used their leverage to broker big-money television and sponsorship deals that don’t have to be shared with teams.

2. Christian Horner investigation

The early weeks of the 2024 Formula 1 season were rocked by allegations that Christian Horner had acted inappropriately to a female Red Bull employee. Multiple investigations cleared Horner of any wrongdoing, but the concerns raised several wide-ranging conflicts within the Red Bull Racing organization that may have distracted the team early in its championship pursuit.

1. Lewis Hamilton moves to Ferrari

There’s no denying it: Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was the dominant headline of the 2024 racing season.

The announcement, which came before the 2024 F1 season even began, was largely unexpected and kicked off a wild silly season that saw the starting grid reshuffled — and it can all be attributed back to Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes.

Read next: Lewis Hamilton v Charles Leclerc: A bigger challenge than George Russell?