The 2024 GRID Ranking was the eighth year of the world’s premier motorsports ranking system and was initially released on Sunday, April 7, 2024.
The official ranking includes drivers participating in seven racing series (NASCAR, IndyCar, Formula 1, Formula E, World Rally Championship, Supercars, MotoGP). Each driver earns GRID Ratings, which help determine their seeding in the GRID Ranking.
For the first time, our panel at GRID Network highlights the top five drivers from their respective series in the GRID Ranking to complete the top 35.
(35) Brad Binder (MotoGP)
2024 GRID Ranking: 35th (28th in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 7.64 (8.98 in 2023)
Season In Review: By Brad Binder’s standards, 2024 will not be remembered kindly as he was the “best of the rest” outside the four Ducati riders sweeping the top-four spots in the MotoGP standings. With only one podium finish, the KTM factory rider still made it into the 2024 GRID Ranking.
For a rider that has won with KTM in the past, 2024 easily has to be a disappointment, and potentially make many start wondering how much time KTM will give Binder to step up his performance and contend up front again.
2025 Outlook: Binder might be seen as the No. 1 rider entering the 2025 season but that may disappear quickly as he is joined by Rookie of the Year Pedro Acosta, who is moving up from GasGas to the KTM factory team. Binder will need to qualify up front and contend for podium finishes weekly to show he can still bring value to KTM.
If the “super rookie,” Acosta, is ahead of Binder in the standings and outperforms him in most races, expect KTM to look at a new rider if Binder does not deliver anything special in 2025. — Joe Samaniego
(34) Matt Payne (Supercars)
2024 GRID Ranking: 34th (unranked in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 7.80
Season In Review: In his second full season of Supercars competition, Matt Payne improved from 14th to sixth in the standings. His only win of the 2024 season was in Townsville, but he showed some flashes of his true potential throughout the year. While Payne’s future in Supercars is bright, finishing 34th in the 2024 GRID Ranking was reflective of inconsistent performances. He only finished on the podium four times and finished worse than 10th eight times.
2025 Outlook: Given his progression from Year 1 to Year 2, expect Payne to continue improving as a driver in Year 3 with a multi-win season in 2025. If Payne returns to the GRID Ranking next year, he will likely move up higher on the list. Things are trending upward for Penrite Racing as they have improved their on-track performance and signed Kai Allen as Payne’s teammate for the new season. The highly touted Allen should push Payne on track and bring out the best in the Kiwi. — Kobe Lambeth
(33) Oliver Rowland (Formula E)
2024 GRID Ranking: 33rd (unranked in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 9.08
Season In Review: Oliver Rowland was a championship contender until missing both Portland E-Prix races due to illness. Two wins at Misano and London and many strong finishes were a bright spot for Nissan in a season many would consider a breakthrough year. The Nissan powertrain was not seen as a potential contender for wins. Upgrades from the team and great driving by Rowland resulted in a 2024 Formula E season to remember and makes you wonder what could have happened if he was well enough to race in Portland.
2025 Outlook: Rowland had a breakout year last season and now has two paths ahead. The first is to build on the momentum of winning the season-ending race and contend for the championship against the Porsche and Jaguar-powered drivers. The second is falling short of expectations and making people wonder if 2024 was just a one-off year of excellence.
Several drivers across multiple disciplines have experienced such a harsh second consecutive season with a team, and Rowland does not want to be on that list. Nissan needs to continue working on upgrades, and Rowland needs to qualify up front to have the best chance at competing against the Jaguar and Porsche drivers for wins and the championship. — Joe Samaniego
(32) Adrien Fourmaux (World Rally)
2024 GRID Ranking: 32nd (unranked in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 9.13
Season In Review: Five third-place finishes allowed Adrien Fourmaux to claim fifth place in the WRC standings. But four finishes outside the top 10 did not help Fourmaux as M-Sport Ford WRT tried everything they could to increase his chances at a podium and his first rally win. But he came up short of breaking through and at the end of the 2024 season, Fourmaux switched from Ford to Hyundai.
2025 Outlook: Now with Hyundai after being with Ford since 2019, many anticipate Fourmaux stepping up in performance as he will now have the same equipment as his two new champion teammates Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak. However, Fourmaux has to run his own race each weekend and not put himself in a position to push too hard and make mistakes.
A poor start to the 2025 season could see him fall behind his teammates really quickly and add more pressure on him to perform. But a strong start and being in championship contention will go a long way in building confidence and proving he can race against his teammates and the best drivers in World Rally Championship. — Joe Samaniego
(31) Antonio Felix da Costa (Formula E)
2024 GRID Ranking: 31st (unranked in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 9.19
Season In Review: A turbulent season with no points scored in the first three races, a disqualification at Misano and more disappointing results had many wondering if Antonio Felix da Costa would return to Porsche in 2025. However, after winning four of five races in the second half of the 2024 Formula E season, including three in a row with wins at Shanghai and both Portland races, da Costa saw the narrative change quickly about his future in Formula E. With his teammate Pascal Wehrlein claiming the championship and da Costa’s late-season rise, everyone has to feel good about 2025.
2025 Outlook: Porsche enters the 2025 season with two championship-winning drivers. Da Costa certainly wants a better start to the year and a return to the form that saw him win three consecutive races. One question in everyone’s mind will be how Porsche will treat its drivers, both champions of the sport now. The best thing for da Costa is to finish ahead of his teammate and have strong qualifying efforts to avoid being given the “second driver treatment.” — Joe Samaniego
(30) Carlos Sainz (Formula 1)
2024 GRID Ranking: 30th (33rd in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 9.47 (7.12 in 2023)
Season In Review: The only non-Red Bull driver to win a Grand Prix in 2023, Carlos Sainz, stepped up big time for his final season with Ferrari. Bringing home two race wins in Australia and Mexico City, nine podium finishes, 15 top-five finishes and 20 top-10 finishes, Sainz proved his skill and speed in one of his best Formula 1 seasons yet. Ending the 2024 season fifth place in the Drivers’ Championship, he bumped up three places from his previous spot in the GRID Ranking.
Among the many highlights of his season, his return to action and win in Australia after suffering from appendicitis was a key defining moment. Although his season hit some snags with DNFs in Canada, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Monaco and Spanish Grands Prix races, he made up for them as he joined a small group of drivers who had scored points at every race they participated in. Despite this being the last year of Ferrari and Sainz’s successful partnership, he had a positive season with many opportunities to prove himself.
2025 Outlook: Driving for a new team, Sainz will have a lot of challenges to face in terms of working with the car, his new team and navigating the intricacies of his racing life with Williams. However, his positive attitude about the situation he’s entering at Williams is an indication that he will give it his very best for the team next year and that we can expect to see him continuing to score points and race skillfully. It is no secret that Williams has been underperforming as of late, but the “Smooth Operator” could be the right driver they need to get back on track. — Esha Azeem
(29) Ryan Blaney (NASCAR)
2024 GRID Ranking: 29th (unranked in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 9.70
Season In Review: The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion made his way back to NASCAR’s Championship 4. Even with a championship-winning season under his belt, this is Ryan Blaney’s first appearance in the GRID Ranking. Blaney and his Ford teammates struggled early in the 2024 season.
However, the results flipped for Ford as the calendar turned to June as NASCAR entered the summer stretch. Blaney was one lap short of a win at Gateway but was able to close out with victories at Iowa and Pocono. Five of Blaney’s 12 top fives were in the playoffs – where he and his Team Penske teammates have been thriving in recent years.
2025 Outlook: Blaney will enter 2025 as a veteran and will not have to deal with the pressure of defending a title. Late in the 2024 season, Blaney’s No. 12 Team Penske Ford was running well everywhere. Blaney was in the last-lap battle at Homestead with Tyler Reddick and locked his spot in the Championship 4 with another Martinsville fall race win.
Those intermediate and short-track results with Blaney’s drafting talents (some of the best in this generation) mean that he will continue to be the hot shot for Ford and Team Penske as he hunts his second championship in NASCAR’s premier series. — Jackson Todd
(28) Oscar Piastri (Formula 1)
2024 GRID Ranking: 28th (unranked in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 10.07
Season In Review: With only his second season in Formula 1 under his belt, Oscar Piastri is already a two-time Grand Prix race winner. Throughout the 2024 season, he has shown great talent and skill, showcasing his future potential as a championship contender. Although he ended the year fourth in the Drivers’ Championship, his season had some ups and downs.
Finishing 10th or better in every race except Miami, Piastri became the fourth driver to complete every lap of the season in F1 history. His season also had some misfortunes like grid penalties, accidents and even some heated moments with his McLaren teammate Lando Norris on track. Piastri ended the year in 28th place in the 2024 GRID Ranking. All in all, Piastri’s sophomore season was phenomenal and well-deserved given his skill in various situations.
2025 Outlook: With such an impressive second season in F1, it is likely that Piastri will only improve and perform even better next season. The chances of him placing higher in the standings and next year’s GRID Ranking are large as the partnership between Piastri and Norris may be advantageous once again in 2025. Though there may be pressure on him, he has proven to be a relatively calm individual under pressure which may lead him to a Drivers’ Championship win one day. — Esha Azeem
(27) Tyler Reddick (NASCAR)
2024 GRID Ranking: 27th (unranked in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 10.28
Season In Review: In his second season with 23XI Racing, Tyler Reddick delivered the team its first Championship 4 appearance. While Reddick ultimately finished fourth in the standings, Reddick and 23XI have both elevated themselves to the status of championship contenders. Reddick matched and set new season highs for himself and 23XI in major statistical categories such as wins (3), top fives (12), top tens (21) and poles (3).
The driver of the No. 45 Toyota also entered the playoffs with more playoff points (28) than 23XI had accumulated in their first three regular seasons combined as a team (18), including a 2024 Regular Season Championship.
2025 Outlook: With 23XI and Reddick hitting their stride, the ceiling is certainly a championship and another season of beating their records. 23XI has yet to win a short-track race, possibly the only weakness for the organization. It is also worth mentioning that 23XI is adding a third full-time team with Riley Herbst moving up from the Xfinity Series. Even if growing pains are present due to expansion, Reddick will likely continue winning races and having an average finish better than 15th place, making him a GRID Ranking lock for years to come. — Jackson Todd
(26) Cam Waters (Supercars)
2024 GRID Ranking: 26th (unranked in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 10.48
Season In Review: Entering the 2024 Supercars season, Tickford Racing downsized from a four-car to a two-car operation, which seemed to pay dividends for Cam Waters and teammate Thomas Randle as both drivers finished fourth and fifth in the standings, respectively. However, regarding the 2024 GRID Ranking, Randle did not make the cut but Waters placed in 26th.
While Waters won four times in Perth, Townsville, Tasmania and Surfers Paradise, an inconsistent start to the year doomed his chances of improving his ranking. It took Waters 10 races in the season to get his first victory and he only had two podiums up to that point. He improved his consistency down the stretch and finished worse than seventh place once in the final 10 races.
2025 Outlook: If Waters can maintain the same level of performance and consistency he ended the 2024 season with, the Tickford Racing driver will have the potential to improve his 2025 ranking and challenge for race wins more consistently. However, the main question is whether Tickford can continue progressing or could other teams make huge gains during the offseason and leap them in on-track performance. — Kobe Lambeth
(25) Nick Cassidy (Formula E)
2024 GRID Ranking: 25th (9th in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 10.84 (12.60 in 2023)
Season In Review: Unfortunately, Nick Cassidy’s 2024 season will be remembered for one of the biggest end-of-season meltdowns in the history of the GRID Ranking as the Jaguar driver threw away the championship down the stretch. After crashing while leading the first Portland E-Prix race with only two laps remaining, his championship lead over shrunk.
But Cassidy failed to score sufficient points and lost that battle in the last three of four races. Then, he had a meltdown in the London E-Prix season finale as the championship slipped away. The last four races overshadowed the strong season he had and will have to learn how to finish the season from beginning to end in 2025.
2025 Outlook: Cassidy joined Jaguar in 2024 as a driver with plenty of potential to become a future Formula E World Champion. But after the disastrous ending to the 2024 season, many wondered if Cassidy could shake it off and return to contention in the next year. Cassidy’s 2025 season already got off to a bad start in São Paulo with a DNF and his teammate Evans won the season opener.
Cassidy needs to score points and rebuild confidence in himself and the team. Evans leading the points after one race weekend already indicates that Cassidy will have to overtake his teammate along with the Porsche drivers to get toward the top. — Joe Samaniego
(24) Mitch Evans (Formula E)
2024 GRID Ranking: 24th (15th in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 11.00 (11.61 in 2023)
Season In Review: Every year, it seems like Mitch Evans comes up short of winning the Formula E World Championship. It came down to the final weekend of the 2024 season, but the circumstances were out of Evans’ control. The season saw flashes of brilliance, but inconsistency and a slow start seem to be Evans’ annual achilles heel annually in Formula E.
2025 Outlook: In 2025, Evans needs to put together a season of consistent finishes in the points and battle for podiums regularly. He has already silenced the critics about the slow start each season because he won the first race of the 2025 season in amazing fashion coming from last to first in Brazil. Now, it is a matter of not making mistakes and finishing up front. If Evans can put together a mostly mistake-free season and build on this strong start to the new season, he will be one of the favorites for the championship and potentially get his first Formula E title. — Joe Samaniego
(23) William Byron (NASCAR)
2024 GRID Ranking: 23rd (12th in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 11.18 (12.28 in 2023)
Season In Review: The 2023 NASCAR GRID Rating champion had another decent season behind the wheel of his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. William Byron earned three wins, including the Daytona 500, while also earning 13 top fives and 21 top 10s (T-2nd). Byron picked up where he left off in 2023 as he led the NASCAR GRID Rating for the majority of the first half of the season.
Byron’s 11 top-three finishes were the most in the Cup Series, his consistency early on, including seven straight top 10s to close out the 2024 season, helped him maintain a spot in the GRID Ranking for the second consecutive season.
2025 Outlook: In the past four seasons, Byron has been a top-three Chevrolet driver by season’s end, making him one of the most consistent drivers in the Cup Series. Due to his impressive streak of remaining inside the GRID Ranking for so long this year, it is expected that Byron will remain there in 2025. — Matthew Breault
(22) Christopher Bell (NASCAR)
2024 GRID Ranking: 22nd (30th in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 11.39 (8.40 in 2023)
Season In Review: The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota had a strong 2024 season. Christopher Bell finished the 2024 season with three wins, 15 top fives (T-1st), and 23 top 10s (1st). 2024 also marked the best season in the GRID Ranking for Bell and he actually led the 2024 NASCAR GRID Rating for multiple weeks, but was finally passed by Larson for good after the Martinsville fall race.
2025 Outlook: Bell has been arguably the most consistent JGR driver in the Cup Series since the Next Gen car debuted in 2022. The driver who has been pinned as a future “Cup Series champion” will likely finish the 2025 season inside the GRID Ranking if he continues to be consistent and perform at a high level. — Matthew Breault
(21) Scott Dixon (IndyCar)
2024 GRID Ranking: 21st (5th in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 11.50 (16.01 in 2023)
Season In Review: 44 years old means nothing to the ageless “Iceman,” Scott Dixon. The six-time IndyCar champion exited 2024 with a pair of improbable victories. His first win of the year was on the streets of Long Beach. With a daring call from strategist Mike Hull putting him up front, he lifted and coasted to his second win in IndyCar’s classic street race.
His second win of 2024 occurred on another street circuit when he stayed away from the chaos in Detroit for his 58th career win. With only two race victories on the season and no P1 stickers on the wing, eight finishes in the top five and over half of the year in the top 10 kept Dixon the only IndyCar driver to appear in the GRID Ranking each year since its conception.
2025 Outlook: Dixon’s Long Beach triumph was more than just a fuel mileage miracle as the win put him just 10 away from AJ Foyt’s record of 67 race wins. The stars remain aligned for 2025 as Dixon continues his longtime relationship with Chip Ganassi Racing and the “Oracle of Strategy,” Mike Hull. One more IndyCar championship and nine wins separate him from tying “Super Tex.” 2025 will have all eyes on the “Iceman” to see if the IndyCar throne can truly be usurped. — Jackson Lambros
(20) Kyle Larson (NASCAR)
2024 GRID Ranking: 20th (18th in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 11.68 (10.72 in 2023)
Season In Review: Kyle Larson had another impressive season behind the wheel of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. He finished the 2024 season with six wins to lead all NASCAR Cup Series drivers, including 15 top fives (T-1st) and 18 top 10s. Larson is also one of the only drivers in the 2024 GRID Ranking who competed in at least one race in two different series that participate in the GRID Ranking (NASCAR/IndyCar).
The 2021 Cup Series champion is now a two-time NASCAR GRID Rating champion, making him the only NASCAR driver with more than one, and he is also the third consecutive NASCAR GRID Rating champion who did not win the Cup Series title.
2025 Outlook: Since Larson joined Hendrick in 2021, he has been the only NASCAR driver to make the GRID Ranking in each of the last four seasons. Due to his success in the Next Gen car and with Hendrick, it is more than likely Larson will be inside the GRID Ranking yet again in 2025. — Matthew Breault
(19) Ott Tanak (World Rally)
2024 GRID Ranking: 19th (27th in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 12.06 (9.20 in 2023)
Season In Review: A roller coaster of a season for Ott Tanak began with a fourth-place finish in his first race with Hyundai at Rally Monte Carlo, but a 41st-place finish at Rally Sweden ended up putting him in a difficult position to recover from. Two DNFs and two finishes of 40th or worse positioned Tanak in a must-win situation entering Rally Japan to overtake his teammate for the championship.
It might have happened as Tanak entered Sunday in Japan with the overall lead, but he crashed out towards the end of the first stage on the final day. The championship drive was over but it could have been over a long time ago if Thierry Neuville did not have some issues.
2025 Outlook: Tanak needs to put together a season of consistent podiums, be in contention to win more often and reduce the number of DNFs from crashes. Some are convinced he is a better driver than Neuville and is the real threat to Kalle Rovanpera. But the question is, can Tanak step up his performance and deliver a season similar to his 2019 championship-winning season when he had only one finish outside the top 10? — Joe Samaniego
(18) Will Power (IndyCar)
2024 GRID Ranking: 18th (unranked in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 12.07
Season In Review: Had it not been for a loose safety belt at the Nashville season finale, we could have talked about Will Power securing his third championship in the NTT IndyCar Series. Power may not have new hardware to showcase, but there are still plenty of flowers to pass out to the Aussie in one of Indycar’s best comeback seasons. A two-year winless streak ended at Road America, and then another win came Sunday at the Iowa doubleheader where he fended off Alex Palou for his first oval win since 2019.
With one more landslide win at Portland, he became the top dog to bring the fight to Palou as both drivers fought for championship No. 3. In the month of May, Power crashed out of the Indianapolis 500 and finished 24th. He also tangled with teammate Scott McLaughlin at Laguna Seca and Toronto. Late in the season, Power spun while restarting at Milwaukee, throwing away a potential top-five finish. While it was a hot and cold season, 2024 was a major comeback for Power, who produced three memorable victories, followed by seven top fives and 11 top 10s.
2025 Outlook: The key issue for Power was his finishing position when he was not in the top 10. With the number of top fives that became top 10s and top 10s that became midfield finishes, a loose safety belt was not the lone silver bullet that ended Power’s championship hopes. But he has made his relationship with Team Penske and IndyCar clear. The two-time champion has no plans of going anywhere else. After a bounce-back year, the blueprints have been drawn for a run to Power’s third championship, but how much can he build in 2025 from his 2024 results? — Jackson Lambros
(17) Charles Leclerc (Formula 1)
2024 GRID Ranking: 17th (35th in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 12.23 (6.98 in 2023)
Season In Review: After losing out on second place in the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship by a small margin, Charles Leclerc finished third in a roller coaster of a season. Of his three race wins this season, his home Grand Prix in Monaco saw the end of his infamous “Monaco curse” and was a wonderful highlight of his 2024 season to finally conquer the streets of Monte Carlo after a run of dismal luck.
Leclerc finished on the podium 13 times with 21 top-five finishes and only had one race retirement. The improvement of his GRID Ranking position by 18 places from last season accurately reflected his upgrade in performance as he had four DNFs, one DSQ and zero wins in 2023. Overall, this season saw skilled performances from Leclerc and was his second-highest finish in the F1 standings in his career.
2025 Outlook: Next season will certainly be challenging for many drivers but especially for Leclerc, who will not only be under pressure to perform better but will also find himself with a seven-time F1 World Champion as his new teammate, Lewis Hamilton.
If that driver pairing turns out to be fruitful and Scuderia Ferrari can help Leclerc optimize his skills and resources, we could see him finishing in the top five in the F1 standings and the GRID Ranking top 20 once again. — Esha Azeem
(16) Lando Norris (Formula 1)
2024 GRID Ranking: 16th (unranked in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 12.27
Season In Review: Finishing second place in the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship, Lando Norris was the only driver close enough to try and fight Max Verstappen for the title. Having joined the 2024 GRID Ranking in 16th place after being unranked in 2023, Norris confirmed the major improvements he made the following year. This season saw him win his first career F1 Grand Prix race with McLaren in Miami, three more race victories (Zandvoort, Singapore, Abu Dhabi), eight poles, 13 podiums, and helped McLaren secure the Constructors’ Championship for the first time in 26 years.
In his most recent win in the Abu Dhabi season finale, Norris led every lap of the race, ending the season in fantastic fashion. He also had the fastest lap six times, the most out of any other driver on the grid. This season was certainly Norris’ best season in F1 and one that he will not forget anytime soon.
2025 Outlook: After rising to a second-place finish in the championship, Norris will certainly be under a lot of pressure in 2025. With his superb performances in 2024, he will be one of the top drivers in contention for the 2025 Drivers’ Championship. If he can put together a better season than this year, he may be able to climb higher in both the GRID Ranking and the F1 standings, with improvement in the latter possibly crowning him as an F1 World Champion. — Esha Azeem
(15) Chaz Mostert (Supercars)
2024 GRID Ranking: 15th (26th in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 12.52 (9.71 in 2023)
Season In Review: Finishing third in the 2024 Supercars standings, Chaz Mostert claimed the “Best of the Rest Award” after both Red Bull Ampol Racing drivers dominated the year once again. Following a winless season in 2023, Mostert returned to Victory Lane three times, winning in Perth and sweeping the Sydney SuperNight doubleheader weekend.
His 15th-place result in the 2024 GRID Ranking is not a reflection on Mostert as a driver, but more so on Triple Eight’s Red Bull-backed Chevrolets being on a different level compared to Mostert’s Ford Mustang field by Walkinshaw Andretti United.
2025 Outlook: In Walkinshaw Andretti United’s final year with Ford, expect them to go all out to improve their Mustangs over the offseason to give Mostert a fighting chance next season before switching to Toyota in 2026. He should return to the GRID Ranking, but an increased level of competition could have Mostert potentially on the outside looking in. — Kobe Lambeth
(14) Scott McLaughlin (IndyCar)
2024 GRID Ranking: 14th (24th in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 12.58 (10.10 in 2023)
Season In Review: From push-to-pass penalties from St. Pete to a pole and win at Barber, and from going 2:03 at Bathurst to 232 mph at Indianapolis, it has been a roller-coaster year of emotions and growth for Scott McLaughlin. Early season woes combined with Team Penske’s push-to-pass scandal were instantly silenced with a Grand Slam drive in Alabama.
The controversy would go beyond St. Pete but within Team Penske, making contact with Will Power at Laguna Seca and Toronto. But the success far outweighed the scandals for McLaughlin, becoming the first driver in history to sit on the pole at Bathurst and Indianapolis while grabbing his first two oval wins at Iowa and Milwaukee.
2025 Outlook: In the past decade, the line between race winner and championship winner has grown thicker and thicker. In half a decade, McLaughlin has evolved from a three-time Supercars champion to, in his own words, a “true-blooded IndyCar driver.” With proficiency gained on the ovals, the Borg-Warner Trophy and the Astor Cup are on the menu for “Scotty Mac” in 2025. — Jackson Lambros
(13) Elfyn Evans (World Rally)
2024 GRID Ranking: 13th (17th in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 12.64 (10.97 in 2023)
Season In Review: Elfyn Evan’s 2024 season was not one to remember as the Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT driver was winless until the season finale at Rally Japan. Despite podium finishes, he did not have good enough performances to contend with Ott Tanak and Thierry Neuville. Falling behind his two part-time teammates in wins was also not a good look. He did manage to claim second place in the WRC standings after the win in Japan and DNF from Tanak on Sunday. But the result does not indicate how far behind he was to the Hyundai drivers.
2025 Outlook: With Kalle Rovanpera returning to full-time WRC competition and the Hyundai drivers adding Adrien Fourmaux, Evans has no easy path to the championship. Last year was seen as his best opportunity for that to happen. Now, with Neuville being the defending champion and Rovanpera returning to full-time competition, Evans will have to show what he is capable of by proving to Toyota that he can get the job done. — Joe Samaniego
(12) Sebastien Ogier (World Rally)
2024 GRID Ranking: 12th (14th in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 12.71 (11.69 in 2023)
Season In Review: Once again, Sebastien Ogier ran a part-time season and still made the 2024 GRID Ranking. The Frenchman added more races to his World Rally Championship schedule as the season went on, and the season did not see many full-time drivers win. Ogier finished first or second in the first six races he competed in.
But three consecutive finishes outside the top 10 after his strong start dropped him in the standings before he ended the year with a second-place finish in Rally Japan. Overall, it was a good season, but there remain areas for improvement from Ogier heading into next year.
2025 Outlook: Ogier has been confirmed to run another part-time season in 2025 with Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT. However, with M-Sport Ford WRT looking to be at a disadvantage behind Hyundai and Toyota, the battle for the championship will most likely come down to the Hyundai and Toyota drivers and which drivers make the fewest mistakes.
Ogier is always a favorite at Rally Monte Carlo and if he has another strong start of wins and second-place finishes, look for more races being added to his 2025 schedule. At the same time, two-time WRC champion Kalle Rovanpera will be back racing in WRC full-time, so it is unlikely that a championship run will come together unless the circumstances work in favor of Ogier. — Joe Samaniego
(11) Pascal Wehrlein (Formula E)
2024 GRID Ranking: 11th (23rd in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 13.04 (10.12 in 2023)
Season In Review: Many have wondered when Pascal Wehrlein would break through with a championship triumph. 2024 was finally the year for Wehrlein as he put together a consistent season of finishing in the top 10 in all but two races in the notoriously unpredictable ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The key moment was the first race of the Portland E-Prix weekend when Nick Cassidy failed to eliminate Wehrlein from championship contention.
Wehrlein scored one point after Cassidy threw the race away in the final laps. The following results were fourth (Portland), first and second in the London E-Prix season finale weekend to conclude a championship-winning effort in Formula E for the TAG Heuer Porsche driver.
2025 Outlook: In typical Formula E fashion, the series looks unpredictable heading into the 2025 season and the Porsche powertrain will be upfront again along with the Jaguar powertrain. If the first race of the new season in São Paulo was any indicator, Wehrlein has the speed again as he took the pole. A spectacular crash after contact with Cassidy prevented Wehrlein from finishing the race. Still, expect the defending Formula E World Champion to be one of the main title contenders. — Joe Samaniego
(10) Enea Bastianini (MotoGP)
2024 GRID Ranking: 10th (unranked in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 13.39
Season In Review: “The Beast” was hopeful for a better 2024 season than 2023. While the two Grand Prix wins were a good sign of his potential, the fact that he lost his ride to Marc Marquez was a confidence killer. Confidence was an issue in 2024, with some not-so-great races and only nine podium finishes in 2024.
His tenure with Ducati will not be remembered kindly as he played the second driver role, and his two wins at Silverstone and Misano will at least be the shining moments from his time with the Ducati factory team.
2025 Outlook: For the first time in his MotoGP career, Enea Bastianini will be on a KTM bike with Tech3. It will also be his first time with KTM since the 2014 Moto3 season. This means lower expectations from the team because Tech3 will not be seen as a championship contender in 2025.
However, Bastianini would be considered equal to Maverick Viñales as a rider who can get the maximum performance out of the KTM bikes. The main question is, can the two riders help each other get the most out of the KTM equipment for Tech3? — Joe Samaniego
(9) Thierry Neuville (World Rally)
2024 GRID Ranking: 9th (22nd in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 13.43 (10.17 in 2023)
Season In Review: An unusual championship season for Thierry Neuville saw flashes of brilliance and the same bad habits at times. Neuville started the 2024 season off with a win at Rally Monte Carlo, which ignited an early run of five consecutive top-five finishes. But a poor result at Rally Italia Sardegna made many wonder if the lack of consistency and poor luck will haunt him and cause the World Rally title to slip away again.
That almost happened in the final rally of the year in Japan when it looked like mechanical issues would cost him the championship. However, Ott Tanak’s mistake in Sunday’s opening stage handed Neuville his first title in WRC,
2025 Outlook: Neuville will enter the 2025 season as the defending WRC champion, and past doubts about his ability to win the championship are now gone. However, the new question is can he repeat, considering Ott Tanak will be his teammate again alongside Adrien Fourmaux in equal equipment? Along with his teammates, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT should not be forgotten about and will be the main rival for the Hyundai drivers. Neuville will need to have a strong performance throughout the season and minimize mistakes if the others reduce their mistakes. — Joe Samaniego
(8) Marc Marquez (MotoGP)
2024 GRID Ranking: 8th (unranked in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 13.57
Season In Review: The two-time GRID Ranking World Champion is back to full health and strength in MotoGP, who brought home three Grand Prix wins, and will move to the Ducati factory team in 2025. Marquez is still as aggressive as ever, but multiple mistakes ruined some of his races to place him third in the MotoGP standings.
Considering the equipment he had with a customer team, Marquez made it clear to Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin that he was a championship contender in 2024 and would be a force to be reckoned with.
2025 Outlook: Marquez is an early favorite for the 2025 MotoGP World Championship and potentially the 2025 GRID Ranking World Championship. With the Ducati factory team and no clear No.1 rider between him and Bagnaia, Marquez is confident that a strong start can result in a big lead to maintain during the long MotoGP season.
The main concerns about Marquez’s performance will be the Sprint Races and how he can be consistent in the two-race weekend format. — Joe Samaniego
(7) Colton Herta (IndyCar)
2024 GRID Ranking: 7th (unranked in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 13.60
Season In Review: Colton Herta made his second appearance in the GRID Ranking, this time in dominant fashion. Herta looked the part of a strong contender early on in the 2024 IndyCar season, with a pair of podiums at St. Pete and Long Beach, followed by a pair of top 10s in Alabama and Indiana. A self-induced spin in the Indianapolis 500 killed that rhythm, knocking his front wing off on Lap 82. Herta drove that car off the wrecker to finish 23rd, but on a day where he ran as far up as second, worries began that Herta’s old habits had reared their heads once again.
That would be confirmed on the streets of Detroit when Herta went from pole to 19th after a costly mistake while trying to make an overtake. But he instantly snapped back into early-season form, ending four of the five following races in the top 10. With a poorly timed caution on pit road throwing away another win at Iowa, it all finally came together in Toronto, where Herta returned to Victory Lane for the first time in 40 races with a pole-to-win masterclass in Toronto.
Herta struggled in qualifying for the last handful of ovals but followed through with some brilliant comeback drives, working from 25th to fifth at Gateway, and 18th to third at Milwaukee. Herta’s sixth full-time season ended on an ultra high, driving from ninth to the win in his new hometown, Nashville.
2025 Outlook: The “Hertaisms” were on a decline for 2024, but a combination of errors from both himself and Andretti Global cost him wins, and ultimately a championship. With the new Cadillac F1 Team on the hunt for an American driver in Formula 1 and an FIA Super License on the line for Herta, all eyes will be on “Colton The Kid” to see if the No. 26 team can fire on all cylinders in 2025 and potentially put himself in line for an F1 seat in 2026. — Jackson Lambros
(6) Broc Feeney (Supercars)
2024 GRID Ranking: 6th (10th in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 14.12 (12.54 in 2023)
Season In Review: Broc Feeney did not take home the championship, but he had the most race wins and poles of any driver in Supercars. He edged teammate and 2024 series champion Will Brown (five wins, two poles) in the win column with six victories and two poles. This helped Feeney finish sixth in the 2024 GRID Ranking.
He did not rank higher than Brown due to being less consistent with a few outlier finishes such as a 21st-place finish in Taupo, 11th in Sydney and 15th in Tasmania. He started the 2024 season on a strong note with three wins in the first five races, then swept the Darwin Triple Crown rounds before taking Race 1 during Adelaide 500 weekend to close out the year. Feeney also had 14 podiums compared to Brown’s 19.
2025 Outlook: After watching Brown take home the championship, Feeney will be fired up to secure his maiden Supercars title in 2025. The strength of the No. 88 team is evident, but a step up in consistency could be the difference maker in next year’s championship battle. Feeney should be a lock to return to the GRID Ranking next season and once again contend with Brown to be the top-ranked Supercars driver.
Just as they entered the 2024 Adelaide 500 season finale race weekend as the only two drivers contending for the title, expect Feeney and Brown to be in the conversation again in 2025 when the series debuts a playoff-style format to crown the champion. But it might be Feeney’s time to shine. — Kobe Lambeth
(5) Max Verstappen (Formula 1)
2024 GRID Ranking: 5th (1st in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 14.73 (23.49 in 2023)
Season In Review: Taking home his fourth consecutive Formula 1 World Championship in 2024, Max Verstappen had another admirable season under his belt. Finishing sixth or higher in every race he finished in the long 24-race season, he showed great form throughout the year. The only exception was a brake-related DNF near the start of the season in Australia which ended his two-year streak of avoiding a race retirement.
Having started the season in his usual dominant fashion, Verstappen faced an increasing challenge from rival teams as the year progressed. However, he also had some exceptional moments like at the São Paulo Grand Prix where he stormed through the field and made up 16 places, going from 17th to a tremendous race win.
Although his spot in the 2024 GRID Ranking fell four spots to fifth from the top after claiming the 2023 GRID Ranking World Championship, he still finished 63 points ahead of second place in the F1 Drivers’ Championship. This year’s F1 title landed him in the exclusive club of four-time F1 World Champions, a feat that only five other drivers (Sebastian Vettel, Alain Prost, Juan Manuel Fangio, Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher) have been able to accomplish in F1 history.
2025 Outlook: As the 2025 F1 field is expected to become more competitive with a few new drivers entering the picture, Verstappen will certainly find the fight for the championship title more challenging. The new season will also bring him a new teammate in Liam Lawson, and that relationship may play a big role in his 2025 season.
If Verstappen’s rival teams can steal more race wins in 2025, we may see him drop more places in next year’s GRID Ranking. However, it is best to not underestimate Verstappen because he has proven that he performs best under pressure and has made stacking consecutive championships look easy. — Esha Azeem
(4) Alex Palou (IndyCar)
2024 GRID Ranking: 4th (2nd in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 14.93 (18.49 in 2023)
Season In Review: After becoming the first back-to-back NTT IndyCar Series champion since Dario Franchitti in 2011, Alex Palou’s third IndyCar championship campaign came in a less dominant, but vastly more consistent form. Three poles and a pair of wins may not seem groundbreaking, but the performances outside of this earned him a spot in the 2024 GRID Ranking. The Spaniard showed the right stuff early, charging forward from 13th to fourth at the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix on the streets of St. Petersburg.
Finishing the opening three rounds all within the top five, Palou grabbed the championship lead with a pole-to-win drive at the IMS Road Course. He lost the championship lead after the month of May, falling victim to the chaos on the streets of Detroit. Another dominant performance at Laguna Seca put him back on top in the standings, and in the books as the last polesitter and race winner before the hybrid era at Mid-Ohio.
From there, he held onto the lead for the rest of the season. A crash at Iowa and a hiccup with the hybrid system at Milwaukee put pressure on his top spot but he never faltered, with just one DNF. 13 top-five finishes with the remaining four results outside the top 10 show that hiccups being few and far between during Palou’s 2024 championship-winning season.
2025 Outlook: Chip Ganassi Racing has given Palou the right formula early: A low retirement rate combined with a high top-10 finishing rate. While it is not the kind of driving that sells jerseys and makes highlight reels, this is the winning formula that has given Palou three championships in his first five years in IndyCar. Ovals are seemingly his final frontier as he has yet to win an oval race.
But with a pole at the 2023 Indianapolis 500 and a few top fives this year on ovals, there might be fewer missing pieces than some might think. The question for 2025 and beyond for Palou is not if he can win another title, but how many. With oval renown and an Indy 500 win still on the bucket list, Palou has no plans of quitting anytime soon, so we can expect the fried chicken to keep flowing in Indianapolis. — Jackson Lambros
(3) Will Brown (Supercars)
2024 GRID Ranking: 3rd (25th in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 16.76 (9.89 in 2023)
Season In Review: In his first season driving one of Triple Eight Race Engineering’s Red Bull Ampol Racing Chevrolet Camaros, Will Brown had some big shoes to fill by replacing three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen in the renumbered No. 87 Chevrolet. Brown responded well to the pressure by immediately competing for race wins and the championship alongside new teammate Broc Feeney.
In the end, Brown produced a super consistent season with five race wins, 19 podiums and two poles en route to his first career Supercars title and third place in the 2024 GRID Ranking. The main highlight from Brown’s championship-winning season was a victory in the Sandown 500 with co-driver Scott Pye and ending the year with his fifth win of the year in the season-ending Adelaide 500.
2025 Outlook: After winning the championship with Red Bull Ampol Racing in Year 1, expect Brown to be a heavy favorite to go back-to-back in 2025 and finish in the GRID Ranking top 10 again. However, expect a fierce challenge from teammate Broc Feeney, who surely was not pleased to see the team’s newcomer win the title in his debut season while the Triple Eight veteran had to settle for second place in the standings. — Kobe Lambeth
(2) Jorge Martin (MotoGP)
2024 GRID Ranking: 2nd (11th in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 17.07 (12.50 in 2023)
Season In Review: 16 podiums in the Grand Prix races and a stronger performance in the Sprint Races compared to Pecco Bagnaia allowed Jorge Martin to claim his first MotoGP World Championship as Prima Pramac Racing became the first independent team to achieve such an accomplishment.
The championship-winning rider demonstrated improvement in controlling his bike in high-stakes situations and reducing the number of mistakes made while leading. The level of consistency to finish in the top four 17 times during a 20-race season and being dominant in the Sprint Races netted Martin the championship.
2025 Outlook: The 2024 MotoGP champ is taking the No. 1 to a new team as he will be a part of the Aprilia factory team in 2025 after leaving Ducati. Aprilia showed speed in the last couple of seasons. Expect the gap between Aprilia and Ducati to continue shrinking, which could give Martin the opportunity to contend for wins and another championship.
A key indicator will be the first four races of 2025 as this will be a chance for Aprilia and Martin to make a statement early and try to build a gap before the season starts to hold more races across Europe. — Joe Samaniego
(1) Pecco Bagnaia (MotoGP)
2024 GRID Ranking: 1st (4th in 2023)
2024 GRID Rating: 18.68 (16.06 in 2023)
Season In Review: Pecco Bagnaia became the first rider in the history of the MotoGP World Championship to win more than 11 Grand Prix races but not win the title. However, Bagnaia still had a great season that only saw his championship effort come up short, due to Jorge Martin’s strong performance in the Sprint Races and consistency in the Grand Prix races.
Some crashes along the way helped doom Bagnaia’s title hopes. With 11 wins in 2024, Bagnaia was the only member in the 2024 GRID Ranking to earn double-digit wins, and the second closest was Formula 1’s Max Verstappen with nine wins.
2025 Outlook: Bagnaia does not have the pressure of being a three-time defending champion, but he does not have to look far to find his next source of pressure. His new teammate, Marc Marquez, looked promising in 2024 and now will be in equal equipment with him as a Ducati factory rider.
Along with other manufacturers such as Aprilia and KTM closing the gap to Ducati, 2025 will not be an easy season. Bagnaia will need to elevate his Sprint Race performances to include more wins and rise to a new level in the MotoGP Sprint Race era. — Joe Samaniego
Editor’s Note: Esha Azeem, Matthew Breault, Kobe Lambeth, Jackson Lambros, Joe Samaniego and Jackson Todd all contributed to this article.