Hamilton takes SHOCK F1 title after 2024 disaster

Lewis Hamilton has taken a surprise crown in a fan-voted end of year award, despite a tough 2024 season.

GPFans have been asking readers to vote on a number of categories over the holiday period, looking to put a bow on a brilliant 2024 in Formula 1.

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With Max Verstappen clearly having proven himself to be the best driver once again, winning the acclaim of team principals and his rival drivers following a year in which he won the drivers' title despite his team finishing third in the constructors' title, we asked fans to vote for their best non-champion driver of 2024.

Lando Norris battled Verstappen all the way in the drivers' championship, with he and team-mate Oscar Piastri claiming their maiden victories in the sport as McLaren won the constructors' title for the first time since 1998.

Who was the best non-champion driver in 2024?

Despite this success for McLaren, both of their drivers were snubbed in the GPFans poll, with fans' answers providing a shock winner.

Piastri claimed just three per cent of the vote, while Norris did finish second with an almighty 36 per cent of the vote.

However, it was Hamilton who was the victor in our poll, claiming 42 per cent of the vote despite suffering one of his worst ever seasons.

In his last season for Mercedes, Hamilton managed to claim two grand prix victories, banishing his win drought, but could only finish seventh in the drivers' championship, behind team-mate George Russell.

He now heads off to Ferrari in the hope of challenging once more for a so far elusive eighth world championship title, with his new team-mate Charles Leclerc claiming third in our poll.

Leclerc claimed three victories in 2024, his joint-best tally, and helped Ferrari catapult themselves back into championship contention.

Leclerc received 12 per cent of the vote, while Carlos Sainz finished with four per cent, and Russell claimed three per cent of votes.

READ MORE: Verstappen confirms SHOCK talks over Mercedes move

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