Formula 1: No clear ‘best of the rest’ driver through four races in 2019
By Asher Fair
Through the first four races of the 2019 Formula 1 season, no driver has managed to emerge as the clear “best of the rest”.
“Best of the rest” is the unofficial title that is given to the Formula 1 driver who finished in seventh place in the driver standings behind the six Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, Scuderia Ferrari and Aston Martin Red Bull Racing drivers.
This is the case because of the fact that these three teams have combined to win each of the last 122 races that have been contested going back to the beginning of the 2013 season. The 2013 season opener, the Australian Grand Prix, was won by Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen, but since then, these three teams are the only teams that have won any races.
Through the first four races of the 21-race 2019 season, there is still no clear “best of the rest” driver. The mid-back battle has been tight so far this season, and a number of drivers are well in the mix for this unofficial title.
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In fact, four different drivers — four different drivers representing four different teams, no less — have been the “best of the rest” in one of the four races that have contested so far this season.
Rich Energy Haas’ Kevin Magnussen was the “best of the rest” in the season opener, the Australian Grand Prix, as he finished in sixth place behind five of the six Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull Racing drivers. McLaren rookie Lando Norris was the “best of the rest in the season’s second race, the Bahrain Grand Prix, as he finished in sixth behind these same five drivers.
Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo was the “best of the rest” in the season’s third race, the Chinese Grand Prix, as he finished in seventh place behind the six drivers who drive for the sport’s top three teams, and SportPesa Racing Point’s Sergio Perez was the “best of the rest” in the season’s fourth race, as he finished in sixth behind five of these six drivers.
As far as the driver standings are concerned, Perez is currently tied with Alfa Romeo Racing’s Kimi Raikkonen at the top of the “best of the rest” standings with 13 points. Perez has recorded one sixth place finish, one eighth place finish and one 10th place finish so far this season while Raikkonen has recorded one seventh place finish, one eighth place finish, one ninth place finish and one 10th place finish.
In fact, these two drivers are actually tied for sixth place in the driver standings with Red Bull Racing’s Pierre Gasly, as the 23-year-old Frenchman has struggled throughout the first four races of his first season driving for the Milton Keynes-based team.
Right behind Perez and Raikkonen is Norris in ninth place in the driver standings. Norris has scored 12 points so far this season thanks to one sixth place finish and one eighth place finish.
Magnussen sits close behind these three drivers in 10th place in the driver standings with eight points thanks to one sixth place finish while Ricciardo, Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg and McLaren’s Carlos Sainz Jr. sit in an 11th place tie with six points each. They have all recorded one seventh place finish so far this season.
Further back are Racing Point’s Lance Stroll and Scuderia Toro Rosso teammates Alexander Albon, a rookie, and Daniil Kvyat, They sit in 14th, 15th and 16th place in the driver standings with four points, three points and one point, respectively. Stroll has recorded two ninth place finishes while Albon has recorded one ninth place finish and one 10th place finish and Kvyat has recorded one 10th place finish so far this season.
Alfa Romeo Racing rookie Antonio Giovinazzi, Haas’ Romain Grosjean and ROKiT Williams Racing teammates George Russell, a rookie, and Robert Kubica are the only four drivers who have not yet scored any points this season.
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Which driver will end up winning the unofficial “best of the rest” title for the 2019 Formula 1 season? Through the season’s first four races, it is still anybody’s guess, as a great weekend for quite a sizable number of the drivers who are currently in the fight for this title could be enough to propel them to seventh place (or in this season’s case, sixth) in the driver standings, or at least very close to it.