Formula 1: Carlos Sainz Jr. wins 2019 ‘best of the rest’ title
By Asher Fair
McLaren’s Carlos Sainz Jr. clinched the “best of the rest” title for the 2019 Formula 1 season with his sixth place finish in the driver standings.
McLaren’s Carlos Sainz Jr. capped off a career year in his first Formula 1 season driving for the Woking-based team with the unofficial “best of the rest” title, as he finished in sixth place in the driver standings.
The 25-year-old Spaniard entered the 21st and final race of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, at Yas Marina Circuit tied with Scuderia Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly for sixth place in the driver standings with 95 points. Both drivers led Aston Martin Red Bull Racing rookie Alexander Albon by 11 points.
Sainz finished this 55-lap race around the 21-turn, 3.451-mile (5.554-kilometer) Yas Marina Circuit road course on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in 10th place following a last-lap pass of Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg, netting himself one point.
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Albon finished in sixth to score eight points while Gasly finished in 18th after early contact with SportPesa Racing Point’s Lance Stroll and failed to score.
As a result, Sainz, who began the season with three straight disastrous results, including two retirements, secured sixth place in the driver standings.
Technically, Sainz would have been considered the “best of the rest” even had he finished behind Gasly, Albon or both in the driver standings; Gasly drove for Red Bull Racing in the first 12 races of the season while Albon drove for them in the final nine races of the season. Sainz did not spend any time driving for one of the sport’s top three teams.
But eliminating all controversy, Sainz did what he needed to do to finish in sixth place in the driver standings ahead of both Gasly and Sainz.
The car of Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in third place, is under investigation for a potential technical breach, but even if he is disqualified, Sainz would be this year’s “best of the rest” based on how the points fall.
Throughout the season, Sainz recorded 13 top 10 finishes, including a career-high four top five results. His best finish was his first career podium finish, his third place finish in the Brazilian Grand Prix at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace. He started this race in 20th after failing to post a qualifying lap time with mechanical issues.
Entering the season, Sainz’s best career race result was his fourth place finish in the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay Street Circuit. The 2017 season also featured his best career finish in the driver standings, a ninth place result.
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With an unofficial “best of the rest” title to his name, how much more can Carlos Sainz Jr. achieve in Formula 1? Perhaps more interestingly, how much more can McLaren achieve following a year of resurgence that featured a dominant “best of the rest” title in the constructor standings?