Beyond the Flag
Fansided

Formula 1: Way-too-early 2020 power rankings

By Asher Fair

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 01: Top three finishers Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP, Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing and Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari celebrate on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on December 01, 2019 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 01: Top three finishers Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP, Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing and Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari celebrate on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on December 01, 2019 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 10
Next
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL – NOVEMBER 17: Robert Kubica of Poland driving the (88) Rokit Williams Racing FW42 Mercedes leads George Russell of Great Britain driving the (63) Rokit Williams Racing FW42 Mercedes (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images)
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL – NOVEMBER 17: Robert Kubica of Poland driving the (88) Rokit Williams Racing FW42 Mercedes leads George Russell of Great Britain driving the (63) Rokit Williams Racing FW42 Mercedes (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images) /

The 2019 Formula 1 season is in the books. How do the 20 drivers slated to compete in the 2020 season stack up against one another?

Another Formula 1 season is in the books, and this one ended in the same fashion as the last two and four of the previous five: with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport’s Lewis Hamilton winning the championship in dominant fashion.

Of the 20 drivers who competed in the 2019 season, 18 are set to return in the 2020 season. Two are set to be replaced, with one set to be replaced by a driver who has previously competed in Formula 1 and the other set to be replaced by a rookie.

How do the 20 drivers slated to compete in 2020 stack up against one another? Here are the way-too-early 2020 Formula 1 power rankings.

#20 and #19

#20. . No. TBD. ROKiT Williams Racing, Mercedes. NICHOLAS LATIFI

The prospect of Nicholas Latifi’s rookie Formula 1 season should be defined by three categories. One, the most obvious, is the fact that he is competing in Formula 1 for the first time. Two, he is driving for Williams. And three, his teammate is George Russell. The only positive for him from a competitive standpoint is the fact that he has a ride in Formula 1. With Williams, he’ll be lucky to score points; heck, he’ll be lucky to finish in the top 15. And after the beatdown Russell put on Robert Kubica in 2019, it still won’t be easy for him to maximize his potential in low-tier equipment. With that being said, he is a proven talent who had success in Formula 2, and he has earned this opportunity.

GEORGE RUSSELL. #19. . No. 63. ROKiT Williams Racing, Mercedes

George Russell’s ceiling in the 2020 season, like it was in the 2019 season, is 19th place in the driver standings. Unfortunately, as a result of a fluky German Grand Prix and post-race penalties, he was beaten by teammate Robert Kubica for 19th in 2019, but don’t let that fool you. He outqualified Kubica for all 21 races on the schedule, and he consistently outran him during the races themselves. The Mercedes prodigy will be tough to top at the Grove-based team.

Home/Formula One