Formula 1: 2020 Power Rankings
By Asher Fair
Formula 1 Power Rankings: #12 and #11
#12. . No. 10. Scuderia AlphaTauri, Honda. PIERRE GASLY
2019 finish: 7th place (95 points)
Pierre Gasly’s 2018 and 2019 seasons would make for a great case study of why nobody really knows anything about Formula 1. He finished in fourth place in his second race of the 2018 season driving for Toro Rosso, and after outscoring teammate Brendon Hartley 27-2, he was promoted to Red Bull Racing for 2019. But he struggled mightily at Red Bull Racing and was practically eaten alive by teammate Max Verstappen. He recorded just two top five finishes in 12 races before he was demoted back to Toro Rosso. So what did he then go on to do at Toro Rosso? Finish in a career-high second place behind Verstappen in the Brazilian Grand Prix, of course. AlphaTauri is the best place for him in 2020, and he should continue to perform well in the equipment he has.
#11. . No. 18. BWT Racing Point, Mercedes. LANCE STROLL
2019 finish: 15th place (21 points)
Racing Point showed strength in preseason testing, which seems like decades ago now, and Lance Stroll should be able to improve upon his performance based on that alone. However, he may need a bit more than a simple “improvement” to contend with teammate Sergio Perez. Last season, Perez scored 52 points and finished in 10th place in the driver standings last year, Stroll scored just 21 points and finished in 15th — and 12 of those points came with his fluky fourth place finish in the crazy German Grand Prix, a race he actually led. Nine points would have placed him 18th a year ago. This is a big year for the lone driver whose father owns his race team.