Formula 1: 2020 Power Rankings
By Asher Fair
Formula 1 Power Rankings: #8 and #7
No. 4. McLaren, Renault. LANDO NORRIS. #8.
2019 finish: 11th place (49 points)
Lando Norris’s 11th place finish in the driver standings in his rookie season was quite a bit misleading, given the number of issues with which he dealt that were out of his control. Most notably, he was running solidly in fifth in the Belgian Grand Prix before he lost power on the final lap. The 10 points he lost from this alone would have been enough to launch him into ninth in the standings. His true strength can be seen in his qualifying success, as he beat teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. 11-10 in what was the most intense intrateam qualifying battle of the year. He has the speed to have a big sophomore year.
#7. . No. 55. McLaren, Renault. CARLOS SAINZ JR.
2019 finish: 6th place (96 points)
Carlos Sainz Jr. proved his worth in the 2019 season by becoming the first driver outside of Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull Racing to finish in the top six in the driver standings, and he did it despite a disastrous start to the season that saw him go without a top 13 finish through three races. He did it with several impressive showings, including his last to third place effort in the Brazilian Grand Prix as well as six finishes as the “best of the rest”. His success did not go unnoticed, as he recently signed with Ferrari to replace four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel beginning next year. He is in a great position to finish as the “best of the rest” in the standings again in 2020.