Formula 1: 2020 Power Rankings

Asher Fair

Formula 1: Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes, and Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari (Photo by LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images)

With the start of the 2020 Formula 1 season just one day away, how do the 20 drivers slated to compete stack up against one another?

The 2020 Formula 1 season was slated to get underway over three and a half months ago with the Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit.

A total of 20 drivers had been slated to take to the 16-turn, 3.296-mile (5.304-kilometer) road course in Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia before the coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc on those plans.

Instead, the 2020 season is scheduled to get underway this Sunday, July 5 with the Austrian Grand Prix, which was originally scheduled to be the 11th of a record-breaking 22 races on the schedule, at the Red Bull Ring when 20 drivers take to the 10-turn, 2.683-mile (4.318-kilometer) Red Bull Ring road course in Spielberg, Styria, Austria.

The only two drivers from the 2019 season who are not set to return in the 2020 season are Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg and Williams’ Robert Kubica, who finished in a 13th place tie and 19th place in the driver standings with 37 points and one point, respectively. Esteban Ocon replaced Hulkenberg while rookie Nicholas Latifi replaced Kubica.

None of the other 18 drivers from last year switched teams.

How do the 20 drivers slated to compete in 2020 stack up against one another? Here are our preseason 2020 Formula 1 power rankings.

Formula 1 Power Rankings: #20 and #19

2019 finish: Rookie in 2020; competed in Formula 2 (finished in 2nd place with 214 points)

Nicholas Latifi is the only rookie in the 2020 season, and he has now had more time to prepare for his first Formula 1 start than pretty much any other driver in the history of the sport. The 2019 Formula 2 runner-up was the easy selection for the struggling Williams team this year to pair with George Russell. It may be tough to tell just how good Latifi is in his rookie season given how dominant Russell was in the Williams teammate battle last year with Robert Kubica, but this could also be a great opportunity for the youngster to prove his worth early on in his career.

2019 finish: 20th place (0 points)

In terms of teammate battles, nobody was more dominant than George Russell was last year in his rookie season against Robert Kubica. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, Kubica ended up being the only driver to score 100% of his team’s points, as Russell was left scoreless when Kubica earned a fluky 10th place finish in the German Grand Prix. Russell is eyeing a future Mercedes seat and will want to back up that performance with another great season, one which includes points finishes. In a Williams car, coming anywhere close to a points finish these days warrants a second look from the top teams.

Formula 1 Power Rankings: #18 and #17

2019 finish: 18th place (8 points)

Two years in a row, it was believed that Romain Grosjean’s struggles would leave him without a ride at Formula 1’s lone American team. He boosted his stock late in the 2018 season to return in 2019, but he struggled throughout all of 2019 and somehow managed to retain his ride for 2020. But he will need to do more than that to be back again in 2021, especially after being involved in multiple incidents with teammate Kevin Magnussen last year. He has been with Haas since they entered the sport in 2016, but another poor showing may end that tenure.

2019 finish: 16th place (20 points)

In what was Haas’ worst year in their four-year history in Formula 1 last year, Kevin Magnussen still managed to score more than twice as many points as teammate Romain Grosjean did. Even in what was a disastrous season for Haas, Magnussen still managed to record four top nine finishes, including two finishes as the “best of the rest”, illustrating what he is capable of on a good day. He is in a contract year this year, so it will be important for him not to get caught up in on-track squabbles with Grosjean. Other than that, he should be in for a decent year.

Daniil Kvyat, Formula 1 — Daniil Kvyat, AlphaTauri, Formula 1 (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Formula 1 Power Rankings: #16 and #15

2019 finish: 17th place (14 points)

Antonio Giovinazzi received Ferrari’s blessing to return to Alfa Romeo Racing for a second season even amid his struggles throughout his rookie year, and the numbers illustrate a clear uptick in his performance. He scored just one point in the season’s first 13 races before scoring 13 in the final eight, including 10 on a career-high fifth place finish in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Perhaps most importantly, after getting outscored by teammate Kimi Raikkonen 31-1 in the first 13 races, he outscored him 13-12 in the final eight, and Raikkonen only scored points in one of those eight events.

2019 finish: 13th place tie (37 points)

Daniil Kvyat’s solid start to the 2019 season placed him in a good position to be promoted to Red Bull Racing with Pierre Gasly struggling. Unfortunately, the former Red Bull Racing driver did not get the call to return to the team, as it was rookie Alexander Albon who ended up landing that promotion. Still, in his return in Formula 1 last year, Kvyat performed better than many expected him to. He was one of the three non-Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull Racing drivers to finish a race on the podium with his third place finish in the German Grand Prix, and he scored points in nine other races on the schedule. He was responsible for half of Toro Rosso’s (now AlphaTauri’s) top 10 finishes in what was a solid season for both himself and the team.

Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo Racing, Formula 1 (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Formula 1 Power Rankings: #14 and #13

2019 finish: 12th place (43 points)

Kimi Raikkonen is slated to break Formula 1’s all-time starts record in whatever race ends up being the 11th race on the schedule. On the original schedule, he would have been slated to break that record in this Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring. Raikkonen had a strong season in his first year with Alfa Romeo Racing last year en route to a 12th place finish in the driver standings, but he struggled down the stretch with just one top 10 finish in the final nine races. Can Alfa Romeo Racing provide him with a package in which he can regularly score points? More importantly, will the 2020 season be his final season?

2019 finish: Out of Formula 1 (last drove for Force India (now Racing Point) in 2018; finished in 12th place with 49 points)

Aside of rookie Nicholas Latifi, Esteban Ocon is the only driver set to compete in the 2020 Formula 1 season who did not compete last year. He lost his ride to Lance Stroll following the 2018 season after Lawrence Stroll purchased Racing Point, and all of his other potential landing spots filled up with other drivers. Fortunately for him, “out of sight, out of mind” did not apply for 2020, and while he won’t be driving for Mercedes like he had originally been rumored to, he is still set to return to the sport with Renault. While he has been prone to getting involved in controversial incidents, Ocon is one of the most consistent drivers on the grid who is capable of getting the most out of his car.

Formula 1 Power Rankings: #12 and #11

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.

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.

Formula 1 Power Rankings: #10 and #9

2019 finish: 9th place (54 points)

As disappointing as it may have seemed given how high the hopes were following the team’s “best of the rest” title in 2018, Daniel Ricciardo’s first season with Renault still produced a solid foundation on which to build for his second, even though it will be his final season with the team. Last year, he showcased his skillset by still managing to record five top six finishes and four finishes as the “best of the rest”, including a season-high fourth place in the Italian Grand Prix, en route to a ninth place finish in the driver standings. Will Renault make him regret making the decision to sign with McLaren for 2021?

2019 finish: 10th place (52 points)

Only one driver in Formula 1 has won his respective teammate battle for more than three years in a row entering the 2020 season, and that driver is Sergio Perez, who hasn’t failed to beat his teammate since he was beaten by just one position by Nico Hulkenberg six years ago. Perez will look to extend his teammate winning streak to six seasons this year, and after dominating Lance Stroll last year, he is in a good position to do it. It will be interesting to see if he can challenge for the “best of the rest” title for the third time in the last five years, given Racing Point’s strength in preseason testing.

Carlos Sainz Jr., McLaren, Formula 1 (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Formula 1 Power Rankings: #8 and #7

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.

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.

Formula 1 Power Rankings: #6 and #5

2019 finish: 8th place (92 points)

Alexander Albon was certainly an upgrade over Pierre Gasly when Red Bull Racing called him up from Toro Rosso during the 2019 season, as he finished outside of the top six only once in nine starts, and that was only because Lewis Hamilton spun him out late in the Brazilian Grand Prix. But he still did not measure up to teammate Max Verstappen, and he finished higher than fifth place just once. He was lined up to finish on the podium in the Brazilian Grand Prix before Hamilton spun him out, but that race was arguably the craziest race of the season. Among the six Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull Racing, Albon is the one who enters the 2020 season with the most to prove.

2019 finish: 5th place (240 points)

Sebastian Vettel has made numerous unforced errors over the last several seasons, and with all things considered, they cost him his seat at Ferrari following the 2020 season, as the team have already signed Carlos Sainz Jr. to replace him beginning in 2021. That’s what makes this season unique. For Vettel, there really isn’t a whole lot on the line. His options for next year have already dwindled. How seriously will he take his final year with Ferrari? Will he be willing to obey potential (okay, inevitable) team orders? But on the other hand, the pressure on him should be at an all-time low, and let’s not forget the fact that he is a four-time world champion and the third winningest driver in Formula 1 history. If he can stay out of trouble, he is capable of leaving the Italian team with a fifth title.

Formula 1 Power Rankings: #4 and #3

2019 finish: 2nd place (326 points)

Valtteri Bottas is more determined than he has ever been to take the fight to teammate Lewis Hamilton and win his first world championship after a career year in 2019 that saw him finish in a career-high second place in the driver standings with a career-high four victories, a career-high 15 podium finishes and a career-high five pole positions. But even with all of that, Hamilton still beat him comfortably, winning the title by 87 points with 11 victories and 17 podium finishes with nearly three times as many laps led as his teammate. In his fourth season with Mercedes, Bottas is in a contract year for the fourth time. Team principal and CEO Toto Wolff vowed to make future negotiations smoother to lessen the mental burden on Bottas, as his performance went downhill last season when there were rumors of him losing his ride. Will that mentality get him to where he wants to be in 2020?

2019 finish: 4th place (264 points)

Charles Leclerc got the Formula 1 world’s attention with a strong first season driving for Ferrari last year, as he became the first Ferrari driver to beat four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel since he arrived at the Scuderia in the 2015 season. He beat Vettel in points, wins, podium finishes, pole positions, laps led and average finish, and he established himself as the team’s number one driver, landing a massive contract extension following the season while Vettel has already announced his departure from the team after 2020. Even with all of that success, Leclerc still left a lot on the table in 2019, many times due to Ferrari strategy blunders and other mechanical issues. If Ferrari can provide him with strong package in 2020, he will be a regular frontrunner.

Formula 1 Power Rankings: #2 and #1

2019 finish: 3rd place (278 points)

Max Verstappen is the man who many see becoming the first new world champion since Nico Rosberg in 2016, and his commitment to Red Bull Racing and Honda, which saw him sign a massive contract extension this offseason, has led many to believe that this could be the year the Milton Keynes-based team finally challenge Mercedes and potentially put an end to their six-year reign of pure dominance in Formula 1. Verstappen’s skillset and execution style have proven to be Lewis Hamilton’s kryptonite in the past, specifically in the latter stages of 2018 and throughout 2019, just not often enough to make a dent in the six-time world champion’s plans to continue that dominance of the Silver Arrows. Will that finally change in 2020?