Formula 1: Ferrari's reserve driver is outscoring 5 entire teams combined

Due to a bout with appendicitis, Carlos Sainz Jr. was forced to miss Saturday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Ferrari (and Haas) reserve driver Oliver Bearman was called upon to replace him beginning with the third and final practice session, and he nearly made it into the third and final round of qualifying on Friday.

The 18-year-old Briton drove from 11th to seventh place in the 50-lap race around the 27-turn, 3.837-mile (6.175-kilometer) temporary street circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and was voted Driver of the Day with nearly 50% of the total vote. He was able to hold off McLaren's Lando Norris and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton in the closing laps.

With the six points Bearman scored in his Formula 1 debut, he moved himself to 10th place in the world championship standings through the first two races of the 24-race season.

With Sainz still in sixth place after his third place finish in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit and teammate Charles Leclerc in third after finishes of fourth and third, there are three Ferrari drivers in the top 10.

Oliver Bearman outscoring five Formula 1 teams

While that is obviously poised to change once Sainz returns and Bearman continues to focus on his second Formula 2 season with Prema Racing, another point to consider is this: Bearman has six times as many points as five of the 10 Formula 1 teams combined.

Aside from Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, and Aston Martin, the only point-scoring team so far this year is Haas. They have managed just one point, that coming with Nico Hulkenberg's 10th place finish in Jeddah.

The four scoreless teams are Williams, Sauber, RB, and Alpine. Alex Albon's 11th place finish on Saturday is Williams' best, Zhou Guanyu's 11th place finish in the season opener is Sauber's best, Daniel Ricciardo's 13th place finish in the opener is RB's best, and Esteban Ocon's 13th place finish on Saturday is Alpine's best.

Is it possible that Bearman, with just one start, could end up outscoring any of these teams in the final 2024 constructor world championship standings? Since 2019, four teams have finished the season with fewer than six points.

The Australian Grand Prix is the next race on the schedule. It is scheduled to take place at Albert Park Circuit on Sunday, March 24, making it the first Sunday race of the year.