Imagine a world where Max Verstappen isn’t dominating the 2024 F1 season. With him out of the picture, the standings would look wildly different. After his stellar performance last season, everyone is curious about how the championship would unfold without him.
First, let’s break down the method: any result where Verstappen finished is removed, and all other drivers move up a spot. If he scored a point for the fastest lap, that point goes to the next quickest driver. For instance, at the Bahrain Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc bagged an extra point because he had the second-fastest lap after Verstappen. In Saudi Arabia, Leclerc didn’t need any help and secured the fastest lap on his own. Over in Japan, it was Carlos Sainz who got the point, with his lap being just a tenth slower than Verstappen’s.
The impact of removing Verstappen’s results is significant. The biggest change would be Lewis Hamilton edging out Fernando Alonso to become the World Champion, had both Red Bull drivers been taken out of last season’s equation. Similarly, Charles Leclerc’s performance would have kept him at the top of the standings early in the season, if it weren’t for his teammate—a scenario that flipped in Monaco when Leclerc won his home race while Sergio Perez crashed out after a skirmish with Kevin Magnussen.
Things took another twist in Canada. With Leclerc and Perez both out of the race, Lando Norris, who finished P2 in reality, would have been promoted to the winner’s spot, putting him at the top of these alternative standings by a mere three points. It’s a fun and interesting exercise to see how the dominoes would fall differently.
Right now, Red Bull’s RB20 is looking unstoppable, especially with Verstappen at the wheel. This fantasy exercise could become even more relevant as the season progresses. For now, here are the standings without Max Verstappen, as of the Canadian Grand Prix: Lando Norris leading with 159 points, followed closely by Charles Leclerc with 156 points. Sergio Perez sits at 138, Carlos Sainz at 123, and Oscar Piastri rounds out the top five with 97 points. From there, George Russell holds 85 points, Lewis Hamilton has 73, Fernando Alonso has 54, and it goes down the list with Yuki Tsunoda at 26, Lance Stroll at 22, and Nico Hulkenberg at 13. Others include Daniel Ricciardo with 12 points, Oliver Bearman with 8, Pierre Gasly with 7, Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon both at 5, Zhou Guanyu with 2, Kevin Magnussen at 1, and Valtteri Bottas and Logan Sargeant yet to score.
While it’s all just speculative fun, this alternative standings make for an exciting what-if scenario, offering fans a different perspective on the fierce competition in F1.
Without Max Verstappen, the 2024 F1 Drivers’ Championship paints a wildly different picture, with fresh faces at the top and closer competition all around. It’s an entertaining thought experiment that spices up the season’s narrative.
Source: Planetf1
