With Verstappen having dominated 19 of the 22 races last season, our calculations revealed an alternate scenario where a more intense title fight could have unfolded elsewhere.
Recalculating the World Championship standings without Max Verstappen
The process of recalculating these standings is straightforward: simply remove Verstappen’s results, promoting every driver below him up by one place. If he earned a point for the fastest lap, that point is reassigned to the next fastest driver.
For example, at the Bahrain Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc clocked the second-fastest lap, so he was awarded the extra point. At the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Leclerc didn’t need any help, as he claimed the fastest lap bonus point on the final lap. In Japan, Carlos Sainz inherited the fastest lap point with his 1:33.841, just a tenth slower than Verstappen’s 1:33.706.
Given the seven-point difference between first and second place (where Verstappen frequently finished), the points redistributed among the remaining drivers caused shifts in the World Championship standings. If Red Bull drivers hadn’t competed last season, Lewis Hamilton would have narrowly beaten Fernando Alonso as the hypothetical World Champion.
For instance, while Charles Leclerc overtook Sergio Perez in the actual championship at Imola, in this revised scenario, his earlier P2 finishes would have kept him on top without his teammate. However, that changed in Monaco when Leclerc secured an emotional home victory, while Perez crashed out on the first lap after a collision with Kevin Magnussen.
In Canada, with both Leclerc and Perez out of the race and Norris finishing P2 in reality, he would have been promoted to victory, taking the lead in these alternative standings by just three points, a lead that would have increased further in Spain.
Of course, this is all hypothetical and meant for fun, but it’s an interesting exercise in imagining an alternative universe!
Given the Red Bull RB20’s dominance, especially with Verstappen driving, this exercise might become more relevant as the F1 2024 season progresses. However, the improved performance of McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari has tightened the competition in the real world as the season has advanced.
At the summer break, Lando Norris would have held a significant lead over a closely packed group consisting of Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez, and Lewis Hamilton, with George Russell still in the mix.
Alternative 2024 Drivers’ Championship standings without Max Verstappen:
- Lando Norris – 276
- Charles Leclerc – 217
- Oscar Piastri – 204
- Carlos Sainz – 198
- Sergio Perez – 185
- Lewis Hamilton – 178
- George Russell – 146
- Fernando Alonso – 69
- Nico Hulkenberg – 35
- Lance Stroll – 33
- Yuki Tsunoda – 32
- Daniel Ricciardo – 18
- Pierre Gasly – 17
- Esteban Ocon – 11
- Alex Albon – 9
- Kevin Magnussen – 8
- Oliver Bearman – 8
- Zhou Guanyu – 2
- Logan Sargeant – 1
- Valtteri Bottas – 0
