Drivers' standings analysis - Will Verstappen buck the losing trend?

Max Verstappen and Red Bull have started the 2023 Formula 1 season in tremendous style, winning two out of the first three races at the Bahrain Grand Prix and Australian Grand Prix, and coming second at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

It is a lightening start for the two-time world champion, who looks to be on course for his third world title in as many years, with one of the most successful starts to a drivers championship in the hybrid era.

A surprising trend

However, drivers that have led the drivers' standings after the first three races, some with even more points than Verstappen at this stage, have failed to go on and take the title.

Will the Dutchman hold on to his substantial lead, or will he follow suit with other drivers and let the title slip away? Here, we will dive into those standings and see who has been unable to become a world champion from a leading position.

Charles Leclerc, 2022

Last season, Ferarri and Charles Leclerc started with scintillating speed, with the Prancing Horses' qualifying pace unrivalled in the opening three races. That led the Monegasque driver to commanding wins in Bahrain and Australia, finishing over 20 seconds clear of Sergio Perez in second at Albert Park.

With those two wins and a second place to his name, Leclerc opened the season with 71 points, the second most successful start to a season in the hybrid era, only behind Nico Rosberg in 2016 (75 points). George Russell was the closest behind Leclerc with 37, and Verstappen was down in 6th with 25 points, with just one win and two DNF in a horrific start to his title defence.

However, the early pace portrayed by the Maranello team did not continue, as Leclerc succumbed to poor race pace, driver errors in crucial situations, and questionable strategy calls. All these factors led to the Monegasque driver relinquishing his enormous points margin at the season's end, finishing second in the standings with 308 points and allowing Verstappen to waltz his way to his second world title with 454 points.

Lewis Hamilton, 2021

Here it is, the 2021 season. We all know the outcome, whether right or wrong, correct or incorrect. What is not controversial, however, is that Lewis Hamilton led the standings after the first three races, but he could not achieve his eighth world title in his glittering career.

Hamilton conducted a commanding performance in Portugal, along with a superb drive in Bahrain, keeping the faster Red Bull of Verstappen behind and taking victory in the season opener. The Brit also took second at Imola behind the Dutchman, totalling 69 points after the first three races, with Verstappen close behind on 61 points after attaining two second places and a race win in those opening races.

What unfolded after those races was one of the greatest seasons the sport has ever seen and the drivers' championship battle to go along with it. Unfortunately, it ultimately ended in controversy, as we all know, leading Verstappen to his maiden drivers' championship after a last-lap victory over Hamilton in Abu Dhabi, finishing the season with 395.5 points; Hamilton just missed out in second place, finishing with 387.5 points at the season's end.

Sebastian Vettel, 2018

Yet again, a Ferarri car with early signs of pace that could not fulfil its great potential. Unfortunately, the four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel was the recipient of that bad luck, as he was the season before in 2017.

In a blistering start to the season, Vettel opened up with a tactically brilliant drive in Australia, outperforming Hamilton with a stunning driving display. The German did the same again in Bahrain, adding another victory to his name, earning 54 points after three races, with an eighth place in China hindering his remarkable start. Hamilton was behind the Ferarri driver with 45 points, finishing second, third and fourth, respectively.

But again, the Italian team could not continue with their strong start, as reliability and strategic issues hampered Vettel's title attempt for the second season in a row, allowing Mercedes and Hamilton to take another title. The Brit was able to coast to this title, his sixth World Championship, with 408 points. Vettel had to settle for second in the drivers' standings with 317 points, accumulating just three more wins that season.

Nico Rosberg, 2014

2014. The beginning of the hybrid era. The beginning of Mercedes' dominance in the sport for seven seasons. The ascendancy was taken by Nico Rosberg in the opening three races in 2014, winning the opening Grand Prix at Albert Park by over 24 seconds after his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, had to retire the car with an engine issue.

The 2016 World Champion was able to back that win up with two second places behind Hamilton in Malaysia and Bahrain, with one of the greatest teammate battles in recent times taking place in the desert of Sakhir.

This title battle between Hamilton and Rosberg went down to the final race in Abu Dhabi, with double points on offer for the season finale after a back-and-forth season between the pair. But the German driver could not hold onto his lead as the season concluded, with reliability problems striking Rosberg during the season finale, allowing Hamilton to take his first world title at Mercedes with 384 points, with Rosberg finishing the season with 317 points.