Bearman topples both Verstappen and Norris in rankings after Azerbaijan GP

17:00, 18 Sep 2024
2 Comments

Oliver Bearman has made a lasting impression once again. The young Brit has flown to the top of the F1 Power Rankings after he scored points in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He, therefore, leapfrogs the F1 title contenders Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. Oscar Piastri gave a masterclass in Baku but dropped one place in the rankings table.

Youngster takes the lead in the F1 rankings

Piastri delivered a masterclass in the streets of Baku. The McLaren driver overtook Charles Leclerc and then defended throughout the second stint. The battle lasted almost until the last lap. The F1 panel scored Piastri 10, but he dropped one place due to Oliver Bearman's impression of Baku and Jeddah. Piastri now has an average of 8.5 and is fourth in the standings.

But perhaps the even bigger surprise is Oliver Bearman. The British driver - who will race for Haas full-time in 2025 - was replaced Kevin Magnussen after the Dane was banned. Bearman seized that opportunity with both hands, beating Nico Hulkenberg in qualifying. Bearman dropped behind his teammate in the race but took his chance after the crash between Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz. While his more experienced teammate was confused, Bearman took advantage to score the final point.

The Formula 1 judges rewarded Bearman's performance with an 8. Because the Brit had previously scored a 9 in Saudi Arabia—P7 on his debut for Ferrari—he now has an average of 8.5. He has been placed on the leaderboard despite (most) other drivers completing 17 races. The same can be said for Franco Colapinto, who raced in Italy and Azerbaijan. Bearman moves ahead of Norris and Verstappen.

This is the current ranking (source F1.com) :

This article has been created in collaboration with Jeroen Immink

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2 Comments
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Vegan Warrior 18 September 2024 at 18:18+ 4952

Should there be an adjustment to the formula being used to calculate the ranking. Seems wrong fewer races the higher your rank ? . Still it's been excellent from the young drivers, but the proof is over a season.

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Mech Engineer 18 September 2024 at 17:17+ 55086

So nice to see talented young drivers coming in to the F1 field next year, replacing drivers who are under performing. Hope Stake and VCARB will take the chance and field a couple of talented rookie instead of keeping their under performing oldies nearing their expiry date in the sport.