2019 F1 Season: Points trend

We know that McLaren has obtained solid points for the team recently, but how are the rest of the teams doing, point-wise? Let’s take a look at the numbers.

Points trend

I decided to divide the teams in 2 groups, one for the top 3 teams, the ones that are stronger than the rest, and the midfield teams (yes, I included Williams here). The maximum amount of points a team can get for a single race weekend is 44. A one-two finish, would yield 25 points for the first place, 18 for the second, plus an extra point if any of the two drivers gets the fastest lap of the race.

Top 3 teams

Mercedes got maximum points in 4 of the first 5 races of the season, and only missed the point awarded for the fastest lap of the race in the other 3 races. Most recently, Merc was once again supreme in France, but surprisingly struggled in Austria.

Talking about the Austrian GP, it was the only race weekend in which a team has been able to beat Mercedes in total points. Red Bull managed to obtain 32 points, Ferrari got 30 and Mercedes obtained 25.

Midfield teams

McLaren has managed to obtain points in 6 out of the 9 races we have had so far. The British team looked particularly strong in Austria, almost challenging Red Bull during quali, but in fact obtained more points last weekend in Austria.

Renault is the team that has been able to obtain the maximum number of points during a weekend when compared to all the other midfield teams. The French team accumulated 14 points in Canada, but they have been inconsistent so far. They have failed to get any points in 4 races so far, and their package seems to be either strong or very weak, depending on the track.

Racing Point has struggled to get the speed during the last races. They started the season scoring points in their first 4 races, managing to get a season high of 10 points in Azerbaijan, but have failed to score in 4 of the last 5 races. Silverstone is a high speed track that may suit their package, so we will see if they are able to start reversing the negative trend in a couple of days.

Haas is another team that continues to be incredible inconsistent. Haas has only scored in 3 out of the 9 races so far, mostly due to their poor race pace, which has costed them many points over the season.

Alfa Romeo is a team that got people excited during the pre-season testing. The Swiss team appeared to be strong at the beginning of the season, and scored 13 points over the first 4 races. They, however, struggled in Spain, Monaco, and Canada, and only recently started accumulating points once again in France and Austria.

Toro Rosso is a team that is in a strange position. They have not been blazing fast, but they have not been very slow either. They have consistently managed to score points, and have failed to score only in 3 races. They have not been very strong during the last 3 races, and the Silverstone track may not be the best for their racing package.

Williams has scored 0 points so far, and unless a miracle happens, they will score 0 points over the entire season. Considering their current performance, Williams would need crashes, mechanical failures, safety cars, and a miraculous drive from George or Robert in order to secure a single point during a racing weekend.

Total points

McLaren has taken a strong lead among midfield teams. They are up 20 points against Renault, and they continue their upward trend in the season.

Four teams are separated by only 6 points, meaning that Haas, the 9th place in the Constructors Championship so far, could move all the way to 6th or even 5th place with a good race.

While the midfield battle is exciting, the difference between the worst team of the top 3, right now Red Bull, and the best midfield team, McLaren at the moment, is just huge. Red Bull has 3 times the points that McLaren has, creating a great gap between the top F1 teams, and the so called “F1.5” teams.

Final remarks

This was a short article just to be aware of which teams are flying high at the moment, and which ones need to make some quick changes in order to not fall behind.

McLaren is the midfield team to beat at the moment, and Silverstone is a fast track in which the British team will look to extend their advantage against Renault.

Regarding the top, Mercedes was finally vulnerable in Austria, and Ferrari and Red Bull will look to inflict some damage during the weekend. Silvestone, however, is another track that may favor Mercedes. Never count out Red Bull though. After their surprising performance in Austria, and with an inspired Max Verstappen, anything can happen.

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