F1 star climbs three places in drivers’ standings despite scoring ZERO points in …. details
Fernando Alonso, the two-time Formula 1 world champion, has managed to climb three places in the drivers’ championship standings, despite not scoring a single point during the Japanese Grand Prix. This unexpected rise comes after a challenging start to the season, with Alonso facing a series of setbacks that left him out of the points and at times out of contention for a good finish.
The 2024 Formula 1 season has not been kind to Alonso so far. He was initially not even included in the official standings after the opening two races in Australia and China. During both of these Grands Prix, Alonso failed to finish, meaning he was not classified as a finisher in the race results. According to the official F1 rules, a driver must complete at least 90% of the race winner’s distance in order to be classified, regardless of whether they finish the race or not. Since Alonso was unable to complete this requirement in either of those races, he was excluded from the results.
The nightmare continued into the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, where Alonso’s performance remained underwhelming. In Free Practice 1, he crashed out, which set the tone for the rest of the event. His performance in qualifying was equally disappointing, as he failed to make it out of Q2, although he did manage to outqualify his Aston Martin teammate, Lance Stroll. Despite the tough qualifying session, Alonso’s hopes of making a comeback in the race were dashed when he finished 11th, just shy of a points-scoring position.
Alonso’s 11th-place finish in Japan was especially frustrating as it marked the closest he had come to scoring his first points of the season. He was less than three seconds away from securing a top-10 finish, which would have awarded him valuable points. Nevertheless, Alonso did manage to complete the race in full, marking the first time since the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that he had finished an entire race distance without issues.
In contrast, his teammate Lance Stroll has had a significantly better season so far, already picking up 10 points and maintaining a solid performance across multiple races. While Alonso’s season continues to be plagued with difficulties, Stroll’s consistency has helped Aston Martin perform well in the constructors’ standings.
Despite his lack of points, Alonso experienced an unusual boost in the drivers’ championship standings after the Japanese GP. He climbed three places, moving up to 17th overall. This promotion came largely due to the lack of impressive performances from other drivers at the back of the grid. The drivers ranked below him—Liam Lawson, Jack Doohan, and Gabriel Bortoleto—have not fared much better in the 2024 season. Lawson’s best result so far has been 16th in China, and he also managed a 14th-place finish in the sprint race there. Meanwhile, Doohan’s highest finish has been 15th in two races, but he also faced difficulties, including finishing last in the sprint race in China and failing to finish his home race in Australia. As a result, Alonso’s 11th-place finish in Japan was enough to move him ahead of these drivers, even though he remains point-less in the standings.
For Alonso, this climb in the standings is somewhat of a silver lining in an otherwise disappointing season. While his position in the championship is far from where he would like to be, he remains optimistic about the potential for improvement. His main focus, however, will be on securing points in upcoming races rather than relying on the underperformance of others. Alonso has long been known for his skill and tenacity, and he will undoubtedly be hoping for a string of solid finishes that can push him back into the top ranks of the drivers’ standings.
With many races left in the season, Alonso will be hoping to turn his luck around and build on the momentum of his finishes, with an eye on finally breaking into the points-scoring positions. If he can manage to consistently finish in the top 10, he could easily climb higher in the standings. For now, however, Alonso remains in 17th, with the task of catching up to his competitors and putting his tough start to the season behind him.
