During the dramatic 2020 Formula 1 season, every driver had their share of high points, good fortune and highlights that they will remember for a long time.
But they also had their low points, which they might need reminding of.
So here are these for all 20 regular race drivers from the 2020 season.
The low points can either be terrible mistakes or situations where they lost a good result to factors outside of their control, and are presented here in reverse world championship order.
Nicholas Latifi
Qualifying was Nicholas Latifi’s main struggle in 2020 and he saved the worst for last with what he described as a “proper rookie mistake” in Abu Dhabi. Having had to back up at the end of his preparation lap before his final attempt in Q1, he lost tyre temperature and then spun on the throttle exiting the last turn to start the lap.
Kevin Magnussen
Kevin Magnussen found points hard to come by in the uncompetitive Haas, but he was in the mix to score in the Turkish Grand Prix in 11th place when he pitted for the second time. But a crossthreaded front-right wheelnut led to him being released from the pit box prematurely and being ordered to stop. By the time he was recovered and sent back out, his race was ruined.
Romain Grosjean
The worst moment for Romain Grosjean was also the worst moment of the whole season as his Haas cut through the Armco barrier, splitting the car in half and causing a fireball on the first lap of the Bahrain Grand Prix. But his escape from the conflagration with relatively minor injuries was one of the best.
George Russell
George Russell’s two-season quest for a points finish in a Williams was on course to come to an end at Imola. But while aggressively trying to maintain tyre temperature under the late-race safety car, he speared into the barriers approaching Acque Minerale – describing it as “such an amateur mistake”.
Antonio Giovinazzi
In 2019, Antonio Giovinazzi’s worst moment was crashing out of the Belgian Grand Prix at Pouhon. In 2020, his worst moment was crashing out of the Belgian Grand Prix at Fagnes – and taking Russell with him.
Kimi Raikkonen
He’s usually very clean in battle, but Kimi Raikkonen got it badly wrong when duelling Russell at the Nurbugring. He attempted to pass the Williams driver into Turn 1, but braked too late, locked up and, when the rear then stepped out, he slid into Russell. While Raikkonen continued, Russell had to retire.
Daniil Kvyat
Daniil Kvyat was running 11th in the early stages of the British Grand Prix when he turned into the left-hander at the entry to Maggotts. But he’d picked up a right-rear puncture and spun heavily into the wall, bringing to an end a race that would likely have brought him a points finish.
Sebastian Vettel
There were a few moments to choose from for Sebastian Vettel, but spinning in the middle of the pack at the first corner of the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone gets the nod. It all went wrong at the apex, when he took too much kerb and picked up wheelspin, sending him round.
Esteban Ocon
Esteban Ocon was on a slow lap in Saturday’s FP3 session at the Spanish Grand Prix when he let Magnussen past, having been told the Haas was on a quick lap. But Magnussen subsequently backed off, Ocon noticed too late and speared into the wall as he attempted to avoid hitting the rear of the Haas on the run to Turn 4.
Lance Stroll
The early laps of the Portuguese Grand Prix went well for Lance Stroll, climbing from 12th on the grid to eighth. But his attempt to pass Lando Norris for seventh went badly wrong as he turned in on the McLaren, spinning and sustaining damage that eventually led to his retirement.
Pierre Gasly
After starting 16th at Mugello, Pierre Gasly was eager to make early progress. But his aggressive approach led to him squeezing between Raikkonen and Grosjean on the run to the second corner, inevitably resulting in contact that led to his and Max Verstappen’s retirement.
Lando Norris
Norris was on course for a possible third place in the Eifel Grand Prix at the Nurburgring and was running ahead of Sergio Perez – and in with a good chance of beating Daniel Ricciardo – when an ignition problem reared its head. Eventually, he retired after unburned fuel in the exhaust ignited.
Charles Leclerc
Leclerc broke the cardinal rule in motorsport not to take out your team-mate when he made a risky move up the inside at the hairpin on the first lap of the Styrian Grand Prix. He hit Vettel, giving the German rear end damage that put him out, then retired a few laps later with suspension damage.
Alex Albon
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner had warned that the Portuguese and Emilia Romagna Grands Prix could be decisive in Alex Albon’s F1 future, so the last thing Albon needed was to follow up a disappointing run in Portugal with a bad race at Imola. After losing sixth to Perez in the Villeneuve chicane, he spun at the exit and dropped to the back – blaming a phantom hit for the incident.
Carlos Sainz
After taking to the runoff at Turn 2 at the start of the Russian Grand Prix, Sainz knew he had to take the designated chicane to rejoin. He did that, but badly misjudged the speed he could carry through it and wiped out his front-left corner on the barrier before spinning back onto the track.
Daniel Ricciardo
There weren’t many bad moments for Daniel Riccairdo during a fine season, but what he described as a “Seb spin” on the power while battling with Sainz in the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone cost him a points finish. And why was it a “Seb Spin”? It was simply because he lost downforce unexpectedly owing to being so close to Sainz, the kind of incident Vettel has suffered several times in recent years.
Sergio Perez
Perez was just three and a half laps away from finishing third in the Bahrain Grand Prix when he ground to a halt with an engine failure. While his win at the same circuit a week later softened the blow, it was also a big hit for Racing Point in its failed pursuit of third in the constructors’ championship.
Max Verstappen
Verstappen locked up and slid into the tyre barrier at the Turn 12 right-hander on one of his laps to the grid for the Hungarian Grand Prix. It was an embarrassing moment, but thanks to superb work from his Red Bull crew, Verstappen’s car was repaired just in time for the start and he finished second.
Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas is used to unfavourable comparisons with Lewis Hamilton and question marks over his Mercedes future. But being outraced in the Sakhir Grand Prix by prospective 2022 replacement Russell before Mercedes suffered its pitstop catastrophe took this to a new level.
Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton had already compromised his Austrian Grand Prix weekend by picking up a grid penalty for missing a yellow flag in qualifying. But he cost himself two places thanks to another penalty – and denied Albon a shot at victory – when he understeered into the Red Bull at Turn 4 while trying to hold onto second place.
