Red Bull are hot favourites to retain both World Championships, so we thought we’d take a look at the alternatives.

The Red Bull RB20 looks the class of the field once again in 2024, so we thought we’d take a look at a hypothetical world where things may look a little closer.

With Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez having taken a one-two finish in the opening two races of the season, we’re going early and taking a look at how the Constructors’ Championship might shake out without them in 2024 – which we will track as the season progresses.

Calculating the F1 Constructors’ Championship without Red Bull

As we have done in our tally for calculating the Drivers’ Championship without Max Verstappen, in this case we are excluding the results of both Verstappen and Perez and handing out their points to the drivers below by moving their places up.

Given how close the chasing pack have been behind Red Bull, we reckon the points differences given out for victories instead of the lower placings could well make a big change in these hypothetical standings.

Please remember that this is just for fun and these figures are being calculated with that in mind, as Red Bull look like they could run away with both titles once again on early evidence.

We’re going to keep track of the maths as the season unfolds, and any time a Red Bull driver earns a fastest lap point, it will be redistributed to the next-fastest driver over one lap in race trim.

So after Verstappen claimed fastest lap in Bahrain, Charles Leclerc set the second-fastest lap of the race there, and that bonus point has gone to Ferrari instead as a result.

Leclerc didn’t need any help in Saudi Arabia though, stealing the fastest lap point all on his own on the final lap in Jeddah to send Ferrari well clear at the top, with Oliver Bearman putting in a Driver of the Day performance as stand-in for Carlos Sainz to finish P7, which became a ‘fantasy’ P5 without Red Bull.

Verstappen’s retirement in Australia makes this calculation slightly easier, with only Perez and his 10 points for P5 to take into account – meaning Alex Albon would have been promoted into the points if Red Bull were not present at Albert Park.

Carlos Sainz inherited the fastest lap point in Japan, while taking both Red Bulls out of the equation meant points for Nico Hulkenberg and Lance Stroll.

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F1 2024 Constructors’ Championship without Red Bull [correct as of Japan]

1: Ferrari – 168
2: McLaren – 96
3: Mercedes – 59
4: Aston Martin – 54
5: Haas – 14
6: RB – 12
7: Williams – 3
8: Kick Sauber – 2
9: Alpine – 0