'First-ever Estonian in F1' - Fans react to bewildering standings mistake
'First-ever Estonian in F1' - Fans react to bewildering standings mistake
Formula 1 fans were left confused - and entertained - when the final standings were shown after the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Twenty-two drivers appeared in the list, topped by the record-breaking Max Verstappen after his 19th win of the season, but the driver in 22nd was not somebody that anyone expected to see.
That is because nobody expected an Estonian driver called Paul de Vries at the bottom of the standings, racing for a team called Trident.
Dutch driver Nyck de Vries was the real 22nd best driver in 2023, picking up zero points for AlphaTauri before being replaced by Daniel Ricciardo after the British Grand Prix – exactly the same number of points as his countryman Mart Poom, who played football for Derby County and Arsenal instead of driving an F1 car.
Ricciardo missed five races himself due to an injury, with reserve driver Liam Lawson stepping into his shoes to become the 22nd different driver to race this year. A ninth-place finish in Singapore saw the Australian pick up two points, while American rookie Logan Sargeant also outscored De Vries thanks to his P10 in the United States Grand Prix.
De Vries is set to return to racing in 2024, entering the World Endurance Championship driving a Toyota. His last mention in Formula 1 in 2023 could end up being more memorable than some of his races as typos caused his 'relation' Paul to become the first Estonian driver in F1.
Who the f*** is Paul de Vries?
the first ever estonian in f1.
— idris 🇵🇸 (@formulavips) November 26, 2023
paul de vries the man you are 🇪🇪🔥 pic.twitter.com/tsKLvQFzhG
look guys it's paul de vries pic.twitter.com/eT08UdmvUv
— 🚀 z ☆☆☆ (@rbrzoe) November 26, 2023
WHO THE FUCK IS PAUL DE VRIES 😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/6nUM04XGrw
— Lance Stroll (Taylor's Version) (@estestroll) November 26, 2023
i love paul de vries of formula 1 team trident pic.twitter.com/gTob18Dgt4
— eep | on winter break ! ⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙‧͙ (@0SCARSP0DIUM) November 26, 2023
paul??? de vries?? from estonia?? driving for trident?? in the f1 drivers championship?? pic.twitter.com/tWL2FLO2rP
— ✮ (@44sedici) November 26, 2023
''Paul De Vries''
— 𝓑𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓼𝓯𝓾𝓵¹⁶ (@bliss_n16) November 26, 2023
i'm crying 😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/TDleSLkjX0
READ MORE: McLaren boss earmarks star man as WORLD CHAMPION material
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Horner outlines Ricciardo target to save F1 dream as major Newey announcement made - GPFans F1 Recap
- 3 hours ago
Mercedes reveal shock RED livery to celebrate historic milestone
- Yesterday 22:57
Ricciardo makes five-race admission in bid to survive F1 axe
- Yesterday 21:57
Red Bull is 'burning' after Horner and Marko display
- Yesterday 20:57
Red Bull announce strong statement over Newey departure claims
- Yesterday 19:57
Verstappen 'to meet Mercedes over SHOCK 2025 move as Red Bull exit clause revealed'
- Yesterday 18:57
Related news
F1 track to test stunning new driver format
Verstappen caught red-handed in failed Red Bull sabotage
Verstappen's F1 break includes one major omission
Marko mourns death of key Red Bull figure after championship win
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860