'First-ever Estonian in F1' - Fans react to bewildering standings mistake

Nyck de Vries, Paul de Vries, Social — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 Social

'First-ever Estonian in F1' - Fans react to bewildering standings mistake

A bizarre new driver appeared in the final championship standings

Ronan Murphy Sports Journalist

Sports journalist covering European football, motorsport, etc.

Sunday 26 November 2023 17:12

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.

Article continues under video

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.