Pierre Gasly’s Barcelona recovery from 14th on the grid to 7th at the flag lifted him from fourth to third in 2026’s best average positions gained table. Oscar Piastri slipped the other way in the ranking despite another points finish, while Liam Lawson’s +5.33 lead remains intact after round 7.
By Camille Fontaine
The Barcelona Grand Prix delivered a small but telling shuffle inside the 2026 best average positions gained ranking: Pierre Gasly moved up from fourth to third, nudging Oscar Piastri down a place. Gasly’s Alpine rise was built on one of the cleaner “grid-to-flag” turnarounds in the data set this weekend, starting 14th and finishing 7th (65 laps, classified as lapped) to bank a seven-place gain that helped lift his season average to +2.33.
Piastri’s drop to fourth is a reminder of what this ranking actually rewards. His Barcelona result was strong on points — 10 for finishing 5th — but from a starting slot of 7th it only counts as a two-place improvement, and that leaves him now behind Gasly on average at +2.25. With the maximum movement in the top order this round limited to one position either way, the battle for the lower podium places is being decided by fine margins rather than big swings.
Up front, the bigger story is continuity. Liam Lawson remains the benchmark at +5.33 on average, even though Barcelona itself was neutral in pure positions gained terms: 8th on the grid, 8th at the finish (65 laps, lapped) for a net zero. Max Verstappen sits second on +3.60, so Lawson’s edge is still substantial after seven races — and with the ranking built on official grid position, every weekend like Barcelona that avoids giving away places keeps his advantage hard to erode.
| Driver | Team | Before | After | Δ | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierre Gasly | Alpine F1 Team | 4 | 3 | +1 | +2.33 |
| Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 3 | 4 | -1 | +2.25 |
Lawson’s +5.33 average stays the reference point after a zero-gain Barcelona, while the fight for third is now the headline: Gasly’s +2.33 has edged ahead of Piastri’s +2.25, turning every small grid-to-flag swing into a potential ranking swap.