The penultimate Grand Prix of the season will be held in Qatar, with McLaren having the first match point for the Constructors’ Championship.
The recent Las Vegas Grand Prix went much better than expected for McLaren, who, in the end, only lost 12 points to Ferrari. The Maranello Reds finished in third and fourth place, amid some controversy between Leclerc and Sainz, and now the gap to the Papaya team is 24 points.
Two races remain until the end of the season, or rather, two and a half, since the sprint race will also take place in Qatar. On the Lusail circuit, McLaren could mathematically clinch the Constructors’ Championship, but to do so, they will need a series of combinations, which currently also involves Red Bull. The current standings are: McLaren 608, Ferrari 584, and Red Bull 555.
McLaren Wins the Championship in Qatar: The Combinations
As previously explained, McLaren could celebrate the Constructors’ title in the next Grand Prix. However, to do so, they will need to gain 20 points over Ferrari and not lose 9 points to Red Bull. It’s a challenging but possible scenario, given that Ferrari struggles on the Qatari track, while McLaren seems to be the clear favorite.
Ferrari Wins the Constructors’ Championship: The Combinations
On the other hand, Scuderia Ferrari can only hope to close the gap and take the title battle to the final race in Abu Dhabi. Both Ferrari and McLaren have five wins this season, but the Woking-based team holds the advantage with second-place finishes (10 to 3).
Red Bull Wins the Constructors’ Championship: The Combinations
A very unlikely scenario, although mathematically possible, is for Red Bull to win the Constructors’ Championship. The Anglo-Austrian team would need to score maximum points in the remaining weekends or hope to lose no more than 9 points to McLaren and 15 points to Ferrari.
Red Bull would need an incredible miracle, but they could play the role of the referee in this battle between two historic motorsport teams. In 2024, therefore, the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships could be won by two different teams. This has only happened 11 times in 66 years.
