Formula 1: Can Red Bull clinch Constructors' Championship after Max Verstappen retains drivers' title? Scenarios explained

Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen managed to win a fourth consecutive Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship despite enduring one of his worst seasons in recent years, clinching the title with his fifth-place finish, marginally ahead of nearest rival Lando Norris, in the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Sunday.

After his victory in the Spanish GP in June, the Dutch racer had failed to win a single race until the Brazilian GP earlier this month , collecting 31 points to widen the gap between him and the second-placed Norris of McLaren. That included five points won with his fourth-place finish in the sprint race.

Even if Verstappen fails to win a single point in the remainder of the season, Norris will still fall short even if he sweeps the last two races of the season in Lusail and Abu Dhabi respectively. The maximum the Briton can finish on is 400, which is three short of where Verstappen currently stands.

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What the Constructors’ Championship looks like

As for the Constructors’ Standings, Red Bull currently find themselves at the third position and are more than fifty points adrift from leaders McLaren, who are followed by Ferrari. McLaren currently are the only team with over 600 points (608) in their kitty while Ferrari and Red Bull currently have 584 and 555 points respectively.

Mercedes, who are set to part ways with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at the end of the season, are over a hundred points behind Red Bull at fourth with 425 while the teams ranked from fifth (Aston Martin) and ninth (Williams) have scores in double digits. Bottom-ranked team Sauber, meanwhile, are yet to open their account with two races remaining.

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Verstappen holds the lap record at the Lusail International Circuit, set in 2023, and should enjoy driving with freedom and confidence, but will face a robust challenge from all his rivals as McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes seek success.

After falling away last weekend, in the drivers’ title fight, Norris and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri will aim to add to their position as leaders.

Verstappen won last year’s race ahead of Norris and Piastri, who claimed victory in the sprint, suggesting that given more recent form it will be a weekend that may favour the vastly-improved McLaren team in the third Qatar event.

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Mercedes’ Hamilton won the inaugural Qatar race in 2021. There was no race in 2022 when Qatar hosted the FIFA World Cup final tournament.

“Winning the title was an incredible moment,” said Verstappen ahead of his arrival in Doha. “I am so proud of what we achieved as a team. There were difficult moments, but we stuck together, never gave up and this is what made it so special.

“We are still very focused for the Qatar race and it is going to be a busy weekend. The season is not over yet… We want to keep the momentum going and win as many points as we can for the team –- bring it on!”

‘Nobody is unbeatable’

The champion can expect a strong challenge from all of his rivals led by Mercedes’ George Russell, who won in Nevada and declared that he was intent on launching a title bid in 2025, if his oft-capricious car proves as fast and reliable as it was last weekend.

“Nobody is unbeatable,” said Russell, amid talk of a Verstappen era of dominance. “You go through phases when teams and drivers are dominating, but you have to have belief in yourself… Personally, I believe that we can fight him in equal machinery.”

The switch in focus to the constructors’ championship will see prestige and prize money at stake for the teams who, within the sport and its paddock, regard it as the true focus of their attention while acknowledging the popular value of the drivers’ title too.

Although the allocation of prize money is not made public, most informed paddock sources believe that the champion team wins an estimated $140-150 million with the runners-up taking $130-135 million.

The third-placed team may receive around 125 million with each of the ten receiving approximately 10 million less than the team finishing a place above them, a situation that will change in 2026 when General Motors’ Cadillac brand enters as a new team.

By then, given F1’s American-fuelled growth, the revenue streams and prize money are expected to have increased with the momentum generated that, on Wednesday, saw the famous and historic Italian Grand Prix extend its place on the calendar with a six-year deal through to 2031.

With AFP inputs