Ferrari found their way to second place in the F1 Constructors’ Championship after another dominating performance in Mexico. The double podium placed them into the three-way fight for the Constructors’ Championship, alongside McLaren and Red Bull.
Red Bull won the 2023 Constructors’ Championship, setting up a gap of more than 400 points between them and other teams. Fast forward to this year, the current top three teams are all within the same 500-point range, this time with an incredibly smaller point margin.
The on-track battles have never been more thrilling than ever. Now that we are into the final stint of the season, they will without a doubt fully send into the season finale.
Opening stages
Many believed the consecutive Red Bull 1-2 in the first two rounds indicate another year of the Red Bull dominance.
However, another team experienced their fair share of triumph. Ferrari scored their first race win of the season early on. To add on, it was a double celebration in Australia. It was Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc’s turn to conquer the top two places. They both successfully took up the top five positions for every race (sans Saudi Arabia) during this period, presenting themselves as a strong contender.
McLaren also had an impressive run in the early races. Both drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri landed in the top ten places for every round. However, Piastri’s front wing damage forced him to finish in the Miami Grand Prix with no points.
On the bright side, Norris finally delivered the F1 plot twist by winning the race in Miami. This not only marked McLaren’s first win of the season, but it was also the British driver’s first-ever race win of his career.
McLaren remained third in the Constructors’ standings but had started to close the gap to Ferrari who were in P2. Another competitor was on the rise.
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen did ensure Red Bull’s dominant form must be conspicuous. Having collected the other four race wins at that point, he and the team carried forward their confidence in leading the championship to the next round.
European and Canadian stages
As previously mentioned, Red Bull entered the European leg of the season with confidence. That translated to another win for Verstappen in Imola. But his teammate Sergio Perez was seven places behind the Dutchman in eighth place, due to an error in tyre strategies. Norris and Leclerc joined the podium in second and third respectively, showing their biggest rival their continuous fight to reach the top.
Ferrari had another splendid weekend of the season, another double podium finish in Monaco. Leclerc particularly enjoyed his first-ever home win, while his teammate rounded up the top three.
Max Verstappen unfortunately had to finish outside the top five. Sergio Perez’s early race exit due to a major crash with both Haas cars marked a second retirement for Red Bull, after Verstappen’s in Australia. This led to Ferrari and McLaren taking advantage of the situation and taking up the top four places in the principality.
In the following round, Ferrari faced a steep downhill in confidence. Their double retirement in Montreal caused stagnation to their position in the Constructors’ standings. They continued to secure top-six finishes in the next few European races to make up for the disaster.
At the same time, McLaren saw an upward trend in their performance since Miami. The strategy to implement the major upgrade in the American race was proven effective as they became the fastest team. They managed to clinch top ten finishes from track to track.
The Austrian Grand Prix was a whirlwind weekend for Ferrari and McLaren. While Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc had to finish with no points due to mechanical issues, their teammates Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz both scored podium-finish results.
Piastri’s maiden win in Hungary was a pivotal moment in McLaren’s title fight. As it was also their first 1-2 of the year, the British outfit finally made the switch to second place in the Constructors’ standings.
As his last win was in Spain, Verstappen clinched more top-five positions to keep Red Bull in the lead. But it was unfortunately the exact opposite case for Sergio Perez. And this did very little to sustain their championship position.
Championship standings after Monza saw the top three teams all in the 400-point range. McLaren is catching up to leader Red Bull, with only eight points away from each other.
Many expected a historic change in the Constructors’ standings very soon. And that moment arrived in the next round in Azerbaijan.
Closing stages
Baku saw the drivers experiencing utter chaos. Realizing the pressure of a title fight, Lando Norris qualified a shocking 17th, while both Ferraris finished in the top three in the session.
On race day, Oscar Piastri snatched the lead from polesitter Charles Leclerc from Lap 20 onwards. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez collision in the penultimate lap did temporarily upset both fans and teams. This put a blow to the Constructors’ rankings.
McLaren were the winners of this catastrophe. Thanks to Piastri’s stellar defence from Leclerc all the way through, it was another race win for McLaren. Norris jumped up an outstanding 13 places to secure fourth place, just ahead of Verstappen.
These achievements forced Red Bull to hand over the constructors lead to McLaren. This was the first time McLaren led the Constructors’ Championship standings since the 2014 Australian Grand Prix.
With McLaren emerging as the new championship leader, they confirmed their meteoric rise to the grid.
The massive contribution of Max Verstappen from his podiums and sprint wins has helped to keep Red Bull afloat in the top three.
After the post-Singapore break, McLaren still delivered a decent run of performances. However, there were occasional slips from the drivers. Both drivers Norris and Piastri were slapped with penalties in Austin while trying to maintain their lead at the top.
Using the upgrades from the previous races was the right move for the Prancing Horse in Texas. This resulted in another glorious 1-2 of the season, a strong comeback from the Italian team.
After another dominant display by Ferrari at the Mexico GP, their massive points accumulation lifted them to second place over Red Bull. Now a contender with a 29-point gap to the leaders, McLaren, this is much to the delight of the Tifosi and the team.
A much-watch finale
Throughout the season, two out of the top three teams have experienced being at the peak of the game. Both Red Bull and McLaren were allowed the chance to lead the Constructors’ Championship. Ferrari are now on their way to having their hands on the Constructors’ crown.
Ferrari have been consistent in their performances. Although under the radar this season, Ferrari have been increasing their chances of securing the 2024 Constructors’ Championship title.
If the other two want to prevent that from happening, it will be a tough challenge for Red Bull and McLaren to overcome.
All in all, fans and teams will definitely anticipate a dramatic finale in Abu Dhabi.
