MOTOSPORTS | Formula One constructors’ battle set to go down to the wire 

McLaren’s British driver Lando Norris drives during the qualifying session ahead of the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi on December 7, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

In Formula One, two championships are handed out every year. While the drivers’ title is the most prestigious, the other one awarded to the team with the most points — the constructors’ title — is more significant for the team and its employees.

Though the drivers’ crown has been part of the sport since its inaugural year in 1950, the first constructors’ title was awarded only in 1958.

However, as the sport has grown in terms of fan base and commercial success, the constructors’ title determines the prize money, which forms a crucial portion of a team’s revenue. More importantly, employee bonuses are linked to the team’s performance at the end of the year.

A significant chunk of F1’s prize money is divided among the teams on a sliding scale, with the outfit at the top of the standings earning the highest.

This year, Max Verstappen sealed his fourth straight drivers’ crown in Las Vegas a fortnight ago, but the battle for the constructors’ title remains alive ahead of the finale in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

McLaren leads Ferrari by 21 points, with 44 points up for grabs on Sunday. A 1-2 finish for a team nets 43 points, plus another one for the fastest lap in the race.

The last time the constructors’ battle was alive till the season’s final race was in 2021 at Abu Dhabi when Mercedes pipped Red Bull.

McLaren is the odds-on favourite, considering its healthy cushion. Even if the Ferarris finishes 1-2, McLaren can finish four and five, along with the fastest lap, to triumph.

If neither Ferrari nor McLaren wins the race and the teams are still tied, McLaren will emerge winners on countback. The British squad will have five wins, the same as the Italian marquee, but it has 10 second-place finishes to Ferrari’s four so far.

With McLaren locking out the front row led by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in qualifying and Ferrari starting only third (Carlos Sainz) and 20th (Charles Leclerc), the Woking-based squad looks good to clinch its first constructors’ title since 1998.