For the first time since Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard combined to deliver glory in 1998, McLaren is on the cusp of winning the F1 constructors' championship.
The equation for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri is relatively simple heading into the Qatar Grand Prix, with the team enjoying a 30-point buffer over Ferrari following their maximum haul of 15 points in the sprint.
To be crowned champions in Qatar - for the first time in the lifetime of either driver - McLaren must out-score Ferrari by 15 or more points to enjoy a buffer of 45 or more heading to the season-finale in Abu Dhabi next weekend where only 44 points will be on offer.
Heading into the race where Norris is third, Piastri fourth and Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc fifth and Carlos Sainz seventh, McLaren has 623 points to Ferrari's 593.
Red Bull also remains in the fight, but is 67 points behind McLaren, meaning Max Verstappen (second) and Sergio Perez (ninth) must combine to out-score the Woking team by 24 points if it wants to retain its title for a third straight season.
Find out below what McLaren must do to win the 2024 F1 constructors' championship in Qatar!
How McLaren can win the F1 constructors' championship in Qatar
As the championship stands, McLaren currently has 623 points with Ferrari 30 behind on 593 and Red Bull 37 further back on 556.
Should the gap be 44 points following the Qatar race and either Norris or Piastri wins, McLaren will be crowned champions as if this happens, Ferrari could equal McLaren's points total with a maximum score in Abu Dhabi if McLaren do not score with the two then level on six wins.
It would then go to countback for second places, with McLaren winning as it has 10 second place finishes to its name this season, with Ferrari only having three.
If the gap is 44 points after the race and neither Norris or Piastri have won, the championship will not be over as Ferrari could score the maximum in Abu Dhabi to draw level with McLaren.
By dint of this Abu Dhabi win for either Leclerc or Sainz, Ferrari would claim a 17th constructors' championship by virtue of having six wins in the season to McLaren's five.
Top three in F1 constructors' championship after Qatar Grand Prix sprint
| Position | Team | Points | Gap to P1 | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | McLaren | 623 | - | 5 |
| 2nd | Ferrari | 593 | -30 | 5 |
| 3rd | Red Bull | 556 | -76 | 8 |
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they dissect the Las Vegas GP and look ahead to Qatar! Max Verstappen's title success was a main talking point, as was the mounting pressure on McLaren in the F1 constructors' title fight.
Rather watch the podcast? Then click here!
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