The 2024 Constructor’s Championship Is Shaping Up To Be An All-Time Classic
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Typically in Formula One, most of the attention goes to the Drivers’ Championship. Teams, media, and fans all tend to focus primarily on the battle between the individual competitors; the ones driving the cars as opposed to the cars themselves. Sometimes, these fights go all the way down to the wire, with the most recent example being Max Verstappen versus Lewis Hamilton in 2021. However, while there appears to be little chance of anyone challenging Verstappen in the Driver’s Championship this season, a titanic scrap for the top spot in the Constructor’s Championship currently rages on as F1 approaches the second half of its season. With 10 races left on the schedule, there are four teams that are still realistically in the picture to come out on top at year’s end. Here are the four constructors that could take home the title this season, and the obstacles they face as we enter the home stretch of the Formula One calendar.
Red Bull
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Winners of the last two Constructor’s Championships, Red Bull Racing are looking to make it three in a row in 2024. And through the first handful of races, it looked like they were comfortably on pace to do so. Their package was dominant in the opening rounds, as Verstappen racked up four wins in five races, with teammate Sergio Perez bagging as many podiums in as many starts. However, since then the Milton Keynes outfit have slowly surrendered their advantage to the rest of the grid. They arguably lost the honor of having the best car months ago due to the massive strides taken by McLaren and Mercedes. Thanks to some heroics by Verstappen and some excellent strategy by their pitwall, Red Bull still currently lead the Constructor’s Championship by 42 points. Unfortunately for them, Perez has had a woeful run of form in recent races, and has struggled to score any significant points for the team while his teammate is routinely in the fight for the win. It’s tough to count out Red Bull as long as they still have Verstappen in their car, but if their second driver cannot find consistent pace, they could very well lose the Constructor’s Championship in a year where it looked like it was theirs for the taking.
McLaren
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After starting off the year a little slow, McLaren have come on strong in recent months. Lando Norris scored the first win of his career in Miami, kicking off a stretch where many considered the papaya team to have the fastest car. While missed opportunities in Imola, Canada, Spain, and Silverstone will haunt McLaren over the summer break, they are only 42 points back from an ailing Red Bull. Oscar Piastri has stepped up to the plate amidst this constructor’s battle, and shown he can deliver equal, if not better results than his more experienced teammate Norris. Right now, McLaren have perhaps the best two-pronged attack in the sport, with both their young drivers near the top of their games. And while their MCL38 has not dominated the grid, it is arguably the best car out there at the moment. Perhaps the biggest hurdle McLaren faces is their lack of recent experience fighting for a Constructor’s Championship. While teams like Red Bull and Mercedes are used to this kind of pressure, will McLaren fold in the key moments of the championship? They have everything they need to take their first constructor’s title in over 25 years, with execution being the main obstacle standing in their way.
Ferrari
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While Ferrari have only recorded two wins on the season, they sit just 21 points back from McLaren, and 63 back from Red Bull. Perhaps the most consistent package of the year, the Scuderia have rarely had the best car, but have almost always been in the fight for the podium. There certainly have been disappointing performances, particularly from the strategy team in charge of Charles Leclerc’s races. But overall, Ferrari have picked up solid points at virtually every juncture this season, and are still very much in the mix to overtake Red Bull and McLaren. Of course, if they are going to do so, they need to take a step or two forward in performance over the summer break, and come back with a car that can challenge for wins and 1-2 finishes. Drivers Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are more than capable of maximizing results and stringing together multiple good weekends in a row. The question is if the men and women back in Maranello can develop the SF-24 even further, and if the Ferrari strategists can avoid sinking their drivers into the midfield. It will take a total team effort from the Scuderia if they are going to make up the deficit, but if everyone is able to get things together, they could be poised to make a late run at the Constructor’s Championship this year.
Mercedes
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Last but certainly not least, there’s Mercedes. Toto Wolff’s team currently sits fourth in the Constructor’s Championship, 100 points behind McLaren in second and 142 points behind Red Bull at the top. From the outside looking in, it may seem like they have no chance of making a historic comeback this year. However, Mercedes have turned their year around in the last four races, claiming victory in three of them. This is already the most races the team have won in a season since 2021, and their form is perhaps as strong now as it has ever been during the Lewis Hamilton-George Russell era. Both of their star drivers have been overdelivering in their results, and would have scored a 1-2 finish last time out in Spa had Russell not been disqualified for being slightly underweight. However, the win still went to Hamilton, and the trophy stayed in the Mercedes garage. They are the hottest team in Formula One right now, and have all the momentum going into the second half of the season. Mercedes are used to winning Constructor’s Championships, and have all the experience and skill needed to get it done again. However, closing a 142 points gap is no small feat, even for them. It would take a monumental effort for them to even be within contention come the final race in Abu Dhabi. But, if anyone can pull it off, it’s Mercedes.
Rarely at this point in the season are there even multiple teams with a legitimate shot at winning the Constructor’s Championship, let alone four of them. This year’s title could feasibly be won by Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren or even Mercedes. These four teams are all hungry for the top spot, and will lay it all on the line to come out on top of 2024. The battle for this year’s Constructor’s Championship has already been thrilling, and with 10 races still to go, things are shaping up for an all-time classic battle that will be remembered by Formula One fans for years to come.
