Ferrari and Mercedes are vying for the second place in the constructors’ championship
Both teams will have to settle for honorable positions in the constructor's championship, as Red Bull is too far ahead. With a 24-point gap before the Japanese Grand Prix, every result will count.
It’s very tight. Mercedes, in second place, is only ahead of Ferrari by a mere 24 points. If the German team wants to maintain their advantage over the Italians, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell must not make any mistakes. The one made by number 63, last week in Singapore, cost them a lot of points.
While the Silver Arrows occupied the third and fourth places, George Russell ended his race in the wall. Only the seven-time world champion saw the finish line.
With this mistake, Mercedes saw Ferrari getting closer in the constructors’ championship and putting pressure on for the end of the year. If first place is out of reach, both teams will have to settle for, at best, this second position.
« We finished second in the constructors’ standings last year, so the goal was to try to win the constructors’ standings this year. After the first few races, we realized that it wasn’t realistic because Red Bull is in a league of its own at the moment », admits Charles Leclerc.
« That being said, looking at this season, the best we can do is second place and we will do everything to achieve it. It’s going to be tight because with Mercedes, and also McLaren, although they are a little further down in the constructors’ standings, the three teams are now very close. »
A viewpoint shared by Lewis Hamilton, positioning himself as the leader of Mercedes who can also consider a second place in the driver’s championship.
« We certainly didn’t expect to be second in the constructors’ ranking, and the fact that we are now relatively close [to Ferrari], especially in the last two races, I think it’s exciting for us as a team. And of course, we want to beat them just as much as they want to beat us, so it will take a full team effort, that’s for sure. »
