Scuderia Ferrari are set to face mathematical elimination from 2018 Formula 1 constructor championship contention in the Mexican Grand Prix.
Scuderia Ferrari currently trail Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport in the Formula 1 constructor standings by 66 points (563 to 497). As a result, they are set to face mathematical elimination from 2018 constructor championship contention in the 19th race of the 21-race season, the Mexican Grand Prix.
A maximum of 43 points are on the table for each team in each race. With three races remaining on the 2018 schedule, including the Mexican Grand Prix, the Brazilian Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, a maximum of 129 points are on the table for each team throughout the rest of the season.
This means that following the Mexican Grand Prix, a maximum of 86 points will remain on the table for each team since two races remaining on the schedule.
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If Ferrari fall to 86 points behind Mercedes in the 71-lap race around the 17-turn, 2.674-mile (4.304-kilometer) Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Mexico, they will be mathematically eliminated from constructor championship contention.
This will happen if Mercedes outscore Ferrari by at least 20 points in this race. The reason that Mercedes do not need to outscore Ferrari by at least 21 points to eliminate the Italian team from constructor championship contention by taking at least an 87-point lead in the constructor standings is the fact that Mercedes have already clinched the tiebreaker over Ferrari.
While Ferrari can potentially catch Mercedes’ win total, as Mercedes’ win total is nine and Ferrari’s is six with three races remaining on the schedule, they cannot catch, much less pass, Mercedes’ second place total, which is what the tiebreaker would become if Ferrari win all three of the remaining races of the 2018.
This is the case because of the fact that through the first 18 races of the season, Mercedes have earned 10 second place finishes while Ferrari have earned just five. Therefore, Ferrari can only earn a maximum of eight second place finishes in 2018.
Will Mercedes eliminate Ferrari from 2018 Formula 1 constructor championship contention in the Mexican Grand Prix? Tune in to ABC at 3:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 28 for the live broadcast of the race from Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez to find out.