Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport had a chance to clinch the 2018 Formula 1 constructor championship in the Mexican Grand Prix, but they failed to do so.
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport entered the 19th race of the 21-race 2018 Formula 1 season, the Mexican Grand Prix, with a 66-point lead (563 to 497) over Scuderia Ferrari in second place in the constructor standings.
With a maximum of 43 points on the table for each team in each race since race victories are worth 25 points and second place finishes are worth 18 points, Mercedes had a chance to mathematically clinch their fifth consecutive constructor championship in this race.
With a maximum of 86 points on the table for each team with two races remaining on the 2018 schedule, Mercedes had a chance to clinch this year’s constructor championship by outscoring Ferrari by at least 20 points in the 71-lap race around the 17-turn, 2.674-mile (4.304-kilometer) Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Mexico.
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The reason why Mercedes needed to outscore Ferrari by 20 points to take an 86-point lead over them as opposed to 21 points to take an 87-point lead over them to clinch the constructor championship is because they had already clinched the tiebreaker over the Italian team.
Even though Ferrari still had a chance to tie Mercedes’ win total before the season ended, as they entered the Mexican Grand Prix with six victories while Mercedes entered it with nine, they could not possibly match, much less pass, Mercedes’ second place total, which is what the tiebreaker would be if the two teams were to end the season tied in both points and wins. Ferrari entered the race with five second place finishes while Mercedes entered it with 10.
When it was all said and done, Mercedes failed to outscore Ferrari by 20 points in the Mexican Grand Prix. In fact, Ferrari outscored Mercedes by 11 points in it, as both of their drivers finished higher than the two drivers of the Brackley-based team.
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen scored 18 points and 15 points as a result of the fact that they finished in second and third place, respectively, while Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas scored 12 points and 10 points as a result of the fact that they finished in fourth and fifth, respectively.
As a result, the 2018 constructor championship battle is set to continue into the penultimate race of the season, the Brazilian Grand Prix. Mercedes are set to enter this race with a 55-point lead (585 to 530) in the constructor standings over Ferrari, and they are set to enter it with another chance to lock up their fifth consecutive constructor championship.
Just one race will remain on the 2018 Formula 1 schedule following the conclusion of the next race, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, November 11. This race, the Brazilian Grand Prix, is set to be broadcast live from Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace in Sao Paulo, Brazil on ABC beginning at 12:10 p.m. ET, so be sure not to miss it.