Formula 1: Ferrari threat puts Verstappen in unique Schumacher territory

Red Bull have gone from overwhelming favorites to win a third consecutive Formula 1 constructor championship to dropping to a distant second favorite behind McLaren to now a distant third favorite behind McLaren and Ferrari.

Ferrari's 1-2 finish in the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas, led by Charles Leclerc, elevated the team to within eight points of Red Bull for second place in the constructor standings.

Red Bull now sit 40 points behind McLaren, and based on the rate at which they've been outscored by Ferrari, they could very easily lose second to the Scuderia in the coming weeks.

At FanDuel Sportsbook, McLaren are the favorites at -850, followed by Ferrari at +650 and Red Bull at +1300.

Ferrari threat amplifies Verstappen's chance to move up unique list

Red Bull's Max Verstappen remains the championship leader, 57 points ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris and 22 points ahead of Leclerc, and he is also still the title favorite at -450. Norris is listed at +310, while Leclerc is a longshot at +5000.

Irrespective of who wins the driver championship, a constructor championship won by a team other than Red Bull, which now seems increasingly likely given not only McLaren's raw pace but Ferrari's recent resurgence, would actually elevate Verstappen's legacy in a unique way.

Verstappen has won seven races this season, which is still more than twice as many as any other driver. Coming into this year, he had 54 victories to his name, and 20 of those wins came in seasons during which his team did not win the constructor championship.

Should Red Bull fall shy of a third straight title, the 27-year-old Dutchman would end the year with at least 27 career victories in seasons his team did not win the world championship.

Only eight other drivers have ever won 27 career Formula 1 races, and only one other driver has won 27 races in years his team did not win the title.

Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, who is second on the all-time Formula 1 wins list with 91, won 32 races in seasons his teams did not finish atop the constructor standings.

Let's have a look at the only other seven drivers who even have 27 career Formula 1 wins.

Lewis Hamilton's tally is 20 of his all-time record 105 wins. Alain Prost's is 21 of 51, Sebastian Vettel's is 19 of 53, Jackie Stewart's is 15 of 27, Ayrton Senna's is 14 of 41, Fernando Alonso's is 14 of 32, and Nigel Mansell's is 10 of 31.

Note that Hamilton's total and Alonso's total were both decreased by four (so they would be 24 and 18, respectively) because of the fact that McLaren actually scored more points than any other team in 2007. But they ended up being disqualified due to the espionage controversy, making Ferrari the official constructor world champions that year.

There are five races remaining on the 2024 Formula 1 schedule, starting with race number 20 of a record-breaking 24 this weekend. The Mexico City Grand Prix is set to be broadcast live on ABC from Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, where Verstappen owns five career victories, starting at 3:55 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 27. Start a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss it!