Formula 1: McLaren, Ferrari drivers eliminated in Brazil

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and McLaren's Oscar Piastri both entered Interlagos Circuit facing elimination from 2024 Formula 1 world championship contention, needing to remain within 85 points of Red Bull's Max Verstappen to remain eligible after round 21 of the record-breaking 24 on the 2024 schedule.

Neither driver was able to do so.

Leclerc entered the weekend trailing Verstappen by 71 points, and he was outscored by exactly 15. Piastri entered the weekend trailing the 27-year-old Dutchman by 111 points, and he was outscored by 20.

Verstappen finished the sprint race in third place but was demoted to fourth behind Leclerc after he was found to have been too close to Piastri ahead of the virtual safety car restart. Piastri finished in second after he was ordered by McLaren to give up the win to teammate Lando Norris.

In the Grand Prix itself, Verstappen drove through the field from 17th place in the rain to earn his first win since June, while Leclerc finished in fifth and Piastri finished in seventh but was demoted to eighth due to a penalty for contact with RB's Liam Lawson.

All in all, Verstappen scored 31 points in Brazil while Leclerc scored 16 and Piastri scored 11.

There are still 86 points left on the table for each driver this season. Race winners earn 25 points, and there are three Grands Prix remaining on the calendar. One point is also awarded to the driver who records a race's fastest lap, provided he finishes inside the top 10. Additionally, there is still one sprint race left on the schedule, and sprint race winners earn eight points.

Why Leclerc is eliminated already, despite being exactly 86 points behind Verstappen, is the fact that Verstappen has clinched the tiebreaker. Verstappen has won eight races this year while Leclerc has won three, giving Leclerc no possibility of catching up in that category before the season ends.

As a result, only McLaren's Lando Norris remains eligible to challenge Verstappen, and he too can be eliminated in the next race. He trails Verstappen by 62 points and must remain within 59 points of his rival after the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Strip Circuit in under three weeks.

After the Las Vegas race, only 60 points are slated to remain on the table for each driver throughout the remainder of the 2024 season. Verstappen has clinched the tiebreaker over Norris as well, with the 24-year-old Briton having three wins to his name like Leclerc does.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix is set to be shown live on ESPN from Las Vegas Strip Circuit beginning at 12:55 a.m. ET on Sunday, November 24. The remaining races on the 2024 schedule after that one are the Qatar Grand Prix at Lusail International Circuit on Sunday, December 1 and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday, December 8. The Qatar sprint is scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 30.