End of the battle for the 3rd place in the constructors’ championship
The battle was fierce for the third place in the constructors' championship right from the start of the season. It is McLaren who ultimately secures the prize, much to the dismay of Racing Point, who missed out in their race at Abu Dhabi.
If this weekend didn’t really have stakes regarding the winner of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the focus was instead on the battle between Racing Point and McLaren for the valuable 3rd place in the championship.
The fierce battle took place throughout the season between Racing Point, McLaren, and Renault for this 3rd place, synonymous with additional funding for the next season. A look back at the last three Grand Prix of this season which sealed the fate of this championship.
Bahrain Grand Prix: Advantage McLaren
Despite a tumultuous weekend, McLaren stood out in Bahrain by becoming the third force on the grid. The Woking team scored 22 points against 8 for Renault and 0 points for Racing Point following the retirement of Stroll and Perez.
With two races remaining in the season, McLaren had a 17-point lead over Racing Point. Renault fell behind in Bahrain, as the French team trailed McLaren by 27 points and Racing Point by 10 points.
Sakhir Grand Prix: Advantage Racing Point
The successful operation of the weekend in Sakhir was accomplished by Racing Point. With Perez’s victory and Stroll’s secured 3rd place, the Silverstone team reclaimed 3rd place in the constructors’ championship.
Perez and Stroll brought a total of 40 points to Racing Point by both finishing on the podium at Sakhir. Sainz, who finished just off the podium, secured 12 points from the 4th place while his teammate Norris scored only a single point by finishing 10th. With an additional 27 points scored by Racing Point this weekend, Lawrence Stroll’s team is propelled into the top 3 constructors with only a small 10-point lead over McLaren.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Triumph for McLaren, Regrets for Racing Point
This season ends in a very beautiful way for McLaren, which clinches the 3rd place on the constructors’ podium. On the other hand, Racing Point may have regrets after fighting all season long for this 3rd place.
Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz finish in 5th and 6th place, bringing 18 points for the Woking team. Disappointment for Racing Point, which collects only one point thanks to Lance Stroll. Sergio Perez retired once again due to a mechanical problem in his last Grand Prix in F1.
McLaren finishes 3rd in the constructors’ championship this season behind Mercedes and Red Bull. With a total of 202 points scored this season, Zak Brown’s team is ahead of Racing Point by 7 points, which finishes 4th with 195 points.
