Mercedes arrive in Brazil this weekend with the Teams' Championship sitting right there on the table. Following a double points finish in Mexico City, the Silver Arrows hold a commanding 126-point lead over Ferrari in the standings. Kimi Antonelli has already locked down the Drivers' Championship after securing his title with a P3 finish last weekend at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Now, his squad can claim the remaining crown.
There are four rounds remaining in the 2026 season, leaving a maximum of 172 points on the table if a team manages a 1-2 finish at every Grand Prix. No outfit has managed that kind of dominance this year, though Mercedes did manage back-to-back 1-2 finishes in the opening two rounds and again at Monza. Meanwhile, Ferrari have placed both cars on the same rostrum only once, back at Silverstone.
Only Ferrari remain mathematically capable of catching the leaders, as both Red Bull and McLaren have dropped out of the title fight entirely. Mercedes have amassed 630 points so far this season, powered by nine Grand Prix wins from Antonelli and three from George Russell. Ferrari trail with 504 points, having secured just two victories all year courtesy of Lewis Hamilton in Barcelona and Charles Leclerc at Silverstone. Even with Max Verstappen claiming three wins out of the last four races, Red Bull simply sit too far back to challenge.
To seal the deal at Interlagos, Mercedes just need to leave the weekend more than 128 points ahead of Ferrari. Since there will be 129 points left on the table after this round and Mercedes hold the tie-breaker on race wins, they simply need to outscore Ferrari by three points or more. If Ferrari fail to score entirely, an eighth-place finish for either Antonelli or Russell will secure the championship. However, a Ferrari 1-2 finish at Interlagos would guarantee the battle extends beyond Brazil.
Should the math not fall their way at Interlagos, Mercedes will get their next opportunity at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The 2026 calendar then wraps up with the final rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
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