Here is the thing, as Motorsport.com reports: Mercedes could officially settle the 2026 Formula 1 constructors' championship at this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix. Just one week after Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured the drivers' crown in Mexico, the Silver Arrows have their first match point.
Heading into Sao Paulo, Mercedes sits comfortably at the top of the standings with 630 points, holding a massive 126-point advantage over second-placed Ferrari, which has 504 points. Red Bull follows in third with 382 points, while McLaren holds fourth with 365 points. Further down the order, Racing Bulls has 108 points, Alpine sits on 69 points, and Haas has 31 points. Audi holds 27 points, Williams has 12 points, Aston Martin stands at 7 points, and Cadillac is yet to score with 0 points.
The championships are moving closer, but our mindset does not change. Thinking about the outcome won’t help us achieve it,
To lock down the constructors' title at Interlagos, Mercedes simply needs to outscore Ferrari by at least three points. Only 129 points will remain on the table after this weekend, meaning specific finishes guarantee the trophy immediately. Mercedes will definitely claim the crown if their cars finish first and second, first and third, or first and fourth. Should both Mercedes cars miss out on the points entirely, the battle rolls over to the Las Vegas Grand Prix. After Brazil, three more rounds remain in Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi.
In the drivers' standings, Antonelli leads the way with 380 points following his maiden title win in Mexico. Max Verstappen holds second for Red Bull with 261 points, narrowly ahead of Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton on 259 points. George Russell sits fourth for Mercedes with 250 points, followed by Charles Leclerc for Ferrari on 245 points, Lando Norris for McLaren on 221 points, and Oscar Piastri also for McLaren on 144 points. Rounding out the points scorers are Isack Hadjar with 107 points, Liam Lawson with 83 points, Pierre Gasly with 42 points, Arvid Lindblad with 38 points, Franco Colapinto with 27 points, Ollie Bearman with 23 points, Gabriel Bortoleto with 14 points, Nico Hulkenberg with 13 points, Esteban Ocon with 7 points, Fernando Alonso with 7 points, Carlos Sainz with 7 points, Alex Albon with 5 points, Yuki Tsunoda with 1 point, and Ryō Hirakawa with 1 point, while Lance Stroll, Valtteri Bottas, and Sergio Perez sit on 0 points.
Despite the impending milestone, the team's approach remains strictly grounded. "The championships are moving closer, but our mindset does not change. Thinking about the outcome won’t help us achieve it," Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix. "We will stay disciplined, take each session as it comes, and concentrate on doing the fundamentals well."
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