Mercedes need just a 3-point edge over Ferrari in Brazil to seal the 2026 F1 constructors' title
Mercedes lead Ferrari 630-504 with 172 points left. Outscore Ferrari by three at Interlagos and the 2026 teams' crown is theirs, their first since 2021.
Kimi Antonelli wrapped up the 2026 drivers' championship in Mexico City, but Mercedes still have unfinished business. The Brackley team head to Interlagos for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix this weekend leading the constructors' standings by 126 points over Ferrari, and a modest swing in their favour would end the teams' fight with three rounds to spare.
Where the standings stand
After 19 rounds, the constructors' table reads: Mercedes 630 points, Ferrari 504, Red Bull 382 and McLaren 365. Antonelli has contributed 380 of Mercedes' total and George Russell 250, while Lewis Hamilton (259) and Charles Leclerc (245) have scored Ferrari's haul.
Four grands prix remain: Sao Paulo (8 November), Las Vegas (22 November), Qatar (29 November) and Abu Dhabi (6 December). None of them is a sprint weekend, so the most a team can score at any one race is 43 points, from a one-two finish (25 + 18). That leaves 172 points available before Brazil and 129 after it.
Red Bull, 248 points adrift, and McLaren, 265 behind, are already mathematically out of contention. Only Ferrari can still stop Mercedes.
The magic number: three points
Mercedes clinch the title in Brazil if they outscore Ferrari by three points or more. That would lift their lead to at least 129, equal to the maximum Ferrari could gain across the last three races.
A tie on points would not save Ferrari either. The tie-break is the number of race wins, and Mercedes lead that count 12 to 2 this season (Antonelli nine, Russell three), so even a perfect Ferrari finish to the year could not overturn it.
In practical terms:
- A Mercedes one-two, one-three or one-four finish guarantees the title, whatever Ferrari do.
- A Mercedes win with the other car fifth is not enough if Ferrari finish second and third, because the swing would be only two points.
- If a Ferrari wins, Mercedes can still clinch with a two-three finish, but only if the other Ferrari finishes eighth or lower.
- If Mercedes and Ferrari score equally, or Ferrari outscore Mercedes, the decision moves to Las Vegas.
Form guide heading to Interlagos
Mercedes have not had it all their own way lately. Max Verstappen has won three of the last four races, including the Bahrain Grand Prix that was relocated to Sepang in October and last Sunday's Mexico City GP. Ferrari took second and fourth in Mexico through Hamilton and Leclerc, but squandered a chance of victory after a first-lap clash between the two.
Mercedes' Mexico weekend was mixed. Antonelli finished third to seal the drivers' crown, while Russell dropped from the front row to sixth after a deployment issue at the start and a 10-second penalty for a first-lap collision with Isack Hadjar.
Across the season Mercedes have averaged roughly 33 points per round to Ferrari's 26.5, a gap of more than six points a race, so a three-point margin is well within their usual range.
What a title would mean
A constructors' crown would be Mercedes' first since 2021, the last of eight straight teams' titles they won from 2014 onwards. It would also complete a drivers' and constructors' double in the first season of F1's new chassis and power unit rules.
For fans in Malaysia, qualifying at Interlagos starts at 2am on Sunday 8 November and the race at 1am on Monday 9 November (Malaysia time).
Key takeaways
- Mercedes lead Ferrari 630-504 in the constructors' standings with four races left.
- Outscoring Ferrari by three points in Brazil clinches the title for Mercedes.
- Mercedes hold the tie-break, leading Ferrari 12-2 on wins in 2026.
- Red Bull and McLaren are already out of the constructors' title fight.
- If Brazil does not settle it, Las Vegas is the next chance.
FAQ
How many points can a team score at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix? A maximum of 43, from a one-two finish. There is no sprint at Interlagos this year, and the fastest-lap bonus point no longer exists.
Can Ferrari still win the 2026 constructors' championship? Yes, mathematically. Ferrari must stop Mercedes outscoring them by three or more in Brazil and then make up the remaining gap across Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
When did Mercedes last win the constructors' title? In 2021, the final title of an eight-year run that began in 2014.
Sources: Sky Sports, Grande Premio, RacingNews365, ESPN, Yahoo Sports