Mercedes have their first chance to seal a seventh consecutive Constructors’ Championship at the Algarve International Circuit. We take a look at the title permutations ahead of the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix.
*UPDATED TITLE PERMUTAIONS FOR THE EMILIA ROMAGNA GRAND PRIX CAN BE FOUND HERE.
Drivers’ Championship
The 2020 Drivers’ Championship cannot be won at the Portuguese Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton currently holds a 69 point lead over team-mate Valtteri Bottas with six races remaining. Such is Hamilton’s advantage, if Bottas wins every remaining race, Hamilton needs only to finish on the podium in all six races to remain ahead in the standings. A closer fight is that for second place. Bottas’ retirement from the Eifel Grand Prix gifted Max Verstappen a second place finish, and he now sits fourteen points behind the Finn in the fight for the runner-up spot.
After his podium finish in the Eifel Grand Prix, Daniel Ricciardo is the only other driver with a mathematical chance of taking the title in 2020. He has 78 points, 152 less than championship leader Hamilton. For Ricciardo to win the 2020 title, he would need to win every remaining race and set the Fastest Lap in at least three events, without Hamilton scoring a single point. He could also take the win and Fastest Lap at every race with Hamilton scoring three or fewer points. And of course, both Bottas and Verstappen would need to lose a substantial amount of points to the Australian driver for him to be crowned champion.
Constructors’ Championship
The 2020 Constructors’ Championship can be won by Mercedes at the Portuguese Grand Prix, though it would take some bad luck for Red Bull for them to do so. Mercedes and Red Bull are the only teams still in contention for the title in 2020, with Mercedes holding a 180 point lead over Red Bull.
Here’s how Mercedes can win a record-breaking seventh consecutive title at the Portuguese Grand Prix:
- Mercedes will win the title in Portugal if they finish first and second and record the fastest lap, with Red Bull scoring four or fewer points
- Mercedes will win the title in Portugal if they finish first and second, with Red Bull scoring three or fewer points
- Mercedes will win the title in Portugal if they finish first and third and record the fastest lap, with Red Bull scoring no more than one point
- Mercedes will win the title if they finish first and third, with Red Bull failing to score
