Although Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen had long since cashed in both titles, Mercedes and Ferrari still had something to worry about at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Mercedes took P2 among the constructors and F1 expert Peter Windsor thinks that is not entirely fair.
Mercedes just makes it against Ferrari
At stake for Ferrari and Mercedes was P2 in the constructors' championship. The teams went into the weekend with only a difference of four points. With poor qualifying from Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton against solid qualifying from Charles Leclerc and George Russell, it promised to be an exciting battle.
Throughout the race, it went back and forth between the teams. Leclerc finished P2 behind Max Verstappen after offsetting Sergio Perez's time penalty, but it was just not enough. Mercedes took P2 among the constructors with a lead of just three points. Not entirely fair, according to Windsor. The Briton says in an afterthought on YouTube: "Not really fair that, I think, if you look at the overall results."
Did Ferrari deserve P2 more?
Windsor: "Ferrari after all did win a Grand Prix. The only team to win a race, apart from Red Bull, this year, whereas Mercedes winless without 2023. Nonetheless in terms of points, both drivers putting it together. Yeah, they finished second, but is it really that important? A lot was made of it in the race, but second or third in the constructorschampionship. We can remember that in three or for years time? I think not."
The difference between P2 or P3 may do little for teams' prestige in the long run, but there is quite a difference in prize money. It is estimated that there is about $10 million difference between the two positions. Windsor could also be right that in financial terms, it makes little difference to Ferrari and Mercedes who becomes P2. The two teams are among those with the biggest budgets on the grid.
