Having a strong team behind you in Formula 1 can make all the difference. The championship for the teams, called the Constructors’ Championship, runs alongside the Drivers’ Championship and the teams battle it out for their own trophies (the teams that win the title get to work out of garage space closest to the pit lane).
There are some key strategies that come into play when it comes to winning the Constructors’ Championship, including ensuring that both drivers score points (although the team can only be awarded one title per season). There is also a countback process at the end of the season, allowing for the smallest of margins to separate the bottom of the table. For example, in 2014 Sauber won the championship by three points over Caterham, thanks to the latter’s single 11th place finish compared to Sauber’s two.
F1 standings
In order to win the championship, drivers must earn a minimum of 65 points across ten races and a sprint race. The winner of each race receives 25 points, with the next ten places gaining points on a sliding scale up to 10th place in which each driver scores one point. There are also points for sprint races, which are a third of the length of the Grand Prix, with eight drivers eligible to score. Drivers can also pick up additional points for finishing higher in qualifying than their team mate.