Written by Lizzie Kennedy, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
Heading into the São Paulo Grand Prix, the midfield battle appeared to be a two-way contest between Haas and VCARB for supremacy.
However, Alpine’s exceptional performance in Brazil, with both drivers securing podium finishes, and a further points haul in Qatar, has thrust the French team into serious contention for finishing sixth in the constructors' championship.
With approximately $30 million separating sixth and eighth in the standings, and only one race remaining, the fight for the title of “best of the rest" has never been more intense. The question remains: Which team will emerge victorious in this high-stakes showdown?
The Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi has seen epic driving showdowns in previous years, and with the final coveted points up for grabs, it is set to deliver another thrilling weekend of racing.
With over two kilometres of its layout consisting of back-to-back straight, the track promises a wealth of opportunities for overtaking, as drivers battle for the remaining points of the season.
The Qatar Sprint race saw Nico Hülkenberg pick up two points to further separate Haas from its rivals, however, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was quick to respond with an impressive P5 finish in the Grand Prix. This now puts Alpine out in front on 59 points, with Haas behind on 54 and VCARB trailing on 46.
With one final race and everything to play for, whom can we expect to take the largest points haul between Haas, VCARB and Alpine?
Ayao Komatsu’s promotion to team principal at the start of the year has coincided with a period of steady progress for Haas, following a challenging stretch in previous seasons.
Nico Hülkenberg has been a standout performer, making ten Q3 appearances over the season compared to only four Q1 exits, and securing impressive point-scoring positions.
Most notably, his back-to-back P6 finishes at Spielberg and Silverstone brought in a huge points haul for Haas. While Kevin Magnussen’s results have been less competitive in comparison to his teammate, he has still contributed a respectable 16 points, picking up two points in the Qatar Grand Prix in ninth.
The American team’s consistent performance throughout the season would seem to position them well to capitalise on their final opportunity of the season. However, Hülkenberg’s disastrous qualifying result in P18 followed by a DNF in Qatar has prevented the team from gaining critical points.
Comparable to Nico Hülkenberg’s performance, Yuki Tsunoda has had a solid and consistent season. Over the 2024 season, Tsunoda has impressed with 11 Q3 appearances — just three shy of Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez, who has 14.
Demonstrating remarkable consistency, Tsunoda has amassed 30 points for VCARB, nearly double the combined total of teammates Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson.
Unfortunately, Qatar proved to be a track that did not favour Red Bull’s junior team, with both Tsunoda and Lawson finishing outside the points in P13 and P14 respectively. Sixth place in the Constructors Championship is slipping away, however, a strong double points finish could see them overtake Haas in seventh.
With ongoing speculation surrounding Pérez’s seat at Red Bull, both Tsunoda and Lawson face a crucial opportunity to make a lasting impression and stake their claim for future consideration.
Compared to its closest competitors, Alpine has endured a turbulent and inconsistent season in 2023. The team began the year with disastrous performances, facing what seemed like an insurmountable challenge to climb up the Constructors’ standings.
Sporadic points left Alpine sitting at just 16 points, and down in ninth in the championship, ahead of the São Paulo Grand Prix weekend.
However, the team’s fortunes shifted dramatically in Brazil, where near-flawless drives by Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly secured a double podium finish. The 33-point haul vaulted Alpine three places up the standings, with the race being dubbed “the $50 million race” for its financial implications.
Despite this surge, Alpine’s inconsistency resurfaced at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Gasly, who delivered an impressive third in qualifying, was forced to retire due to an engine failure — a rare and costly technical issue so late in the season.
Whilst Ocon failed to make an impression, Gasly drove superbly to gain an impressive 10 points in Qatar and give them the edge over Haas. However, Alpine’s unpredictability remains a concern, meaning all is not lost for their rivals.
In 2023, the Yas Marina Circuit favoured VCARB over Alpine and Haas, with Tsunoda being the only points scorer of the three teams. It will be crucial that the team takes advantage of this to secure those final valuable points.
Among the three teams, Alpine and Haas seem the dominant candidates to take sixth overall in Abu Dhabi.
Despite lacking consistency, Alpine appear to hold the edge over Haas, with the VCARB outfit likely out of contention unless their drivers are able to put in a Gasly-worthy performance.
However, Haas cannot be ruled out. With both their drivers scoring over the Qatar weekend, there is still time for a potential standout performance. In such a tight-knit race, this battle should be one of the compelling storylines of the closing race of the season, and not to be missed.
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