What is this about?
McLaren has already secured the constructors' championship. Williams does not seem to be getting out of that fifth place. Alpine is at the bottom. Between those teams, however, there is a fierce battle. Four teams are just 12 points apart. The winner of that battle between them picks up about an extra $30 million. Ollie Bearman's fourth-place finish in Mexico has suddenly thrown that battle wide open again.
Haas: from behind to competing most
Haas made a strong development this season. The car became considerably faster. Initially, the team could not convert that speed into points. At Spa, chances were lost through a combination of wrong set-up, a small engine problem and unfortunate timed stops. That cost points.
In Mexico, it was different. The latest upgrade worked well. Both cars finished in the top 10. Bearman achieved his best result ever: fourth. He scored for the third race in a row. Team principal Ayao Komatsu cited a change in mentality as an explanation. The drivers are holding themselves back better and the team is running sessions more consistently.
Racing Bulls in a bad moment
Racing Bulls leads this compact group but is in a difficult period. The team has not scored any points for three races in a row. That is the worst run of the season and, as a result, Aston Martin, Haas and Sauber were catching up.
Isack Hadjar often shows strong qualifications. He made it to Q3 several times. In the races, however, the speed seems to be lacking. In Singapore, a powertrain problem played a part. In Austin, a crash during qualifying caused a lag. In Mexico, he lost positions after a big moment in Turn 6 and eventually spot 10 in the closing stages.
Liam Lawson had good weekends, but he too had mistakes. In Mexico, he was hit in Turn 1. There will be no more major upgrades. That puts pressure on Racing Bulls to improve race pace if they want to keep their position.
Which drivers make the difference?
In this battle, individual performances count heavily. A step up in the rankings earns almost $10 million. As a result, drivers almost literally become worth extra money.
- Nico Hülkenberg - 41 points
- Isack Hadjar - 39 points
- Fernando Alonso - 37 points
- Ollie Bearman - 32 points
- Lance Stroll - 32 points
- Liam Lawson* - 30 points
- Esteban Ocon - 30 points
- Gabriel Bortoleto - 19 points
*Lawson counting from race three
The group has clear lead drivers: Hülkenberg for Sauber, Hadjar for Racing Bulls, Alonso for Aston Martin and Bearman for Haas. Yet it is often small margins between teammates. All eight drivers mentioned achieved at least one top-six result. Hülkenberg and Hadjar already achieved podiums. That shows that a big points haul is possible if everything goes along.
Consistency is crucial. Last year, Alpine shot up thanks to a wet Interlagos race, scoring 33 points in a single weekend. Such a score can suddenly move a team up several places and earn tens of millions more.
Aston Martin underperforms
Aston Martin has the resources to rank higher than they do now. That makes their position remarkable. The team's main focus this season seems to be on 2026 and the new rules. Technical gains for the future are getting more attention than immediate upgrades this year.
The current car struggles at low speeds and has less aerodynamic efficiency on circuits where little downforce is needed. That explains the variable results: sometimes very strong, sometimes very weak. Fernando Alonso delivered good performances, but the car leaves too many stitches. Lance Stroll is in a scoreless run, despite his contribution to the team being relatively high this year.
Sauber: Sunday strong, Saturday less so
Sauber improved its car after an unstable start. The C45 was modified mid-season and has been performing better in the race ever since. The weakness is mainly in qualifying. Sauber achieved few Q3 starts. This is because the car is difficult to drive on low fuel and sometimes reacts unpredictably.
Still, Gabriel Bortoleto showed the pace in Mexico. He climbed from place 16 to place 10. Nico Hülkenberg even achieved a podium at Silverstone thanks to tactical tyre choices in wet conditions. If Sauber can improve in qualifying without further upgrades, without losing speed on Sunday, it will be a strong performer in the last four races.
Key points to follow
- Haas: will the form hold and both cars stay in the top 10?
- Racing Bulls: will they find race pace again or will their lead run out?
- Aston Martin: will they resolve inconsistencies or will focus on 2026 remain dominant?
- Sauber: can they find qualifying rhythm without losing Sunday speed?
Lock
The remaining four races will decide who walks away with those extra millions. The difference is small. Every mistake counts. Teams and drivers have to perform consistently. Those who are smart about opportunities will grab position and money. That makes this battle worth following.
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