F1 Driver’s Championship Tightens With Three Races Left

There are just three races left in the 2014 Formula 1 season, which leaves a maximum of 100 points left for any one driver to claim.  

Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, and Daniel Ricciardo are the only three drivers left in the championship running.  Valtteri Bottas sits in P4 but is 42 points out from being able to contend for the championship.  

Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton is the current leader with a 17 point gap to his teammate, Rosberg.  It has been a late season run for Hamilton, winning the last four races and overtaking his Mercedes partner for the points lead at Singapore.  This was largely due to Rosberg’s DNF there as well as a fantastic drive himself.  

Constructor’s Championship
Since Singapore, there have been two more silver arrow one-twos to add on to the already dominant season.  With that lockout at Sochi, Mercedes F1 clinched the Constructor’s Championship with three races to go.  This is the first time Mercedes AMG has won this title in their time in modern1 Formula 1.

Nico Rosberg
If Rosberg hopes to secure his first Driver’s Championship this year, he’ll need near flawless appearances in the final three races.  If Mercedes continue their one-two finishes in the final three races, Rosberg will need to win all of them in order to secure the championship win.  But that task (obviously) isn’t going to be easy.  

Hamilton is on a run of good form this year and he is showing no signs of slowing down. Between his dominance in qualifying and race performance, it’s going to take a DNF or Hamilton screw up for Rosberg to have a shot.  

Ricciardo also needs Mercedes finishes outside the top ten in all of the remaining races for a shot at the title. 

Hamilton, Rosberg, and Ricciardo are the only drivers mathematically eligible to win the 2014 Championship.

Footnotes
1. Mercedes has been involved in racing since the 1900’s, but weren’t a full time constructor until 2010.  The team was an engine supplier throughout the 90’s and early 2000’s to Sauber and McLaren.  Nico Rosberg scored the team’s first win in their return to F1 in 2012 at the Chinese Grand Prix.