For all the driver accolades, world championship achievements of the greats and the unforgettable rivalries that transcend the ages, Formula 1 is very much a team sport. Therefore, for the teams involved at least, the constructors’ championship will always take precedent over the individual drivers’ title. But another overriding reason for that is simple; what do most decisions in F1 – and elite sports in general – come down to? Money.
There is no official prize pot for the world drivers’ champion in F1, although obviously Max Verstappen will have been handsomely rewarded with bonuses within his Red Bull contract for retaining the crown. Teams themselves bring in plenty of revenue through sponsors and partnerships, but the windfall for claiming the constructors’ championship is a squad’s primary target from when the first concept of its latest car is dreamed up to the second it hits the track for the first practice session of a new season.
