By News18,Siddarth Sriram

Copyright news18

F1 fans are accustomed to the sport’s unpredictability, but few would expect McLaren to falter in Azerbaijan this weekend.
The reigning champions are poised to clinch the constructors’ championship with seven races to spare, a historic feat never before achieved in F1 history.
How McLaren Could Seal The Title
McLaren can claim the Constructors title at Baku if:

McLaren outscore Ferrari by 9 PTS
McLaren are NOT outscored by Mercedes by 12 PTS
McLaren are NOT outscored by Red Bull by 33 PTS

How McLaren’s Feat Could Stack Up in F1 History
If McLaren clinches the title this weekend, it will set a new benchmark for the fastest Constructors’ Title win in F1 history.
Until now, the record for the earliest constructors’ championship belonged to Red Bull in 2023, who sealed the crown with six rounds remaining.
Other standout early title wins include:

Mercedes (2015): Secured the title with four races to spare, during the peak of their turbo-hybrid dominance.
Ferrari (2004): Clinched the championship with five races remaining in Michael Schumacher’s golden era.
Red Bull (2011): Wrapped up the title with four races to go in Sebastian Vettel’s second championship year.

A Season of Dominance
McLaren have won 12 of the 16 races so far in 2025, recording seven one-two finishes along the way. They return to the Baku City Circuit with momentum firmly on their side, particularly as current championship leader Oscar Piastri claimed victory there last season.
The numbers underline their dominance: McLaren have built a 337-point lead over Ferrari with 346 still available after Sunday’s race. On average, the team has outscored their Italian rivals by 22 points per race this season.
Only once—at the Canadian Grand Prix—have Ferrari outscored them, and even then by a margin of just six points after Piastri and Lando Norris collided.
Mercedes and Red Bull have managed to outscore McLaren only once each as well, both in Montreal.
Piastri vs. Norris: The Next Chapter
With the constructors’ title all but secured, McLaren’s drivers may soon be free to fight without team orders. Piastri holds a 31-point advantage over Norris, having scored in every race this season and missing the podium only twice. Norris, in contrast, has endured two retirements but remains firmly in contention.
The intra-team battle could define the rest of the campaign once the historic team achievement is locked in.