McLaren has to make moves against rivals to secure title in Baku

If results go their way, McLaren can secure their second constructors' title in a row.

Currently, the Woking-based team has 617 points in the standings, with their rivals last season, Ferrari, sitting 337 points behind them with nine rounds remaining.

There are 389 points still up for grabs in the remaining rounds. McLaren now needs to outscore Ferrari by nine points, and avoid being outscored by Mercedes by 12.

If Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris secure a one-two finish in Baku, they will be champions no matter where the Ferrari and Mercedes drivers finish in the standings.

That is also the case if one of the drivers wins, while the other completes the podium.

Finishing second and third could also be enough, provided that Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton does not take the Scuderia's first win of 2025.

If the two McLaren drivers finish third and fourth, the only thing they need to watch is for Ferrari or Mercedes not to claim a one-two finish.

McLaren could also clinch the title with a second–fourth finish, but only if no Ferrari driver finishes higher than P5 and only one Mercedes driver reaches the podium.

Piastri did not set a lap time in Q3 after crashing into the barrier, making a rare mistake. The Australian will start from ninth place.

Norris could not capitalize on his teammate's mistake either, finishing seventh on Saturday.

Both Ferraris will start behind the two papaya cars. Similarly to Piastri, Leclerc crashed in Q3, while Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q2.

Based on the grid however, Mercedes would outscore McLaren by more than 12 points. Kimi Antonelli and George Russell will start the Azerbaijan GP from P4 and P5 respectively.

Guaranteeing the constructors' champion could lift some pressure on the two teammates' battle for the drivers' title. However, as team principal Andrea Stella explained in Baku, McLaren will not go racing unregulated even if the constructors' title is secured.

"No. The approach to the Drivers’ title will not change. This is not dependent on the Constructors’. The way we go racing is dependent on the racing principles, on the values that we embody as McLaren Racing," the Italian explained on Friday.