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[zpetrov]

There are 4 races left. Sauber is 20 points behind Mercedes. Force India is 47 points behind. Hence, Sauber needs to outperform Mercedes by 5 points on average per race. Force India needs to outperform Mercedes by slightly over 11 points per race.

In the past 5 races, Sauber has outperformed Mercedes by 1.2 points on average.

In the past 5 races, Force India has outperformed Mercedes by 2.6 points on average.

Since we left Europe the standings between these three are as follows:

Force India- 26 (5.3 points more than Mercedes per race)
Sauber- 16 (2 points more than Mercedes per race)
Mercedes- 10

So what will happen?

[Hammer278]

I don't think so since there's only 4 races left and your stats have already shown it will be difficult.

Anyway, Merc has probably given up on this car few races back and are already focusing on next year. Their DDRS turned out to be a fruitless innovation, and there is something fundamentally wrong with this chassis where it eats it's tyres up. It needs a complete revamp...no evolutions for this car please! We need a revolutionary model.

[zpetrov]

I don't think so since there's only 4 races left and your stats have already shown it will be difficult.

Anyway, Merc has probably given up on this car few races back and are already focusing on next year. Their DDRS turned out to be a fruitless innovation, and there is something fundamentally wrong with this chassis where it eats it's tyres up. It needs a complete revamp...no evolutions for this car please! We need a revolutionary model.

I actually voted that Sauber will overhaul them for the reason you mentioned- it seems from the outside like Mercedes have pretty much wrapped up this season (and I myself think Sauber is close enough to capitalize). Their qualifying pace has declined a little bit in the past 4/5 races (except for Italy) which suggests that they just aren't bringing good, well-developed updates to the car.

In fact, they have been outqualified by at least one Force India in each of the past 5 races.

It could be, of course, that they are trying really hard and it's just not working. Always possible. And all kinds of mechanical issues seem to be constantly interfering with their performance, making it hard to judge their pace/development.

But I don't see why they wouldn't just invest their resources in next year's car. There is nowhere for them to go this year and I suspect the difference between finishing 5th and 6th isn't all that massive for a team that's not lacking in financial resources and media attention.

[vaptin]

Benson reported the Mercedes F1 team are self-funded but underwritten by Mercedes group, so I think they would want to finish higher up in the constructors, unless there is a future plan for funding by Mercedes group.

[FerrariFan63]

I must admit that I voted in this poll before reading the bit that described the points situation.

It's unlikely that either will overtake Mercedes.

[Jabberwocky]

I depends if they remove KK for the rest of the season! Ted Kravits (spl) suggested they might let Gutierrez get some seat time for next year.

[zpetrov]

So far it looks like 80% think Mercedes will be displaced and 20% think they'll retain 5th.

Too small of a sample size though. We need more people to vote!!!!!!!!

[LewEngBridewell]

I voted for Merc to retain 5th. Even though their form is dreadful at the moment, I still feel that Sauber and Force India are too inconsistent to whittle down the gap sufficiently, in the remaining races.

[racechick]

Even though I think Mercedes are probably putting little resource into this car, I still think they'll stay ahead. Nico has been taken out of two recent races where he may have picked up small points. both cars qualified in the top ten last race. so I think they'll hang on.

[myownalias]

Sauber has a possibility of overhauling Mercedes but no chance for Force India, they don't have the car to overhaul almost two race wins of points.

[Jabberwocky]

Sauber might struggle if Koby has another race like his last one

[zpetrov]

Good to see people have faith in Sauber. I always like the privateers, especially Sauber.

[LewEngBridewell]

Good to see people have faith in Sauber. I always like the privateers, especially Sauber.

Sauber are a great little team

[zpetrov]

Good to see people have faith in Sauber. I always like the privateers, especially Sauber.

Sauber are a great little team

Yep. I love a privateer with a passion for racing that's been around a while but is still connected to its roots. I don't have favorite teams but if I did, they'd be Sauber, Williams, and to a far lesser extent Ferrari and McLaren (don't care if it's taboo... and I've definitely fallen out of love with Ferrari and McLaren as they became increasingly political, dry, industrialized, profitable, and business-like in the past 20 years).

I just like a team with a vision and bold people behind it that aren't afraid to get their hands greasy. I like that Peter Sauber and Frank Williams are still with their teams (kind of). Ferrari is the definition of passion obviously, but in recent past I've had a hard time telling them apart from the industrial conglomerates that have swept into F1. Obviously Sauber was backed by Mercedes early on and there was the BMW "period", but still... Peter Sauber is a car guy through and through.

Also helps that the Sauber and Williams are consistently the sexiest looking cars (Williams has had the best looking car IMO every single year since the early 90s except for that dreadful red livery and the Walrus).

Not sure how I feel about Red Bull and Force India either. Mallya and Mateschitz may enjoy the sport, but they aren't car guys. They aren't Enzo Ferrari and they certainly aren't Frankie Williams. More like Roman Abramovich in football.

[What's Burning?]

Mercedes once again fail to score points and Kamui Kobayashi one upped The soon to be Mclaren driver so Sauber gets 8 points closer to Mercedes. That's a dozen points to make up in two races. That's very doable if Mercedes continues their dry spell.