McLaren vs. Ferrari: A Battle for Second Place in the Constructors Championship

No matter who ends up winning the Driver's Championship, it seems that the Constructor's championship has been sewn up by Red Bull racing.

They currently hold a 131 point lead over their rivals, so even if they are off the podium, as long as one other team doesn't dominate every race with one-twos, they'll be in the running. So who will pull wrap up second place?

The odds are definitely on McLaren's side. They have a 65 point lead over Ferrari and a much better driving pair in Hamilton and Button. At least one of them should be on the podium for the remaining races and there's a good chance both will be there for a few.  

Their only downfall could be the car itself. McLaren's car has looked very strong recently and if they keep up in the development race—which they have the experience and capability to do—they will easily take second. However, they haven't been spotless in this department and their mistakes could come back to haunt them. 

Ferrari have a very strong driver in Fernando Alonso and if the circumstances favor it, you can't discount him taking the rest of the races in first. So far no other driver has shown much ability to out-think him on the track and he has the natural speed to shine.

Massa is the wild card. If he comes back to his 2008 form, Ferrari could walk away with second. If he continues with his recent results, however, Ferrari will have to hope for McLaren to stumble.

What if McLaren's development keeps pace and Massa comes back to his peak driving abilities? Well, then I'd have to start rethinking Red Bull's grasp on the Constructor's Championship, but at least we'd be in for a great ending to the 2011 season.