Flavio Briatore: “How much is sixth place worth? 29 million, that’s the first thing I asked”. Alpine will need to defend a precious haul over the next three races of 2024 F1 season.

Three teams within five points
Of course, the duel between McLaren and Ferrari for the Constructors’ title will capture attention from Las Vegas to Abu Dhabi, as Max Verstappen seems to have locked down his fourth world title after his feat in Brazil. But in the midfield, there’s an intense final sprint underway with sixth place in the Constructors’ standings and its accompanying cash prize up for grabs.

It’s no longer just Haas and Racing Bulls in contention, as Alpine’s 35 points from Interlagos have put them ahead of both. Alpine now has 49 points, Haas 46, and Racing Bulls 44, with Liam Lawson stating that he believes a five-point gap is not insurmountable (the New Zealander has scored four points in three races).

But how much is sixth place worth? Flavio Briatore asked this immediately, as confirmed by the Alpine advisor himself on Sky Sport F1: “From ninth to sixth place, there’s a difference of 29.2 million euros. It’s the first thing I asked.” It’s an attractive sum for all three contenders, while Williams is left disappointed, now stuck in ninth place, 27 points behind Racing Bulls.