McLaren’s Sam Michael admits their chances of winning the constructors title slim
Following Sebastian Vettel's victory in the Indian Grand Prix, McLaren are in third place 91 points adrift of Red Bull – a gap Michael reckons can only be bridged if the defending champions are suddenly struck down by a spate of retirements.
Overhauling the 10-point gap to second-placed Ferrari is now the target for McLaren's Sporting Director after watching Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button finish fourth and fifth respectively on Sunday.
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso passed both McLaren's drivers in the early laps and eventually finished second after also getting ahead of Vettel's team-mate Mark Webber.
"It's pretty difficult for us to win the Championship now because Red Bull could wrap that up in the next race, the Constructors'. So our target is to at least make sure that we can get back up to second place in the next three races," Michael said.
"We're within 10 points of Ferrari, so that should be able to happen so long as we get everything right. But we'll have to start finishing higher up to achieve that."
Michael thinks Alonso's chances of overhauling Vettel's 13-point lead in the driver's standings are rather better, however, even with the step forward Red Bull have made in recent races.
"I'd say there's obviously more chance that Alonso can take the Drivers' Championship because he's closer in points," he said.
"For the (Constructors') Championship, that's quite different because they need to have DNFs for (other) people to take the Championship now. And the chances of that happening in the next three races are pretty slim, I'd say."
"For the Drivers', if they have a competitive car then obviously they can still do it."