Power Ranking the Formula 1 Teams After 2015 Russian Grand Prix

Mercedes clinched the Formula One Constructors' Championship with four races to spare after another display of dominance at the 2015 Russian Grand Prix—but they had to wait for it to be confirmed.

Ferrari looked like they'd spoiled the German team's day as Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen came home in second and fifth. However, a 30-second post-race time penalty given to Raikkonen for his last-lap collision with Valtteri Bottas relegated him to eighth.

The Silver Arrows, therefore, scored three more points than the Scuderia—exactly the number they needed to take the title.

Force India were also celebrating in the Sochi paddock after a brilliant podium scored by Sergio Perez. The Mexican was a touch fortunate, benefiting from the Raikkonen-Bottas incident, but he and the team made their own luck with a daring strategic choice.

And a small cheer was heard in the McLaren garage, too, as Jenson Button somehow ended up in the points. Fernando Alonso did too, albeit temporarily—he was later demoted for repeated track-limits violations.

Attention now turns to the Americas, where three of the final four races will be held. The next is the United States Grand Prix on October 25.

Until then, here's how the teams rank.

Note on Team Power Rankings

F1 team power rankings ignore the points table and instead present a snapshot of where each team stands in relation to their competitors based on the three key factors of reliability, single-lap and long-run pace.

The rankings are based on how they would perform if racing on an "average circuit" that places equal emphasis on each area of the car.

All position changes are relative to those in the previous set of rankings, published after the Japanese Grand Prix. You can find them here.

No Change

Manor had their usual sort of weekend.

Will Stevens outqualified his team-mate for the 10th time in 2015, but his lap of one minute, 43.693 seconds was still the second-slowest of the session. Roberto Merhi, back in the car after missing Singapore and Suzuka, was 19th and last.

Both moved up the grid one spot due to Alonso's grid penalty, but as soon as the serious racing got under way following the first safety-car period, both were relegated to the rear of the field.

Following the second safety car, they steadily lost time to the rest of the pack all the way to the chequered flag. Merhi finished a lap down in 13th, with Stevens two laps down and one position further back.

Manor remain 10th.

No Change

McLaren somehow scored points despite looking as uncompetitive as ever.

On Saturday, Button led the way with a strong Q2 lap of 1:39.763. This was good enough for 13th, his second-best qualifying result of the season.

Alonso failed to make it out of Q1, but with a 35-place grid penalty hanging over his head, it didn't really matter.

Button got off the line well and ended the opening lap in ninth, but his McLaren-Honda's lack of straight-line speed was brutally exposed as soon as the safety car returned to the pits.

The 2009 world champion was overtaken by four cars in nine laps, and after pitting behind the second safety car, he emerged in 13th.

Points at this stage looked out of the question as Button was rapidly dropped by the cream of the midfield, but he kept going—and for a change, so did his car—and both were rewarded. Three cars dropped out in the closing stages, elevating Button to ninth at the chequered flag.

Alonso started 19th after his grid penalties and was up to 14th by the end of Lap 1. Like Button, he made his one and only stop behind the second safety car—but unlike his team-mate, the Spaniard had started on the soft-compound tyres.

Faced with the task of making a set of supersofts last 41 laps, Alonso emerged behind Button and spent the rest of the race within a few seconds of the No. 22 car's rear wing.

He finished 10th, but a five-second time penalty for repeatedly cutting the apex of Turn 16 saw him officially classified in 11th.

McLaren perhaps have Sauber's number over a single qualifying lap, but they were painfully, painfully slow in the race.

The fallen giants remain in ninth.

No Change

Sauber achieved their best result since Australia with one car but lost the other at the start.

Felipe Nasr spared Sauber's blushes, escaping from Q1 at the last moment and going on to set the 12th-fastest time. Team-mate Marcus Ericsson was 17th for the third race in a row with a best lap of 1:40.660.

A decent getaway saw Nasr pick his way through the first-corner carnage to end the opening lap in 10th. He moved up the order immediately after the first safety car, passing Button for ninth and picking up further places as rivals pitted behind the second safety car.

Sixth at the restart, his pace was strong and—by staying out a little later than most—he spent a single lap in second place before his own single stop dropped him down to 12th.

Nasr passed the two McLarens to regain a points-paying position, then he benefited from a string of retirements to make his way up to seventh at the flag. This became sixth when Raikkonen was penalised for his collision with Bottas.

Ericsson's afternoon was over before it has really begun. The Swede made a good start and was alongside Nasr into the braking zone of Turn 2. Just after the apex, both found themselves on a collision course with Nico Hulkenberg's Force India.

Nasr went left, Ericsson right—the latter made the wrong call. He hit the stricken Force India, putting himself out of the race.

Sauber are now just 11 points behind Toro Rosso in the constructors' standings. They hold on in eighth.

Down One

Lotus had a typically eventful Sunday as their erratic season continues.

Romain Grosjean continued his run of Q3 appearances, setting the eighth-fastest time despite being unable to match his Q2 best. Pastor Maldonado could only manage 14th with a lap of 1:39.811—seven-tenths down on making it through to Q3.

When the lights went out, Maldonado didn't have the best of starts but found himself in 12th by the end of the opening lap. His pace in the opening stint was good if not spectacular—though not quite quick enough to stay with the cars ahead, he had little trouble holding off Daniel Ricciardo behind.

The Venezuelan made his one and only stop on Lap 30 and emerged down in 13th. Having fitted the quicker supersoft tyres, he looked in a strong position—but he was unable to get the tyres working at first and lost far more time than was necessary behind Button's McLaren.

Maldonado eventually found a way through and, like so many others, benefited from the three late retirements to cross the line in eighth. Raikkonen's penalty promoted him to seventh.

Grosjean didn't make a bad start, but a minor coming together with Sergio Perez in Turn 2 left him with a damaged front wing. The resulting pit stop dropped him to the rear of the field.

The Frenchman began to recover, picking off the two Manors and Alonso, but on Lap 12, he lost control midway through the fast Turn 3 and speared off into the barriers.

He was thankfully unhurt, but his race was over.

Lotus look to have fallen well behind the other Mercedes-engined teams. They slip down into seventh.

Up One

Toro Rosso left Russia with a single point, but it could have been many, more more.

Max Verstappen was the team's only representative in qualifying, and he set the ninth-fastest time with a lap of 1:38.924. Carlos Sainz Jr did not take part after being taken to hospital following a heavy crash in third practice. The stewards gave him permission to start the race, and he lined up in 20th.

A poor start saw Verstappen down to 11th as he entered the braking zone of Turn 2. Up ahead, Hulkenberg spun and, after staying on the track as others took to the run-off area, Verstappen found himself unable to avoid the Force India.

The contact was relatively minor, but it was enough to punt him off the track. Verstappen picked up a puncture and front wing damage; after pitting for repairs, he rejoined in 18th and last.

The collision had also caused damage to the rear of the Dutchman's car, and though the safety cars helped him catch the pack, he never really made an impact on the cars ahead. Verstappen crossed the line in 11th, just behind the two McLarens—but Alonso's five-second penalty elevated him into 10th.

Sainz admitted to Autosport he had felt dizzy before the race and in the opening laps, but once everything had settled down, he began to cut through the field. He was up to 11th by the time the second safety car came out, and after making his one and only stop, he emerged in the same position.

Sainz had good pace on the soft tyres, and he rose through the field as other drivers stopped later in the race. With 10 laps to go, he looked secure in seventh, but a brake failure on Lap 45 saw him spin at Turn 10.

Curiously, he kept going at racing speed and suffered another spin at Turn 13 before finally pulling off into retirement.

Toro Rosso have a good car and two good drivers. But for whatever reason, something always seems to go wrong.

They rise a spot to sixth.

No Change

Force India cracked open the champagne in Russia after a risky bet paid off in spades.

Hulkenberg extended his lead in the qualifying battle of the team-mates to 10-5, putting his VJM08 sixth on the grid with a lap of 1:38.659. Sergio Perez was just 11-thousandths slower and lined up seventh—completing Force India's best Saturday result of the season.

When the red lights went out, Hulkenberg held his position on the run down to the first braking zone. Vettel looked vulnerable and Hulkenberg tried to hang on around the outside, but he pushed too hard and spun mid-corner.

Most of the field avoided him, but Verstappen and Ericsson did not. The latter slammed heavily into the side of the VJM08, putting himself and Hulkenberg firmly out of the race.

Perez was inches away from being taken out by his team-mate, but he got through unscathed and ended the first lap in sixth. This became fifth when Nico Rosberg retired.

The emergence of the second safety car saw Force India take a gamble. Perez came in for his one and only stop, emerging in ninth. He was in a very strong position, but all would depend on how well he managed the soft-compound tyres on the long run to the flag.

After everyone had stopped, Perez was up to third. Ricciardo in fourth did the Mexican a huge favour by holding back Bottas and Raikkonen, but both got through and, on the penultimate lap, they passed Perez as well.

It looked like he'd been robbed of a podium at the very last moment, but Raikkonen punted Bottas off on the final lap, and Perez swept back through to claim a brilliant third.

Force India now look certain to finish fifth in the standings; they remain fifth here as well.

No Change

Red Bull struggled all weekend and will have been glad to see the back of Sochi.

Ricciardo beat his team-mate in qualifying for the third consecutive race, but he could only manage 10th with a lap of 1:39.728. That time was a full seven-tenths slower than his best from Q2. Daniil Kvyat was knocked out in Q2 and started his home race in 11th.

The Russian made a fine start and, after taking evasive action to avoid the spinning Hulkenberg, he ended the opening lap in seventh. This became fifth after Rosberg retired and Sergio Perez made an early stop.

Kvyat couldn't keep up with the leading quartet throughout the opening stint, and when he emerged from his single stop in eighth, he came under pressure from Felipe Massa. The Williams man got by after a short scrap, and it looked like Kvyat was destined to finish ninth.

But three cars up ahead dropped out of the running, and Kvyat crossed the line in sixth. This became fifth after Raikkonen's post-race penalty.

Ricciardo had an average getaway but ended Lap 1 on Kvyat's tail. He looked quicker than his team-mate in the early stages, and when the second safety car came out, Red Bull decided to split their strategies.

The Australian stopped, Kvyat stayed out.

Ricciardo's strategy turned out to be the right one. He was fourth as the race neared its conclusion and, though Bottas relegated him to fifth, he was still set to beat Kvyat by a comfortable margin.

But his race was ended six laps from home—a suspension issue sending him into retirement.

Red Bull may now be too far back to challenge Williams for third in the championship. They remain fourth.

No Change

Williams extended their lead over Red Bull but deserved to do even better.

Bottas continued his fine run of form by qualifying third, his best lap of 1:37.912 a shade under eight-tenths shy of pole. But team-mate Massa didn't have a great day—a big mistake and traffic in Q2 saw him set the 15th-fastest time.

The Finn held third on the run down to Turn 2, but Raikkonen braked a little later and was able to slide down the inside, relegating Bottas to fourth. The Williams man won't have been happy, and after the first safety car returned to the pits, he immediately retook the position.

Rosberg's retirement promoted Bottas to second and he looked comfortable until the second safety-car period. At the restart, Vettel nipped past Raikkonen and spent the following 10 laps slowly reeling Bottas in.

Williams took the initiative and brought their man in on Lap 25, hoping to stave off a potential Ferrari undercut. But Bottas emerged in traffic, lost bags of time and could only watch as Vettel stopped five laps later and came out comfortably ahead.

As the race neared its end, Bottas overtook Ricciardo and Sergio Perez to take third. As the final lap started, he looked on course for his second podium of 2015, but Raikkonen had other ideas.

The Ferrari man's clumsy lunge down the inside at Turn 4 punted Bottas into the wall and out of the race.

Massa, who had spent the whole race slowly but surely picking his way through the field, was one of the beneficiaries. Eleventh after the opening lap, the Brazilian was decisive and smooth in battle and was up to sixth by the start of the final tour.

His team-mate's retirement and Raikkonen's penalty gifted him fourth place—a remarkable recovery drive from a man who started 15th.

Williams remain in third.

No Change

Ferrari came out on top in the scrap to be best of the rest.

Vettel led the way once again in qualifying, lining up fourth on the grid with a lap just over eight-tenths down on polesitter Rosberg's best. Raikkonen was a further four-tenths back after an error on his final run; he started fifth.

The start saw Vettel drop to fifth after a mediocre getaway, but he started to make up for it after the second safety car. Raikkonen wasn't quick at the restart and the four-time world champion didn't need a second invitation to steam through into third.

The German passed Bottas in the pit-stop phase, but he was never realistically going to be able to challenge race leader Lewis Hamilton. He did, however, set the fastest lap of the race on his way to finishing second.

Raikkonen made a great start, passing Vettel almost immediately and going down the inside of Bottas into Turn 2 to seize third. But his fellow Finn nipped back past after the first safety-car period; after the second, Raikkonen was demoted further down the order by Vettel.

He emerged from his only pit stop just behind Bottas, and the pair spent the remaining laps locked in combat. Both passed Sergio Perez on the penultimate lap, and Raikkonen looked set for fourth.

But he really, really wanted a podium. Bottas might have been a touch slow through Turn 3 on the final lap, but a move was in no way on. Raikkonen went for it anyway, punting Bottas out of the race and damaging his own suspension.

He crossed the line in fifth, but a 30-second time penalty for causing the collision with Bottas dropped him down to eighth.

Ferrari remain clear in second.

No Change

Mercedes proved they can still win on supersoft tyres and claimed the constructors' title with four races to spare.

Rosberg took his third pole position of the season—and second in a row—with a lap of 1:37.113. Hamilton was second, a little over three-tenths behind. Unusually, both Mercedes drivers set their best times with banker laps early in Q3.

When the lights went out, it was Hamilton who made the better start, but Rosberg defended the inside line and was able to stay ahead. The two had a hairy moment a few corners later when Rosberg reacted to the safety-car boards a little quicker than anyone expected; Hamilton had to lock up to avoid him, and Raikkonen had to swerve to avoid the pair of them.

Rosberg held the lead at the restart, but it soon became apparent all was not well. He went deep into Turn 2 on Lap 7, surrendering the lead to Hamilton, and at the end of the lap, he pulled into the pits to retire with a failed throttle damper.

Hamilton settled into the inherited lead and was never threatened thereafter. He had a little bit of drama late on when his rear wing became loose, but he was able to nurse the car to the end to take the team's 12th win of the season.

Mercedes banished the ghosts of Singapore with a dominant performance. They remain on top.