Tough question. I think last year it was arguably because of driver lineup - Williams probably didn't have a significantly weaker car than McLaren, but their drivers were unable to match Alonso (mostly) and Vandoorne.
There's two teams I give a good chance of seeing all the way at the back, and those are Toro Rosso and Williams. If Williams hasn't improved the car - but everyone else has - they'll wind up propping up the field, and it will be because of the car. On the other hand, I see Toro Rosso as having the weakest lineup, so if their competition don't develop weaker cars they're likely to end up last due to their lineup.
On the other side, I'll also make the bold statement that I believe the team with the strongest driver lineup will win the WCC.
_________________ PICK 10 COMPETITION (4 wins, 14 podiums): 3rd in 2016 TOP THREE CHAMPIONSHIP (No Limit Excedrin Racing): Champions in 2015 & 2018 | 2nd in 2017 AUTOSPORT GP PREDICTOR: 2017 USA & P-F1 Champion | #2 in the world in 2017
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