McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Ferrari's Kimi
Raikkonen will fight for the Formula One championship in the
season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend.
Briton Hamilton has 107 points, Spain's double world champion
Alonso 103 and Raikkonen 100.
Raikkonen has won five races, Hamilton and Alonso four each.
The following details what each driver needs to do to win the
title.
HAMILTON
Hamilton will be Formula One's youngest and first rookie
champion if he finishes first or second.
If he is third, fourth or fifth, he will take the title if
Alonso fails to win the race.
If he finishes fifth and Alonso is second, Hamilton will be
champion on a countback to fifth place (They would be tied 4-4 on
wins, 5-5 on seconds, 3-3 on thirds, 1-1 on fourths with Hamilton
trumping Alonso 2-1 on fifths).
If he finishes sixth, he must hope Alonso is no higher than
third and Raikkonen does not win.
If he finishes seventh and Alonso is third, Hamilton is champion
on a countback to second places providing Raikkonen does not
win.
If he finishes eighth, Hamilton takes the title if Alonso is no
higher than fourth and Raikkonen third or lower.
Hamilton can also win the title without scoring, providing
Alonso finishes no higher than fifth and Raikkonen is not in the
top two.
ALONSO
The Spaniard will become the first driver since Argentina's
Juan Manuel Fangio in 1957 to win successive titles with different
teams if he wins the race and Hamilton is third or lower.
Second place would be enough if Hamilton is sixth or lower.
Failing that, third place will give him the title if Hamilton is
eighth or lower and Raikkonen does not win.
Fourth place would be enough if Hamilton does not score and
Raikkonen is no higher than third.
RAIKKONEN
The Finn must finish first or second to have a chance at his
first title.
He can do it by winning, with Alonso finishing no higher than
third and Hamilton finishing sixth or lower.
A second place would be enough if Alonso is fourth (Raikkonen
leads 5-4 on race wins) or worse and Hamilton scores only one
point.
LEVEL ON POINTS
If Raikkonen finishes second, Alonso is fourth and Hamilton
eighth, all three drivers would end the season level on 108
points.
Raikkonen would win the title on race wins.
(China Daily October 19, 2007)
