There are two races left and it's still all the play for - though some need to play a bit harder than others, here's a quick summary of the teams who are in contention for having a no.1 on their car next year.
Red Bull:
Surprised many by taking the first Pole of the season and being obviously faster than the rest of the pack. Red Bull have been consistent in qualifying and have taken 1st grid spot in all but 3 of 17 races so far. Their raw pace has not converted to points though - surely Christian Horner must be wondering how the fastest car on the track hasn't got the driver championship in the bag already. Reliability issues and two drivers chomping at the bit to win the F1 crown has left RBR finding the driver championship falling through their fingers. McLaren fans not wanting Alonso to win it, and Ferrari fans not wanting Hamilton to win it would be happier to see RBR walk away with both titles than the 'opposition' get either.
McLaren:
Struggled with qualifying early on and Button started further up the grid than Hamilton which raised a few eyebrows. The MP4-25 is a class act and the car deserves better results than it has achieved. A few wins and regular podiums have kept McLaren in the hunt, it all seemed over when Lewis failed to finish several races recently - but a double DNF for Red Bull in South Korea has seen luck work in favour of the Woking team (though not as lucky as it was for Ferrari). McLaren are strong, but perhaps not as strong as their two biggest championship rivals at this stage - but Lewis is a born racer and won't give up until the last lap. The question is, will Button help him?
Ferrari:
What a disappointment at one point! Quitting during the 2009 season to focus on the F10 for this year put them as favourites before the first race had started. A fluke win at Bahrain was followed by results which fell short of expectations. A few races ago Alonso's chances of a third championship were being dismissed by most, but he kept scoring enough points to keep his chances alive without drawing attention to himself - until the German Grand Prix anyway! From a lucky win, to mediocre results, to convincingly leading the championship - it's been one hell of a season for the Tifosi, and it's far from over.
Renault:
Okay - they aren't championship contenders, but Kubica is in the mix when it comes to races. It's not unrealistic that he'll finish on the podium or start from the front two rows - he could stand in the way of any of the Championship leaders by earning those precious points for himself. As long as the wheels stay on his car, Kubica's finishing position could help determine who gets the championship.
No team has been lucky, all of the above have been dogged by reliability problems, human errors and driving mistakes. Who knows what's going to happen in the next two races?!! Anyone could retire, anyone could win.
