Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen are all chasing title glory this weekend at Interlagos.
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As he sat in the Stade de France watching the latest instalment in England's remarkable Rugby World Cup turnaround on Saturday evening, Ron Dennis might have been forgiven for feeling at least a pang of jealousy aimed towards head coach Brian Ashton.
After all, and after an all-too-long period during which you had to wonder how on earth the reigning world champions actually achieved that distinction, the sight of Ashton's men channelling their individual strengths for the benefit of the collective whole did seem to rather contradict the situation in which Dennis and his McLaren-Mercedes team have found themselves for the balance of the current Formula One season.
On the one hand we saw teamwork at it's very best; however, Formula One - in which beating one's team-mate stands top of every driver's 'To Do' list - has a concept of teamwork that has always seemed out of kilter with other sports. All the more so when a team find themselves fielding drivers in possession of similar levels of talent and desire.
And when both drivers' talent is clearly world-beating, when their desire borders on the frankly obscene and when, let's face it, a tense situation is fanned considerably by dint of the team giving their drivers arguably the best car in the field, then flames will be fanned.
That's not to assume that, following their dismal run of form in recent times, it has all been sweetness and light within the England rugby camp. However, melding the attributes already described with a 'nothing to lose' attitude, they have, against the odds, turned their fortunes around. Burdened with riches such as drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, not to mention McLaren-Mercedes' MP4-22 car, Dennis has, in contrast, seen the team's season unravel - off the track at least.
And yet, where it really matters, the net result has been the same: England are in the World Cup final and both Hamilton and Alonso are set to contest the drivers' championship in Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix. Doubtless Dennis will consider all those headaches worthwhile if one of his drivers prevails at Interlagos.
Relationship
But which driver? Given the apparent breakdown in Alonso's relationship with the team - the latest twist coming at the Chinese Grand Prix when he to all intents and purposes claimed that alterations to his tyre pressures allowed Hamilton to outqualify him - one can assume whom Dennis wants to prevail. His off-the-cuff quote in the immediate aftermath of Hamilton's retirement in Shanghai - "We weren't racing Kimi, we were basically racing Alonso" - told us all we needed to know.
Kimi, of course, being Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, the third driver with a chance of becoming world champion this weekend. After Hamilton's pit-lane kitty litter excursion a fortnight ago (of the current crop of British sports stars, I thought he would be the one to finally break the traditional habit and actually eliminate pratfalls in the pursuit of success. I was wrong) the Finn's eventual victory brought him to within seven points of the championship leader. Alonso's second place pulled him to within four points of his team-mate - with all manner of permutations possible for Sunday.
The basic facts, however, are these: a win or a second place would do it for Hamilton, regardless of what the others do. Third place will also be enough - provided Alonso does not win. If that proves to be the case, the Spaniard would take the title by virtue of his five wins to Hamilton's four. Raikkonen needs to win and hope that Alonso finishes third at best, with Hamilton no higher than sixth...hmmmm isn't it usually just easier to start working these things out as the race unfolds?
So far, the 2007 season has tended to see either McLaren or Ferrari hold sway at any particular grand prix, with each team's cars also tending to race in formation. In other words, and notwithstanding circumstances such as mechanical misfortunes, driver errors or rain, the combination of car/tyres is of far greater importance than a drivers' input. That's nothing new in contemporary F1 - we have become accustomed to Sunday afternoon snooze-a-thons - and although such a race would hardly live up to the billing, it would certainly play into Hamilton's hands.
The experts seem to be predicting that, because Ferrari have tended to lose out so far this season on circuits - such as Interlagos - to which Bridgestone bring 'super-soft' tyres, not to mention those which have high kerbs and rough surfaces, they will be behind McLaren. Then again, the Scuderia are claiming their F2007 car is now more attuned to super-softs, with the surface of the Sao Paolo track apparently also having been resurfaced for the second time in three years.
Benchmark
Regardless, from Hamilton's point of view being the slowest of the Ferrari/McLaren quartet will be more than sufficient for him to take the title - in the process setting benchmarks as F1's first rookie world champion as well as its youngest ever champion. The latter record is currently held by - you've guessed it - Alonso, who will doubtless be praying that his oft-mentioned 'miracle' can finally come true. Given the Woking team's bullet-proof reliability this season, you'd have to assume that wet weather would be his best hope for an upset.
Then again, maybe Saturday's final in Paris will not be the only contact sport on view this weekend. Given this season's rivalries, Raikkonen would surely be the beneficiary of such an unlikely and incendiary scenario, with the outcome - if not the events leading up to them - echoing those of 1986, the last time a three-way battle for the title was staged.
On that occasion, a Brit - Nigel Mansell - came good when teamed at Williams with an established double world champion - Nelson Piquet. Their season-long battle allowed McLaren's Alain Prost to stay in touch heading into the Australian GP, with the Frenchman then taking the title in Adelaide when, and in spectacular fashion, Mansell's tyre burst - his team then ending Piquet's own chances by changing his tyres as a precautionary measure.
Hamilton is currently 5/2 on to take the title, odds that not only reflect his advantage in the standings, but also the manner in which he has dealt with just about every obstacle placed in his path. After a decade-long period of careful grooming, that he has arrived in F1 with the benefit of a front-running car only adds to the impression of an already finished article; let's face it, he's had the best preparation that anyone could ever hope or wish for.
But, the fact is, Hamilton has flourished when presented with a situation in which others might easily have buckled. It's his to lose.
