Formula One / Thomas Cowie / 14 October 2009 / Leave a comment

Three drivers, two teams, and two races. That is effectively what the 2009 F1 World Championship has boiled down to. So will unrivalled experience, fearless youth or bloody mindedness be the deciding factor in who wins the Drivers' Championship?

"Button cannot afford to let the battle go down to the wire in Abu Dhabi. He must be positive, and look to get the job done here. At [14.5] for the win, the market favours the conservative approach in the race, but it is in qualifying that he must shine."

A little ragged round the edges it may be, but Sau Paulo's Interlagos circuit is a diamond in the rough. Its' anti-clockwise layout makes it tough on drivers, and its' steep undulations and bumps are equally brutal on the cars.

If Britain is the birthplace of F1 in terms of mechanical greatness with teams like BRM, Tyrell, Lotus, Williams and Mclaren, then Brazil can claim to be the equivalent when it comes to driving prowess.

Names like Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet, and most famously of all, Ayrton Senna are still cherished in these parts - the championships they won put Brazil on the map for excellence in motorsport as well as football, whilst their power, influence and wealth, particularly in the case of Senna, helped to address the appalling hardships that many Brazilians face on a daily basis.

By 1991, Ayrton Senna had won two World Titles, and was on his way to a third. There was one trophy he had still failed to claim however - the winner's trophy at the Brazilian GP. When the local hero's Mclaren lost three gears, it seemed that fate would once again deny him the prize he so desperately sought.

Somehow, The Brazillian maestro negotiated a late rain storm, and a hard charging Ricardo Patrese to win by three seconds despite having been forced to drive the last few laps in sixth gear, the car close to stalling on several occasions.

Last year of course, it was Massa v Hamilton in a title shootout, with the Briton snatching the title from race winner Massa on the last corner of the last lap. At this stage of the season, the margins are tiny. Two points more in 2007, and Hamilton would now be a double World Champion. One less in 2008, and he would still be searching for his first crown.

Jenson Button must heed this warning if he is to prevail. He cannot afford to let the battle go down to the wire in Abu Dhabi - a complete unknown in terms of car set-up. He must be positive, and look to get the job done here. At [14.5] for the win, the market favours the conservative approach in the race, but it is in qualifying that he really must shine or else risk leaving himself too much to do on Sunday.

Across the garage, and 14 points adrift, Rubens Barrachello becomes the second Brazilian in successive years to come here with a championship chance. Unfortunately, Rubens has a terrible record here, having finished just six of the 16 Brazillian GP's he's started, yielding a meager 12 points in total. At [9.2], he will need good luck as well as a good car if he is to finally win in his homeland.

In a way, Sebastian Vettel has got the easiest job of the three. 16 points adrift, he realistically needs to win here and in Abu Dhabi. Red Bull will go ultra aggressive to try and get him on the front row where he can then look to control the race. His victory in Japan showed how determined he is and, at [3.35], don't count against the German giving Jenson a few more sleepless nights.

Button does have one other hope - namely that Mclaren or Ferrari feature in the big points at the finish. If Hamilton (3.95) and Raikkonen (19.5) could get themselves on to the podium, it would slowly suffocate Barrachello and Vettel's chances.

First it was Hamilton, now Button. The Brits certainly like to leave things to the last minute. One thing's for sure - if Button fails to get the job done in Brazil, his Championship roller coaster ride will go white knuckle.

Tags: Brazilian Grand Prix Betting Odds, Formula 1 Championship Betting Odds, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Mark Webber, Rubens Barrichello, Sebastien Vettel, Tom Cowie