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Pit Stop

What does FIA stand for? Ferrari International Assistance. It's an old joke but a good one and, given the events of the past couple of weeks, still apt. As Fernando Alonso slipped into third place in the championship courtesy of his win in Italy in front of the Tifosi, Ferrari have every right to feel not only happy, but a bit smug too.

They won the race and spared themselves the ire of big boss Luca di Montezemolo, and they also wriggled out of any further punishment for the team orders debacle in Germany.

Avoiding any points deduction makes the final part of the season even more intriguing with Ferrari fully in the mix. As we head to Singapore this weekend, any one of five drivers can still land the championship. Only 24 points separate Mark Webber in first place and Sebastian Vettel in fifth. It's one of the most open championships in many years.

With the arrival of the Singapore Grand Prix, it really feels we're on the home straight - to borrow a horse-racing expression.

Out of Europe, the last five races are 'fly-aways', starting in Asia, then South America before finishing in the sands of the Middle East.

Formula One is unpredictable at the best of times, but this is going to be a real roller coaster. The closeness of the race, with two sets of teammates in the mix, will add to the tension. But being so far away from their European bases will also add to the stress on the teams and the drivers. For the fans, it should be great.

Who will win? It's too close to make confident predictions, but I know who I'd like to see win. Like a newspaper coming out for a candidate before an election, I'd like to back Webber. As a Brit, you might expect me to be cheering for Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. But Aussie or not, you'd have to have ice in your veins not to have a sneaking affection for Webber.

He's had to work hard to get where he is and you suspect that given his age and the unpredictability of cars from one season to the next, this might be his one and only chance to become world champion. Who would begrudge it should it come to pass. He has the most wins and the most podiums and in the process he's dealt effectively with his favoured teammate. Mind you, if Webber doesn't finish and Vettel wins on Sunday, the German will leapfrog him in the standings, it's so tight at the top.

Singapore will also give us an indication of which cars will have the performance advantage heading into the end of the season. Red Bull have been hanging on in Europe, with other teams catching up after their red-hot start to the season. The team assure us that tracks like Monza didn't suit them and they expect to be leading the pack this weekend. The problem for them is that Ferrari are on a high and McLaren fancy their chances under the lights of Singapore. A good showing here will give any team real momentum for the rest of the season.

The street circuit that the teams are arriving at this week will look a bit different. Singapore being Singapore, there's no resting on its laurels. If an improvement can be made, it will be. Apparently the track will look prettier, which will be nice for those of us watching, if not for the teams. Brightly painted walls and run-off areas will make the place look a little less severe, we are promised.

Of more interest to the drivers are changes to the actual circuit, with resurfacing on some parts of the track to smooth it out and the pit lane being lowered by a centimetre to make it less bumpy to get back on track. The 'Singapore Sling' turn 10 has been tamed by re-profiling it. It's minor surgery for a spectacular track in a shimmering location.

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