Pit Stop

And then there were four. Jenson Button may not have enjoyed his weekend, what with dropping out of the title reckoning and almost being carjacked, but Brazil lived up to its reputation for excitement and good racing. It's a shame it wasn't the last on the calendar, but that honour goes to Abu Dhabi this weekend.

Brazil may have decided the last few drivers' championships, but it wasn't to be this time around. It's good for F1 fans that it's gone to the wire, and great for that part of the Middle East. The UAE emirate has poured hundreds of millions of pounds into the circuit and the general project of Yas Marina. One of the latest attractions is a Ferrari theme park, so no doubting who the locals will be cheering on.

One thing that isn't up for grabs is the constructors' championship. Red Bull wrapped that up last weekend, with their Brazilian one-two. It's a great achievement for a team that rose out of the ashes of Jaguar six years ago. But the only title that matters to the rest of us is the drivers', and that race is deliciously, delicately balanced.

Fernando Alonso is just eight points ahead of Mark Webber. All of a sudden, the team orders incident at Hockenheim when Filipe Massa gifted him the lead is significant. That was seven points on a plate. If Alonso is first or second in Abu Dhabi, he's world champion. But what if, in the closing stages of the race, the order is the same as in Brazil with Vettel leading, Webber second and Alonso third?

The big question is whether Red Bull would scupper Ferrari with instructions for Vettel to move aside. Boss Christian Horner says he would do anything to ensure a Red Bull champion, but the team insists there will be no orders. Indeed Vettel still has an outside chance to win the title himself, but he needs to win the race and hope Alonso is fifth or worse.

If Alonso was close to the Red Bulls, would Vettel move over for Webber, play tail gunner and ensure a Red Bull champion? He's keeping his cards close to his chest at the moment, but reading between the lines you have to feel he would. Despite his sense of entitlement given the season he's had, surely it would serve no one in the team, least of all him, to refuse to do the decent thing.

This, of course, is all speculation and it can't be much help to Red Bull to have all this 'what if' stuff washing around their heads as they prepare in the desert. There are no such problems at Ferrari where Fernando Alonso is king of all he surveys. Given his number one status at the Italian team and his points advantage, many would have him as the nailed on favourite for the title.

But before you go and place your bet, remember that qualifying will be as important as the race itself. If Red Bull can lock out the front row once more, it might be all over bar the shouting. However, all it could take is an errant back marker and the emergence of the safety car and everything would have changed again. It really is amazingly, thrillingly wide open, and that is why I shall keep my cash in my pocket and enjoy the last act of a truly amazing season.

While the battle in Abu Dhabi will very much be about the here and now, it's only right that the last column of the season finishes with a homage to the future. Nico Hulkenberg's performance at the weekend certainly puts him in that category. Ironically, the young German's future has been in doubt for several weeks at Williams. It wasn't because there was any doubt over his ability in the car, more his ability to pay for his seat.

The GP2 champion of 2009 has been in danger of being ousted by the 2010 champion Pastor Maldonado. The Venezuelan has financial backers, and the Williams team needs the cash, whereas Hulkenberg wants his talent to speak for itself.

The issue hasn't yet been settled, but the decision may well have been taken out of Sir Frank's hands. Hulkenberg certainly put himself in the shop window with his maiden pole and other teams may now come sniffing around. The driver himself is adamant that talent should come above money when it comes to drivers, but this is Formula One, and that isn't always the case.