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.