F1 championship up for grabs on Sunday

By foxsports
Published

With the race for the Formula One championship on the line Sunday, the four drivers in contention ahead of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix played down expectations Thursday and kept their tactics under wraps.

Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso has the best chance to claim the title, but Red Bull rivals Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel are close behind and McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton holds an outside chance of winning.

After Vettel and Webber finished 1-2 at the Brazilian GP, the attention has been on how the teammates will approach the race in Abu Dhabi. Will Vettel move over and let Webber pass if he was winning, thus handing the title to the Australian?

Neither was talking Thursday.

''Ask him,'' Vettel said, cocking his head toward his teammate. ''Maybe he will tease you, too. I had the same line in Brazil, there's lots of things happening, more important things happening, before we enter into this possible stage, whatever scenario.

''Last year was a very tricky (qualifying session) here, remember. There's lots of things to do and things we should spend our energy on.''

Vettel and Webber publicly feuded this season. Teams are banned from giving ''team orders'' - telling drivers to let their teammates pass - so it may come down to him voluntarily letting Webber through if the team is to add the Formula One championship to the constructors' title it has already won.

''I think the target is clear,'' Vettel said. ''The speed has been there all season and it hasn't been the easiest season for myself, but we are still in the hunt and that's good. Try to do my best and it depends where those two guys (Webber and Alonso) are.''

For his part, Alonso appeared relaxed, refusing to be drawn into talk about tactics.

''I think I will not lose even one second of my energy this weekend thinking of what is going to happen on Sunday afternoon,'' the 29-year-old Spaniard said. ''There is much more to do Friday, Saturday, preparing the weekend in the right way. And as I said, our only picture at the moment of the race is winning the race.''

Alonso said his overriding goal was to finish first or second, which would ensure him a third F1 title. But he said he would feel ''sad'' if he lost at the last moment of an otherwise successful season.

''Overall, I think it doesn't matter what happens on Sunday,'' Alonso said. ''I will (have) great memories of 2010.''