So the Form♑ula One world championship is going to the final round after Lewis Hamilton's unfortunate exit from the Chinese Grand Prix, but🅺 who needs to do what now that the points margins have been narrowed.

Hamilton remains favourite to take the title in his rookie year, when he would usurp rival Fernando Alonso as the youngest eve🌺r champion, but the Briton would do well to bear in mind the 1986 showdown in Adelaide, when fellow Briton Nigel Mansell went into the final race with a seven-point lead and only nine♋ points on offer for the victory. One blown tyre was enough to make him an outsider, as Alain Prost came through from third favourite status to claim the crown.

And if anyone is thinking that pun♓ctures are unlikely at Interlagos, just think back twelve months, when Michael Sch☂umacher saw his slim hope of overhauling Alonso deflated in more ways than one.

This time around,ꦗ Kimi Raikkonen is the outsider, but the Finn has the most wins this season following his Shanghai succes🍒s and is perfectly capable of topping the podium again in Brazil. Although a sixth victory would be ideal in his title quest, the Ferrari man would require a large dose of luck and some unlikely Mclaren unreliability.

Or his two rivals to get physical in thei꧒r own efforts to steal a march oꦦn race day....

For those wit✨h the nerve to sit through the action oꩵn Sunday 21 October, here is a quick rundown of who needs to do what (pending any hitherto unseen protests, appeals and penalties of course...)

Lewis Hamilton will be champion if:

He finishes first or second
He finishes third with Alonso 2nd or lower
He finishes fourth with Alonso 2nd or lower
He finishes fifth with Alonso 2nd or lower (they would be tied on points, but Hamilton would win tie-break based on second places)
He finishes sixth with Alonso 3rd or lower and Raikkonen 2nd or lower
He finishes seventh with Alonso 3rd or lower and Raikkonen 2nd or lower (Alonso and Hamilton would be tied on points, but Hamilton would win tie-break based on second places)
He finishes eighth with Alonso 4th o𝓡r lower and Raikkonen 3rd or lower (Alonso and Hamilton would be tied on points, but ꧟Hamilton would win tie-break based on second places)

Fernando Alonso will be champion if:

He wins and Hamilton finishes 3rd or lower (Alonso would win tie break 5-4 on wins)
He finishes second with Hamilton 6th or lower
He finishes third with Hamilton 8th or lower and Raikkonen 2nd or lower
He finishes fourth with Hamilton not-scoring a♊nd Raikkonen 3rd or 🍌lower

Anything lower than fourth means Hamilton currently has more points

Kimi Raikkonen will be champion if:

He wins with Hamilton 6th or lower and Alonso 3rd or lower (if Hamilton 6th, Kimi wins 6-4 on wins tie-break)
He finishes second with Hamilton 8th and Alonso 4th or lower (both would result in tie that Kim🧸i wins 5-4 𓂃on victories tie-break)

Anything lower than second means Hamilton currently has more points