What's at stake at China?

A week after the Japanese Grand Prix Formula 1 heads for China. Following an action-packed race that was run in atrocious conditions in Fuji, there are several things at stake this coming weekend. There are just two races left for everybody to achieve their own targets…

The McLaren phenomenon now has a 12-point lead over Alonso and Lewis can look forward to the future with serenity. He still has two chances to clinch the title. To do so he has to make sure that he does not lose more than 2 points to his team-mate in China. Will the grand prix be an easy one for the British driver? Hardly. The 2006 championship battle showed that the smallest of problems is big enough to swing the balance back and forth, and the championship could be set alight once again by a retirement due to mechanical problems, an accident, a poor qualifying position or a start from the back of the grid. It seems impossible for Hamilton to tackle the weekend in a relaxed frame of mind. He will have to be even more focused than usual so the title does not slip through his fingers.

Heikki’s second place at Mount Fuji enabled him to close the gap to Robert Kubica in the drivers’ championship. Only 5 points now separate the two men. Even if his target seems a tad ambitious the Finn is determined to use the Chinese Grand Prix to up the pressure on his Polish rival. He’s in there with a chance but like Hamilton he mustn’t run into any problems, needs to use every practice session to the maximum and must not lose concentration.

The two Red Bull Racing drivers are hungry! David Coulthard and Mark Webber with 13 and 10 points respectively are out to put pressure on the Williams drivers. Rosberg has 15 points and Wurz 13 so 9th to 12th places in the 2007 drivers’ championship are still up for grabs.

Thanks to the points scored by David Coulthard in Japan Red Bull Racing is inching closer to its rival, and is now only 5 points behind Williams in the battle for what has become 4th place in the constructors’ championship. Webber’s retirement in Fuji was difficult to stomach. The Australian could have scored 6 or 8 points when Sebastian Vettel’s Toro Rosso hit him during a safety car period meaning that Red Bull Racing could now be in front of the Grove squad. Fuji was a missed opportunity, but will there be others? Shanghai will provide part of the answer!