Understanding the showdown scenario

With four drivers still in contention for the world championship at Abu Dhabi this weekend, here's everything you need to know about what each contender needs to do to claim it

After 18 races and eight changes of championship lead, split between five drivers, what could be Formula 1's greatest-ever world title contest comes down to a four-way shoot-out in Abu Dhabi, with 24 points covering Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton.

For those still coming to grips with the 2010 points system, that translates to a seven-point spread in old money (see graphic below). But it's worth noting that the new system's aim of giving winners greater reward by spreading the gap between first and second-place scores hurts Hamilton - last year second place would've given him a chance, this year it's a win or nothing for the 2008 champion.

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