As with the Cup, a formidable trio chases the F1 title

Highly-touted F1 rookie Lewis Hamilton is being compared to the legendary Jim Clark. AP

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Formula One doesn't have the Chase, and its technical specifications allow equipment to be as unequal as money can buy. It's diametric to the Nextel Cup in how many teams and drivers have a chance to win the championship in a typical season.

This has been an atypical season for both circuits. Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer are the only three drivers with a realistic chance to win the Nextel Cup with five Chase races remaining, including Sunday's at Martinsville.

F1 is racing its 17th round on Sunday in Brazil with three drivers -- Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen -- in contention for the championship. It's the first time since 1986 that a trio has gone into the final race with a chance to win the crown.

Alonso and Raikkonen were expected to be in this position. The 26--year-old Alonso won the last two World Championships for Renault and moved to McLaren-Mercedes this season. The 28-year-old Raikkonen replaced seven-time champion Michael Schumacher at Ferrari.

Hamilton's arrival in F1 with McLaren-Mercedes was highly anticipated. The Briton is the first driver of African heritage and he signed with McLaren at age 13. But he'd never driven in a F1 race until this season.

Hamilton leads the championship race with 107 points. Teammate Alonso, who has accused McLaren-Mercedes of giving Hamilton preferential treatment, has 103 and Raikkonen 100. Hamilton can clinch by finishing second in F1's 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 point system.

F1's season has been marked by scandal, with F1's ruling body deciding that a former Ferrari engineer had sent technology secrets to McLaren, which was fined $100 million and excluded it from the Constructors' championship. And Alonso's complaint about Hamilton was classless, particularly for a two-time World Champion.

For insight to the F1 season, I asked Peter Windsor, Speed TV's pit reporter, long-time F1 journalist and former team manager at Williams five questions.

1. Has this been one of the most interesting F1 seasons ever?

"For me, 2007 will always be remembered as the year in which we were finally able to see Lewis Hamilton race an F1 car. I kick myself now for not having watched Lewis in the lower ranks of the sport. I first saw him early in 2006, at the Valencia GP2 race, and it was obvious, after about 10 minutes observing him through Turn One, that he was a potential F1 champion- -- a perfect manipulator of a car's dynamic weight. I spent most of last winter counting down the days to Melbourne '07 -- and he fulfilled every one of my expectations.

"By season's end, I have no compunction in saying that Lewis Hamilton is the best driver I've seen since (two-time F1 champion) Jim Clark in 1965 to '68, and in making that statement I take into account Lewis' humility, love of the sport and respect of his peers -- qualities that I think Jim Clark personified.

"Having said that, I think the year has been soiled by the absurd penalties levied against McLaren, and Fernando Alonso's inability to admit that he needs to raise his game if he is regularly to beat Lewis. Both events shocked me."

2. Is Lewis Hamilton the story of the year even if he doesn't win the championship?

"Yes, for the reasons stated above. Only rarely do drivers of Lewis' all-around quality come along. I think he is more emotionally intelligent than Michael (Schumacher), has better throttle application than Ayrton (Senna), is better organized than Kimi (Raikkonen) and Mika (Hakkinen) and that he is faster than Alain Prost. Juan Fangio, Jackie Stewart and Stirling Moss are the only othter drivers I would put in Lewis' territory, but I'm not 100 percent sure that Jackie would have beaten Lewis in a straight fight. Sadly, I never got to see either Fangio or Stirling race."

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