Fernando Alonso couldn't ask for a better place to try to win his third Formula One title.
He won his first two drivers championships at the Brazilian Grand Prix and is in position to win another this year, coming into the race at the demanding Interlagos track with an 11-point lead.
The Ferrari driver can lift the trophy if he wins Sunday's race and Red Bull's Mark Webber finishes fifth or worse. Alonso can also clinch the title if he finishes second and Webber places eighth or worse, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton is fourth or worse, and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel is second or worse.
''Naturally, I've got great memories of this track because it was here that I secured my two titles, in 2005 and 2006,'' Alonso said. ''Every time I go to Sao Paulo it's a special feeling and the atmosphere is really great.''
Alonso is the hottest driver arriving at the next-to-last race of the season, having won three of the last four events to take the lead from Webber. The late charge makes him the favorite to win the race and the title.
''I don't want to think about the chances of history repeating itself for a third time,'' the Spaniard said. ''I know it is theoretically possible, but that does not count for me. We want to tackle this Grand Prix in the same way as all the others, concentrating on ourselves with our feet on the ground, trying to do a good job, without making mistakes and with the aim of beating our rivals.''
The title has been decided at the last five Brazilian GPs. Jenson Button clinched his first championship last year at Interlagos, and Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen also won it there following Alonso's consecutive triumphs.
''In the last few years, Interlagos has usually produced very exciting races, partly because of the track characteristics,'' the 29-year-old Alonso said. ''The lap is fairly short, so we can expect closer times than usual, which means that the slightest little mistake will count even more. We will need to do everything perfectly.''
Webber also will need a mistake-free race if he wants to keep his title hopes alive, especially coming off a costly error at the Korean GP two weeks ago. He ran wide in a turn and spun and crashed, failing to finish and losing his points lead.
The defending race winner at Interlagos, Webber is hoping he will perform well again at the 2.6-mile circuit to win his fifth race of the season and stay in contention.
''I obviously have good memories from last year, it was a nice race to win and we will clearly be trying to get another victory this year,'' Webber said. ''It's now coming to a pivotal stage of the championship and we need to make the most of every opportunity we can.''
Alonso has 231 points, 11 more than Webber and 21 more than Hamilton, the runner-up in Korea and the only other driver with a reasonable chance of winning the title. Vettel (206) and Button (189) are mathematically alive but are long shots.
''I know the world championship is figuring in everybody's thoughts at the moment, but I'm not thinking about it too much,'' said Hamilton, the 2008 champion in Brazil. ''I need to get a good result in Brazil to take the fight to Abu Dhabi, so that's my priority. Whatever happens, it's going to be a very tight battle.''
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final stop of the season, is scheduled for Nov 14.
Red Bull has had the fastest cars for most of the season and would have arrived at the last two races with a comfortable advantage in the drivers' standings if not for costly mistakes and equipment failures. Besides Webber's crash, Vettel's engine blew up while he was leading the Korean GP with 10 laps to go.
Wet conditions could be a factor in Brazil just like they were in Yeongam, and rain is forecast for Sunday in Sao Paulo.
''The weather can be very changeable,'' Alonso said. ''This will be a very important factor and we will need to be ready to tackle all possible scenarios in the best way possible.''
Alonso won the season opener in Bahrain in his debut with Ferrari, but then struggled and didn't win again until the German GP, the 11th race of the season. A late charge has put him in contention and he can clinch the title if he is able to keep his momentum going into the final two events.
Alonso won both of his titles at the Brazilian GP driving for Renault, finishing third at Interlagos in 2005 and second in 2006. The Spaniard crashed in the first lap last year, when he was with Renault following a stint at McLaren.
This time he will have help from Brazilian teammate Felipe Massa, who has always raced well at Interlagos with the support of the home crowd. Ferrari also still has a chance to win the constructors' title, which is led by Red Bull and McLaren, respectively.
