After a topsy turvy season, with lots of twists and turns, let's take a look at some things that you need to watch out for as we go into the final race of the season. 1 - The Engine battle. With seven separate engine suppliers on the grid this year, things were bound to get interesting in the battle for supremacy, with each manufacturer hoping to get the better of the others. If we take each engines maximum number of points, and divide it by the number of teams that manufacturer supplies, we get a table looking like this: Downton - 166.6 (500) Porsche - 166.6 (500) Ford - 128.3 (385) Jaguar - 42 (84) Alfa Romeo - 21.5 (43) Honda - 3 (3) Lamborghini - 0 (0) As we go into the final race, the only ranking that is likely to really change is which engine will take the top spot. Porsche came into 2020 looking to make a statement, and they have certainly done that, taking a total of six wins combined with both the Mathershaw and Lopez outfits, along with taking the renewed entry of Westwood to currently sitting seventh in the Championship, which is no mean feat given the level of competition this year, and in their first year no less. Though their first year has not been without its dramas, having a multitude of engine problems that not only plagued pre-season testing, but also during the season as well. Meanwhile, the more established FV engine, Downton, has faired exceptionally well in the hands of the main team, and given both of their customer teams the opportunity to score points on multiple occasions, though to a slightly less extent to Porsche. In Brazil, anything could happen, and this fight is far from over. Keep an eye out for the Ford powered teams as well, as despite their average point total being hampered by a currently pointless season from AMR, which is unlikely to change, a shock result for both FIRST and North Star could push them further up. 2 - The Championship fight Let's get this one out of the way early, as you all knew it would be here. Whilst Downton has already wrapped up the Constructor's title, Ruiz, Powers and Van Snelheid all still have an opportunity to walk away with the gold in the final race. Nathaniel Powers clearly sits in pole position for this one, with a hefty eighteen point lead over second place man Enrique Ruiz and a further five back to his team mate Klaas Van Snelheid. However, despite that points gap, only once has the Championship leader gone into the final race and come out of the other end of it as Champion, which was Ruiz last year. Whether this will play on Powers' mind or not is something we'll have to wait and see, but as aforementioned, Brazil can really throw a spanner in the works, just ask Klaas last year. 3 - The fight for 7th Whilst most positions, bar any real shock results, feel like a foregone conclusion at this point, the fight for seventh place in the Constructor's could still be anyone's to claim. Eight points separate seventh placed Westwood, and ninth placed Phoenix, with Ocelot slotting in between the two. A potential £1-2m net gain or loss is on the table for these three teams, and each will be hoping that they choose the right strategy. Qualifying is likely to be crucial here, as we have seen time and time again that is can be far too easy to become mired down in the very close battle of the midfield, something that Lucas showed to brilliant effect last time out in Mexico. A lot of eyes will be on these three teams over the weekend. 4- Q1 in 2021 For some teams, there is more at stake than just this last race. Whilst Lucas have most certainly escaped any likelihood that they'll be in the bottom four teams for Q1 come 2021, there is still the opportunity for any team to have one great result, especially in Brazil. For the likes of Arrow, Meteor and AMR, an 8th place might seem like a bit of a stretch, but stranger things have happened. As for Cheema, they already have a ninth place this season, so it wouldn't be completely out of the realms of possibility, even if their recent form would suggest otherwise...after all...they do have Diego Campos at the helm. This would also mean a more positive start for Highwind come 2021. 5 - The Stand-ins
The aforementioned Diego Campos will be making his return to Formula Virtual at the Brazilian V-Prix. Many have a love-hate relationship with Campos, but it's hard to ignore the extent of that man's luck (or talent?). Love him or hate him, he's still a winner in Formula Virtual, and scored a fantastic eighth place for the team at the same event last season, whilst his team mate, who was regarded in higher esteem failed to qualify. That eighth place also remains the team's best result to date. Could lightning strike twice? Alongside the Spaniard, we have James Thompson jumping into the Phoenix for his debut drive. Given his relative lack of experience compared to the field, it's difficult to assess just how this will play out for the underdog team, especially in their hotly anticipated battle for seventh. For both his hair's and the team's sake, he'll be hoping that he can join the field of drivers who were able to score points on their debuts.
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