So Abu Dhabi is apparently final and dramatic round in WDC and WCC also for those KERS cars.

I think WCC is more important than WDC in this case and have heard that Ferrari and McLaren are quite serious about this.

My question (mainly to fans of those two teams) is if you folks are interested in this battle? Is it of any importance to finish 3rd in WCC in general and also in this specific case? I mean to win the best KERS car (ever?) tag and surpass big rival in the standing.

I'm a Ferrari fan, and I want to beat McLaren now and always, but you've got to be realistic, and say that it takes a miracle for us to do it this time. Had Massa been fit and prosper, it wouldn't even have been a match, but as it is now, well, McLaren cares, but I really don't! The 2010 opener at Sakhir can't come soon enough! I'm just excited for the future.

3rd is important. Ferrari haven't finished lower than 3rd since like, before Schumacher joined the team...

Just looked it up, 1993, in fact. Basically the year Todt came on board.

Beating Ferrari for left overs doesn't excite me, but winning races does.
So I'd be happier to see Hamilton winning and Ferrari taking 3rd (very unlikely scenario) than to have it the other way around.

It is the only battle. So again this year championships will be decided in last race. Go macca, make it double!

I don't think many people care too much about the WCC, as the focus is primarily on the WDC, but the marketing people sure as hell do.

I've read that the difference between 3rd and 4th is around £5m in prize money, so I can see why it's important to the teams, even if the fans won't be too bothered. If you're not first, it doesn't matter where you are...

Always good to beat Ferrari, though have to bear in mind Felipe's injury as a huge slice of pure bad luck.

Still I would really like 3rd for Mac . Next year's pitlane to think of...

beating the reds is always something...

plus there are some 5 million dollars up for grabs.

I'd like to see Mac snag third. Just because they must at least be best of the rest (ie behind Brawn and Red Bull), despite a poor start to a regulations-transition year like 2009. Anything less is unacceptable.

3rd in the WCC is irrelevant as said above however finishing ABOVE Ferrari in the standings is always important!

Hopefully Ferrari will finish 3rd. Number 5 looks better than 7 in Fernando's car 8)

Will be very hard for Ferrari, if Massa had been fit this wouldnt have happened in the first place, now it's all up to raikonen and a lot of luck.

Now that you mention it, there is a thing about number 5 cars winning many WDCs.
I hope McLaren is 3rd and Hamilton carries 5.

Well, we've got Lewis in the silver corner... a track that looks like it may suit him or at least his car.... HK in tow, not much help probably.

In the red corner we have Kimi, any track suits him, on fire at the end of this season (I know, literally last race..thankyou..). Should run well, albeit wrestling his car.... He has Fisi in tow... yeah, sadly worse than HK.

Hammy's car better - would love the win. HK not much help
Kimi's car an uncertaintly - will fight for the win. Forget Fisi.

On balance it's Macca's day over Ferrari. I've no opinion on that. Howzat then?

Fernando probably won't get the lowest number anyway :)

Yeah for a Ferrari fan beating McLaren is pretty important if the titles are out of reach, it's all part of the rivalry :)

Huh? Lewis > Kimi on all tracks right now

Yeah I know, that's the cars though not the drivers. I meant in driving "force" (can't think of a better word). Lewis has his track peculiararities (?), Kimi goes like f**k on anything, no?

BEAT THE RED CARS!!!!!!!

I want Kimi to win, but McLaren to beat Ferrari. So that would just need the usual game from Fisi and good points finish from Lewis and Heikki.

I like that. That'll do me... Or Vettel winning of course.

It´s going to be tough for Ferrari beating McLaren as they stop improving the F60 in august, while the silver arrows are the most improved team of the year. However, you Alonso fans cannot expect him carrying the number 5 next year, even if Ferrari keep the third position (Massa is the most veteran driver and he should keep the lowest number).

This is not a fight between McLaren & Ferrari, this is clash of titans - Hamilton vs. Raikkonen

To both teams this is mega important. It's a heady mix of more money... and pride.

Lowest number is almost always given to the driver who scored the most points for the team the previous year. In the case of a new driver joining the team, then by default the current driver would get lowest number, as he technically scored the most points for the team the previous season. Case in point: Red Bull this year. Vettel outscored Webber in 2008, but Webber was still given the lowest number this year for Red Bull be cause he scored points for them in 2008 while Vettel didn't.

The only exception to this rule I can think of is Brawn this year. Barrichello beat Button last year in points, but they still gave Button the lowest number. Perhaps you can argue that Brawn is technically a "brand new team," so last year's tally with Honda didn't count.

You bet. Pride means everything in Ferrari v. McLaren.

Remember last season when McLaren and Ferrari kept referring to each other as "Our main rivals" in all of the news pieces? This was all in the aftermath of the Spygate saga, when they hated each other so much they wouldn't acknowledge each other by name. That was really funny, I thought.

You got it!

McLaren will prolly beat Ferrari as long a Giancarlo doesnt surprise us. McLaren is fast on these street cirucuits. There is always pride on the line in Ferrari vs McLaren.

You have to thank Kimi for that..

I am a Kimi fan. I want him to clinch the 3rd place in WCC. It would be difficult. It does not matter that I hate the team he drives for, and the team he drives against would probably be his future team. But, I want that third place desperately. Competition, that's the beauty of it.

Numbers 5&6 would be alright (got a Mercedes Kimi No.6 cap from 2003 which might be suitable once more), but we got more luck in the 7&8!

Lets smash those reds!

Come on boys the lower the number on a mclaren the better! Give it to em!

Come on boys the lower the number on a mclaren the better! Give it to em!

i like this scenario a lot

The track temps are going to be pretty high. That, and the benefit of KERS should help this weekend.

Hamilton will be hard to beat though. And the lack of fast corners here will play to the McLaren's strengths more than the Ferrari's (relative to each other).

Would be nice if Ferrari is ending up 3rd. But Ferrari hasn't developed the car much. And Hamilton is always to be reckoned with. Fat chance IMO.

Should Ferrari be 3rd, it's a big thank you for Hamilton crashing in Monza

You mean the weakness of the Mclaren. The Mclaren is total trash in high speed corners, the worst car of the grid in this department. As long as there are no fast corners, Lewis can probably win the race. Now the question is, what is Fisi going to do?

Heikki better bring something to the table this race. He's probably going to qualify really good in the top 10, but he's going to fall back in the race again out of the points. He's doing a Kimi, falling a sleep during the races?

This is how it's going to happen.

If something happens to Lewis, Ferrari = WCC. If there are no problems with Lewis, Mclaren = WCC. Simple as that. Because there is no way Kimi will beat Lewis given that there are no fast corners on this track which is total shit for the Mclaren

As much as I love Kimi, I would actually like McLaren to take 3rd in the WCC. Go figure..

And realistically that is whats going to happen. McLaren clearly have the better car - and they have 1,5 driver to bet on. (Kovy only gets 0,5 in my book.)
Ferrari only have 1 driver to count on. 1,2 if Kimi gets really switched on But as you can see, from my immaculate calculations - the odds are against Ferrari. lol

Anyway - its gonna be exciting to see. Maybe Kimi can get back at Webber somehow. That would make my day

I do, yes. Read my post again, that's exactly what I say :-) The lack of high speed corners at Abu Dhabi play to the strengths of the McLaren. I.e. the car is great at point and squirt, and less so at hanging on the fast-bendy bits.

oh wait, didnt Brawn already win the WCC???.... I think you mean 3rd , yea pretty much agree with the statement then.

Kovy getting in the points will be a big bonus while I dont think its realistic to expect Fisi to get into the points... but you never know, might be an high attrition race