Okay Sunday Afternooners we have what we call a developing situation here…

As it stands, Ferrari appear to have put it all on wet. The contender in the red corner is currently due to start tomorrow’s showdown in eighth. The chap in the blue corner fourth, but… it appears extremely likely that Alonso’s F2012 has been set up to maximise wet and/or intermediate tyres, and quite possibly Ferrari have had this focus since they arrived in Sao Paulo. Good for them; there is only a 20 per cent chance it won’t rain, according to the weather expert the BBC have been talking to. Other forecasts are available.

However, there is a chance Alonso could start sixth. Yup, Felipe Massa has just apparently told Italian TV that if he were to have another gearbox ‘problem’ then that would be a shame, but que sera, sera. Massa qualified fifth, ahead of Alonso again, but it’s thought he was on a full dry set up. That makes sense. Fernando is, and always be, faster than he is.

And… Pastor Maldonado apparently missed a signal to go put his Williams on the scales and you know how the stewards have been this year. Especially with Maldonado. Pastor qualified sixth, but a five place drop would have him behind Alonso and the Spanish challenger starting sixth… right behind Vettel.

Vettel only needs to finish fourth, so he needs to hold that place. Alonso needs to win and who would bet against Alonso getting the jump on him at the start should he get the Massa/Maldonado promotion. That would put him  behind Mark Webber, but then again he’s not the best of starters.

So that leaves the men on the front row of the grid, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, as dominant in the last race of the season as they were the first. Maybe it’s a good thing McLaren are all focused on Lewis last race. It’s a handy way to keep your mind off what should be pre-occupying the team and that’s what the hell happened between Australia and Brazil

Top ten: HAM, BUT, WEB, VET, MAS, MAL, HUL, ALO, RAI, ROS. Michael Schumacher didn’t make Q3 in his last ever qualifying, Bruno Senna so nearly did. We hope it’s not his last. No RoGros in the Q2 group either, as another silly mistake saw his front wing in an Armco HRT sandwich. Not smart.

We’ll be back tomorrow, but for goodness sake, do not be anywhere else other than on your Sunday Afternoon Sofa at 16.00 tomorrow…

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