Fernando...Alonso?

Phil: With two races to go in this epic season, I think it's time for me to come off the fence and predict a champion (some seasons it's been all over and the fat lady has sung by now, but not this year).

I think Fernando Alonso will be world champion this year.

Don't get me wrong, I agree with my co-blogger that Mark Webber deserves to win the title more than anyone. I think he'd be a very popular champion and I would be very happy to see his career capped with a world championship. I want Mark to win, but I think Fernando will.

Let's look at the numbers. As my co-blogger pointed out, he has scored three wins and a third place in the last four races. That's 90 points out of a total of 100. If he keeps this form up, nobody can beat him. If he wins in Brazil, Webber will need to be fourth or better to stay in the title race, and Hamilton, Vettel and Button will be completely out of it.

Alonso now has 26 career victories. For the historians (which I know includes my co-blogger), his victory in Korea put him ahead of Lauda and Jim Clark (25 wins each). His previous victory in Singapore put him ahead of Fangio (24). He has now won more race than any other driver except Schumacher, Prost, Senna, Mansell and Jackie Stewart.

My co-blogger will certainly be aware that Alonso is a bit of a controversial figure, in Britain at least, and plenty of F1 fans don't seem to have a good word to say about him. It's easy to focus on his undeniable arrogance and self-centredness and lose sight of his equally undeniable talent How many other drivers could have done what he's done over the last four races? I might have said Hamilton, but then he cocked up royally at Monza, a race Alonso won.

In that respect, he reminds me of Senna, who during his lifetime was loved and hated in almost equal measures (given the nature of his death, it's easy to forget the many controversies he stirred up in life).

If he's going to win, though, it has to be by more than 7 points. Don't get me started on that one again.