Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
The most poignant moment of the Japanese Grand Prix did not come on track, but slightly off it - that it involved the protagonists who are locked in a tense battle for the title heightened that poignancy.
Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton locked wheels on the second lap forcing the latter to spin off the track. His car almost did a U-turn before settling into a diagonal position. The Briton had to wait for traffic to pass by before getting back into the race.
At that very moment, when cars speeding past were clearly reflected on the visor of Hamilton's helmet, many may have suspected the driver's title too pass by the 23-year-old racer. It can become the defining moment of the Formula One season - the scene of disaster if Hamilton fails to win the driver's title or the cause for a daring fightback if Hamilton succeeds to win the driver's title.
Whichever way you look at it, the present season has the eerie echoes of the one in which Hamilton lost the title by a solitary point after having led by 17 points at the same stage. Last year, Hamilton was over the moon after winning this same event under atrocious conditions.
But this year, the 23-year-old is nowhere near the moon. He is rather much closer to the sun and feeling the heat of harsh realities. His peers are questioning his race tactics, his fans doubting his abilities under pressure and his own levels of motivation and morale must be at an all-time low.
Desperation can easily lead to disillusionment and mistakes pave the way for misfortune. Hamilton has to guard against both with two races to go (in China on Sunday and Brazil on November 2) with his lead cut to five points.
Massa is in a similar situation too. The pressure is unbearable, the expectations unmatched. At this stage last year, the Brazilian was virtually out of the running, but this year he is on the cusp of carving a niche for himself.
By contrast, Robert Kubica of BMW looks like the odd man out and an unlikely candidate to be challenging for the title. But all credit to the Pole for providing an inspiring third angle to the championship race.
Kubica has been the most impressive among the new faces. Torro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel may have provided sparks of brilliance, but it is Kubica who has been consistent right through the year despite being in a car clearly lacking in race-winning pace.
The best aspect of Kubica is his ability to make the most of other drivers' mistakes and mishaps, just like Fernando Alonso, who did even better by winning back-to-back races in Singapore and Japan. While Hamilton and Massa have repeatedly erred under pressure, Kubica has been remarkably successful in the reverse direction - he has thrived under pressure.
But all that is water under the bridge with the title race poised on a knife's edge. At this stage last year, Hamilton was on 107 points, Alonso on 95 and Kimi Raikkonen on 90 with races in China and Brazil to go.
Raikkonen did the unthinkable winning the last two races to claim the title. Alonso collected 14 points (second in China and third in Brazil) while Hamilton could manage a mere two even though he started from pole position in China and second on the grid in Brazil. He ran into a pit lane trap in China and retired while early mistakes in Brazil saw him finish seventh.
Raikkonen's performance last year gives Kubica that precious commodity called hope. After all he is only 12 points behind the leader while Raikkonen was 17 points adrift at this stage last year. More importantly, Kubica has the momentum going, his morale is high and the Pole is never short of motivation.
Moreover, Kubica has everything to gain and very little to lose as the title race goes to the wire. He can afford to be aggressive and go all out for victory. It's not the same for Hamilton and Massa on the other hand. The two, therefore, will be looking to minimise mistakes as much as possible. In many ways, damage control will be their mantra.
Either way, we are in for an exciting finish. At the end of it all, we may have the first-ever Polish champion or the first champion from Brazil since Aryton Senna. Or how about seeing the youngest champion in Formula One history. Take your pick.
