The world championship on Saturday looked set to move on to Japan, after two of Sebastian Vettel’s mathematical protagonists qualified well in Singapore.
Red Bull’s Vettel delivered his customary pole, but the fact that his teammate Mark Webber and McLaren’s Jenson Button were second and third on the grid is problematic if the young German wants to secure his crown on Sunday.
If either Webber or Button finishes second on Sunday, the championship will move on to Suzuka in two weeks.
"My hunch is that he (Vettel) will have to wait to claim his second drivers’ title," David Coulthard wrote in his latest Telegraph column.
German Vettel said earlier this weekend that he is tired of being asked if the championship is nigh.
"It reminds me a little bit of Abu Dhabi last year where people came up every two or three minutes giving another option that is possible," he said.
"It’s not the objective for this weekend. The target is to optimise our performance and then either we get surprised or not."