The Formula One championship battle between Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso comes down to a driver needing one point to clinch the title in the season finale. But this time, Schumacher is the one at a disadvantage in what he says is the final race of his career.

Ferrari Formula One driver Michael Schumacher eats a banana before a training session at the Jerez racetrack, southern Spain, October 11, 2006. Renault have urged Schumacher to keep up the Formula One title fight, even if the odds are stacked against him after Sunday's bitter disappointment in Japan.[Reuters]

The pair head to the Brazilian Grand Prix on October 22 with Alonso holding a 10-point advantage over Schumacher. Alonso needs one point to clinch the title _ the same situation Schumacher enjoyed three years ago heading into the last race of the season.

"As we all thought, the championship will be decided in Brazil," said Alonso, who clinched the title in Sao Paulo last season when it was three races from the end of the schedule.

In the last race of 2003 at the Japanese Grand Prix, Kimi Raikkonen was the one trying to catch Schumacher. The German knew the only way he'd fail to win his fourth straight title for Ferrari would be if Raikkonen won the race and Schumacher went scoreless.

Schumacher came very close to losing it. Rain interfered with the practice session and Schumacher qualified in the seventh row. He finished eighth in the race and Raikkonen came in second to Rubens Barrichello, who was Schumacher's teammate at the time.

But that was good enough for Schumacher.

"It's a strange feeling for me," Schumacher said then. "Most championships end with a victory and to win with the last of the points gives me mixed emotions."

This time, Alonso saw a 25-point lead disappear between the 10th and 16th races. But he won the last race in Suzuka, and now has a 10-point margin over Schumacher _ who had to drop out on the 37th lap in Japan and all but conceded the title to Alonso.

"For me the championship is over," the Ferrari driver said. "I have to say clearly I don't really believe in the championship anymore.

"I don't want to go into a race hoping my opponent will retire. That is not the way I want to win a championship," Schumacher said. "We all know that it is one point that Fernando needs, and Fernando is a very good driver and that should not be any problem."

But Alonso has had problems lately. After winning six of the first nine races, he dropped out of two, including the Italian GP won by Schumacher. The Spaniard became a little testy and cracks appeared in his usually calm demeanor. He criticized his team for not supporting him at the Chinese Grand Prix.

When he won in Japan for the first time since June, all seemed well again.

"We deserved this victory a long time ago, I think. Before Hungary we were ready to win and we never finished the job," Alonso said. "The taste of the victory is even better because in China we were the complete favorites and everything seemed easy for us and we lost the race."

Schumacher, of course, would like to go out with his eighth title, but he took the disappointment at Suzuka philosophically.

"This is life and this is racing. It is up and down," he said. "Because of this it is very interesting and if it were not like this it would be very boring."