Brazilian Grand Prix: Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso wore increasingly tense expressions as they stalked the paddock here yesterday, almost as if the penny had suddenly dropped that they faced the season's denouement and - at long last - no further opportunities remained to resolve the outcome of their title fight.

Up to now there had always been the comforting thought that another race, another opportunity to score points, another chance to steal the unfair advantage, was lurking just another fortnight down the track. But now all those dreams are so much dust in their rear-view mirrors. The moment for the last great push at the Brazilian grand prix has arrived.

For Schumacher and Alonso, as for Ferrari and Renault, tomorrow will see the resolution of a season-long grudge match as well as the final race of Schumacher's long and distinguished career. Yet neither of them are approaching the race any differently from the other 17 events on the calendar. No matter how much optimism Schumacher can bring to bear on the situation, his chances of clinching a record eighth world championship are remote.

Trailing Alonso by 10 points, he must win tomorrow's 71-lap race with the Renault driver finishing out of the top eight and scoring no points. Nothing less than a healthy dose of great good fortune will get the job done for the oldest driver on the starting grid.

If the drivers are privately fretting behind closed doors, their teams are checking that nothing has been missed in terms of the cars' detailed preparation. The drivers, meanwhile, have to think in terms of the tiny chassis set-up adjustments needed to gain a vital performance edge on this exacting circuit.

"The track surface is normally very bumpy," said Alonso, "so we work a lot on the suspension to make the car comfortable to drive over the whole race distance. The other main area is the engine, because the main straight is very long and uphill, so you need good power and good acceleration out of the last corner. These are the most important factors from my point of view."

Both the engines in Alonso's Renault and Schumacher's Ferrari are freshly rebuilt for this event. Schumacher's engine suffered a valve failure which caused his retirement from the Japanese grand prix a fortnight ago but, as it was in the second race of a two-race cycle, he has a fresh engine this weekend.

As far as Schumacher is concerned, there is no doubt he will be giving his all from the start of qualifying tomorrow. He may be the oldest competitor on the starting grid, but he is still the most focused and continues to attract unqualified respect from even his fiercest competitors.

Alonso believes his victory in last year's championship has helped him cope with the pressure of repeating the success this season. "I know how to find the right effort, the right motivation," he said. "I remember how I enjoyed last year, the feeling of winning and how to repeat that, how to defend the number one on my car, to do the best for the sport and the team. The experience you have in one important year, like you have with your first championship, you never forget it and you are able to use it for the rest of your career."

• Guardian Service