If it seems like a very long time ago that Formula 1 set sail for its belated 2011 kick-off in Australia still expecting a wide open title battle, that's because it is. But on the eve of Advent, the season is finally coming to a close in Brazil, just under two months after Sebastian Vettel wrapped up the title.

Whereas the topsy-turvy title fights of recent seasons might have benefited from having even more time to play themselves out, 2011's non-contest has felt like it dragged on a little – but there's still tangible excitement and anticipation about Brazil.

For one thing, Interlagos is a dramatic venue – bumpy, gloriously rough around the edges, overflowing with passionate fans, prone to wild weather changes and overtaking-friendly regardless of DRS, KERS and Pirelli. It feels like it grew into being organically – a far cry from the sometimes artificial feel of the state-of-the-art venues.

This weekend also has an air of 'last chance' about.

The final opportunity for Mark Webber to get a win on the board in a season when his team-mate has triumphed so relentlessly. Last chance for Jenson Button or Lewis Hamilton to take the win that would make it 4-3 in one of their favours in McLaren’s intra-team victory tally for 2011. The final chance for Felipe Massa to avoid going all year without a single visit to the podium, the first time a full-season Ferrari driver would have done so since Didier Pironi in 1981.

There is basically nothing at stake anymore expect pride and drivers' self-respect. And Formula 1 drivers have a lot of pride... Expect 2011 to bow out with a bang.

Thrill and spill potential

Pretty high. Rainstorms can blow in out of nowhere and turn Brazilian races or qualifying sessions inside out - or sometimes delay them for hours on end... Whether DRS works or not, the Senna S is a great passing place, and the ambitious can pull off moves at the ends of the next two straights too, while in the wet, pretty much any of Interlagos' corners becomes an overtaking opportunity. Funnelling into the first corner at the start can be a tricky business too - this venue sees more first-lap shunts than most.

Talking points

*Brazilians under pressure: None of the three home drivers is in a particularly happy position coming to Interlagos. Rubens Barrichello looks set to lose his Williams drive and appears to have few lifelines on offer – will this be the end of his record-breaking two-decade F1 career?

Massa seems safe at Ferrari for 2012 despite being blitzed by Fernando Alonso again, but it is hard to see him being retained beyond next year unless a major turnaround takes place. Returning to the scene of his first F1 performances (only team tactics in 2007 prevented a run of three straight home wins) could reinvigorate him.

And Bruno Senna's perky start at Renault now seems a long-lost memory in the wake of several underwhelming performances. With Romain Grosjean looming ominously in Renault's 2012 driver machinations as they look for a replacement for Robert Kubica, Senna needs a big weekend too at a circuit where his late uncle reminds deep in the fans' hearts.

*McLaren's driver rivalry: It's a very healthy and jovial competition, but Button and Hamilton really do like to beat each other. Lewis cannot catch his team-mate in the points, but a win in Brazil would mean he had more victories in 2011, and that would be an ideal way to underline that he is back on form after his lengthy mid-season wobble. Conversely, Button has a lot of momentum that he would love to carry into 2012 after arguably his finest F1 season yet, and a fourth win of the season would underline his intra-team triumph this year.

Interlagos trends

*Rain: Few years go past without inclement weather playing some sort of a role in the Brazilian GP. The 1993, 2001 and 2008 races in particular took on drastically different shapes when the rain turned up, 1996 saw ferociously wet conditions, 2003 brought delays, chaos and a shock victory for Jordan and Giancarlo Fisichella, while in 2009 qualifying was delayed for much of the afternoon when the heavens opened. Anything really can happen in Brazil when the weather intervenes.

*Upset results: Largely (but not always) due to that climatic unpredictability, Interlagos is a venue where odd things happen. Sometimes the surprises are just underdog podium finishes, like Nick Heidfeld's for Sauber in 2001. Sometimes it's the winner who is the shock - with Fisichella’s 2003 win the most jaw-dropping, although Juan Pablo Montoya winning for Williams in 2004 (the team's last triumph to date) and even Webber triumphing in 2009 were against the run of form at the time.

Winning pedigree

Current drivers who have won at Interlagos:

Michael Schumacher: Four wins (1994, '95, 2000, '02)
Felipe Massa: Two wins (2006, '08)
Mark Webber: One win (2009)
Sebastian Vettel: One win (2010)

Current teams who have won at Interlagos:

Ferrari: Eight wins (1976, '77, '90, 2000, '02, '06, '07, '08)
McLaren: Seven wins (1974, '91, '93, '98, '99, 2001, '05)
Williams: Four wins (1992, '96, '97, 2004)
Renault: Two wins (as Benetton - 1994, '95)
Red Bull: Two wins (2009, '10)
Force India: One win (as Jordan - 2003)