Whitmarsh hails 'epic' championship

Five drivers - Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso - remain locked in a thrilling battle for the championship with just five races remaining.

And although the competitiveness of the fight at the front means huge pressure for those involved, Whitmarsh believes that those who love the sport have a real treat on their hands.

"It will be a race to Abu Dhabi now and that is great," said Whitmarsh. "This is an epic world championship - and I hope everyone realises that this is potentially one of the best world championships ever in the history of F1. That is fantastic.

"You have got Jenson and Lewis, you have the two Red Bull drivers, and you have Alonso, absolutely all in this championship - and that is fantastic really."

Whitmarsh believes that the way the form-book this season has moved around so much - favouring either Red Bull Racing, McLaren or Ferrari depending on track characteristics - meant there was no way of picking out who was favourite at the moment.

"Ferrari and Red Bull are very strong, I think we are not too bad," he said. "I would not want to call this one. We are going to aim to win. You hear these pundits say we are weak here and strong there, and I don't know how they can work it out - they obviously know more about our car than I do.

"The fact is, at Monza, Ferrari was marginally the quickest race car, our car wasn't bad and Red Bull was a bit behind. But in Singapore all three positions could be very different."

Whitmarsh's views on how close this season has been have been echoed by world champion Button - who is left in no doubt about how intense the year is.

"For me to be in a very competitive car, fighting at the front, with so many great drivers, so many talented drivers that have either won the championship or been close to winning it, it is a great feeling to be part of it," explained Button.

"This season, whatever happens, will be one of the best and most competitive seasons ever in F1. That is true for the drivers but also the teams, and it is great to be a part of it."