Key factors in Schumacher v Alonso showdown

SUZUKA, Japan, Oct 7 (Reuters) Ferrari's Michael Schumacher can win an eighth Formula One world championship tomorrow if he wins the Japanese Grand Prix and Renault's Fernando Alonso fails to score.

Schumacher lines up on the front row, with Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa next to him on pole position, while Alonso starts fifth.

The following details the key ingredients in their title showdown: - - - - ALONSO - A cool and extremely quick driver who has grown into the role of world champion after becoming the youngest in Formula One history at age of 24. The Spaniard has won six times this year and also finished second six times. However he has not triumphed since Canada in June and has never won at Suzuka.

Key stats: 85 starts, 14 wins, 15 poles.

SCHUMACHER - Most successful driver the sport has ever seen, and holder of most of the records. Has won seven times this season, including five of the last seven races, and finished second four times. The oldest driver on the starting grid at 37, the German has won six times before at Suzuka, clinching the title here in 2000 and 2003.

Key stats: 248 starts, 91 wins, 68 poles.

TYRES Michelin (Renault) v Bridgestone (Ferrari) Each tyre maker has won eight races so far this season, but Bridgestone have taken six of the last seven. Suzuka is their home circuit and they will fancy their chances in dry conditions after filling the top four places in qualifying.

Michelin, leaving Formula One at the end of the season, can expect to be stronger in the wet.

''The cars and teams are so close that the tyre situation will swing it one way or another,'' says Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn.

''In China quite possibly Renault were quicker in the dry and in the wet, I think here we are in a stronger tyre situation -- certainly in the dry -- than we were in China.'' ENGINES Both Schumacher and Alonso are on their second race with the same engine. However Schumacher could have more in reserve after winning the last race in China while Alonso had to push harder to make up ground.

''Michael's engine had a relatively easy life in China, we didn't have to use many over revs, we didn't have any particularly hard laps,'' says Brawn. ''So those are available to him in the race this weekend.'' Alonso has suffered one engine failure during a race this year (in Italy last month), Schumacher blew one in practice for the Malaysian Grand Prix in March.

TEAM MATES Both Renault's Italian Giancarlo Fisichella and Brazilian Felipe Massa have won a race each this season.

With Renault one point ahead of Ferrari in the constructors' championship, their job will be to help their team mates while gathering as many points as possible.

Massa will undoubtedly move over for Schumacher if they are running one-two and could have a little extra untapped engine capacity after retiring before the finish in Shanghai.

Fisichella starts sixth.

TACTICS Sunday's race will be a tactical battle between Renault's Pat Symonds, the man who helped Schumacher win his first two titles at Benetton, and Ferrari's Ross Brawn -- who has been with Schumacher since Benetton and has played a part in all his seven championships.

REUTERS AB BST1706