Brazil GP 2008

[WhiteBlue]

Good end to the season. Hamilton was cheated out of his victory at Spa. He kept his head and drove a very disciplined race. He deserves the title. McLaren did a very solid jobs towards the end and put everything behind Hamilton. They may get problems with their #2 driver in the future as Ferrari got in the past.

Alonso did well and perhaps Renault will be better next year than I thought. It would be good for the 2009 championship.

Amazing that no more drivers used grooved tyres to the end like the Toyota drivers. It could have chaged the result.

Massa was driving very mature and also had a good race. This may hav been his only go at a championship considering the deterioration at Ferrari. They got the 2008 constructors championship but they had so many screw ups this year its amazing they made it.

Vettel was once again superb. For me he was man of the race and in fact man of the year. He will surely find his way into a top race seat soon. I have my doubts that this seat will be in a Red Bull. Webber must be a bit concerned by now.

[PlatinumZealot]

Hum, n smikle, were you as unhappy when Hamilton had the same exact behavior toward race leader Fernado Alonso in Japan? Or were you among the ones arguing he was acting smartly to unlap himself in case half the grid would be kinapped by aliens in the last lap?..

No, because i hate Alonso lol... Even though i think he is the best driver in some respects.. I was really pointing out how Vettel got the pass.. Kubica kept Hamilton on the outside so Vettel could come in on the inside, so Hamilton could not defend it.

[BJH_F1]

Tragic. Hamilton only once was pressured in this race to drive for the title and as usual he B-L-E-W it. This was quite reminicsent of his unravelled drives last season when he turned into a dizzy schoolgirl at the faintest hint of a critical situation. The least Hamilton can do is buy Timo the most expensive Christmas present ever. Hamilton better savor every moment because this is his last drivers title. Hamilton has now demonstrated for two consecutive seasons that he is incapable of mastering his wits when the situation assumes a critical nature and victory hangs in the balance. Ironically, that is the single situation where one needs to execute their finest performance. That is the only situation that tests the mettle of the man. Anyone will improve their craft with time as will Lewis, but that is a world apart from possessing the mental strength and the mettle to completely harness ones faculties under conditions of great emtional and psychological stress. The qualities of a leader are not taught or learned. Someone is born either with or without those qualities. After all, didn't Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve win drivers titles? Lewis will have their cosy company in the sea of lavishly rewarded mediocrity in the years to come, especially if the grid tightens up with the 2009 regulations. I will completely change my mind when Lewis convincingly outdrives his opponents for a title in 2009.

I don't see how you can say Hamilton "blew it" in this race ...and then go on to say he will not win another WDC, as if you can predict the future . He did all he had to do until the weather threw a curve ball at him (and everyone else) in the closing laps of the race, that ended up really shaking the outcome and possibilities of the race. He drove a solid race given his less than ideal wet weather set-up (low DF) and the fact that Macca were probably being conservative with the engine and other aspects of the car. Variables and luck have played a big part in the 2008 season, and the race at Brazil was the epitome of this. The variables this time were the weather and Glock in his Toyota who gambled to stay on dries during the closing laps of the race, when rain was expected at any moment. Many people think Lewis was lucky Glock lost massive time when he got passed on the last lap. Then again, you could say Glock was lucky the rain didn't come a lap earlier as expected, and that he was also lucky for the fact that the rain even came in the first place, giving him a chance to slip into the top 5 by luck. Again, Toyota was taking a gamble...and it obviously didn't pay off. Massa would have been one lucky dog had Glock maintained a position in front of Lewis at the checkered flag...so the whole argument that Lewis choked is moot when you really look at what took place in the final laps of the race. Lewis had no control over the rain which just had to come in the last couple of laps.... which was the absolute worst situation for Lewis. Nor did he have control over Glock's decision to stay dries and also the fact that Vettel's car was simply quicker and more ideally set up for the wet.

Once the rain started coming down Lewis did what he could with a less than optimal set-up, making no real mistakes and staying out of trouble from what I saw. Unfortunately for Hamilton, Vettel had more speed in the wet due to the fact that his car and set-up were simply working much better when the rain came out. Vettel's car had far superior traction on the exit of the corners, which was quite apparent from Hammies onboard views. There was simply not much Hamilton could do to cure the lack of mechanical traction his car/set-up had in the rain.

In the end we have a new youngest WDC and a young man with a bright future ahead of him in Formula 1. Congrats to LH and I tip my hat to a really deserving Felipe Massa who I've gained a ton of respect for this season. Can't wait for next season!

[andartop]

A very educational race and end of season for many involved:
FM should learn to drive EVERY race like it's the last one on the championship. Had he done so all year long, as he proved he can, he would have been crowned champion before Spa. He should also learn that he needs to win by starting 2nd or 3rd on the grid, not just from pole.
KR should learn the simple rule lap distance x number of laps = 305km or so = race distance. Which means you have to start racing at the start, and keep racing for the whole race. If you only start racing 10 laps before the finish line, as he did all year long, you surely end up playing second fiddle to your team mate.
LH should learn the safest position to be in is first. That's the way to win a championship in style, not by struggling to stay in 5th... Can someone please remind me when was the last time the Champion was not the driver with the most wins during the season?
FA should just stick with Renault!
Conspiracy Theorists United out there should realize if there was indeed a conspiracy then LH would definitely not have won this title. So, please, give it up now, will you?
So, congrats to Lewis for his title, to Ferrari for another Constructors title, and to Brazil for the best race of the season.
Man of the race: surely Massa.
Man of the season: tough call between Vettel and Kubica.

[guy_smiley]

this championship wasnt decided by lewis crashing into kimi in canada, or massa spinning/crashing in australia and malaysia, or hamilton running into alonso in france.........this championship was decided by an amateur who already had his chance in f1 and got booted out. he returned to f1 and gave up his position to lewis and sebastian like he was a lapped car, like he was a little girl, like he has no fire in him, like he has no heart!!!!!!!

lewis winning? not unbelievable. the way timo gave up his position? completely inexcusable!!!!!!!!!!!!!


excuse me while i find timo glocks address........

[Ted68]

Timo didn't give up anything! He and Trulli were both on dry tyres in a wet race. It was Toyota's team gamble to gain position in the closing laps of the last race. Both Toyotas turned 1:44's and Glock closed the season with a 6th place finish.

I am no Hamilton fan, but the man scored the most points this season and won the WDC fairly. Congradulations to him.

Now cool down before we rename you Oscar the Grouch!

[PlatinumZealot]

spinning/crashing in australia and malaysia, or hamilton running into alonso in france.........this championship was decided by an amateur who already had his chance in f1 and got booted out. he returned to f1 and gave up his position to lewis and sebastian like he was a lapped car, like he was a little girl, like he has no fire in him, like he has no heart!!!!!!!

lewis winning? not unbelievable. the way timo gave up his position? completely inexcusable!!!!!!!!!!!!!


excuse me while i find timo glocks address........

Glcck had a good ways to go before the finish line! the g's for those final turns are quite high..he was bound to be passed with those tyres!

Gotta say i feel bad for Massa and family, but his championship was in the hands of others, and that alone is why winning was not enough.. he could not control his destiny! LH had control and he did not make any mistakes in this race..

Glock had no control; Litterally !

[Belatti]

I would like all the people that is typing absurd theories here to read this race report from grandprix.com

http://www.grandprix.com/race/r803racereport.html

I find it as the truth.

Let me quote something from there:

It is rare that one sees a sporting event, any sporting event as exciting as the Brazilian GP of 2008. It is rarer still that one sees such sportsmanship and such heart.

Both Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa deserved the be World Champion. Hamilton won it, but for many people Massa was the hero of the day.

The real winner, however, was the sport.

F1 could not have asked for a better race.

Hamilton =D>
Massa =D>
Vettel =D>

Maybe Massa now equals Stirling Moss as the most Champion of the Sub-Champions. I felt bad for him, he did all he had to do in this race, but also think Lewis deserved it, because of Spa, because of Bourdais stupid penaltie and because he won the best races in this season (maybe together with Vettel in Monza and Massa in this amazing Brazil GP)

F1 could not have asked for a better race.

[Giblet]

I thought that Massa's dad was going to wave the flag?

[pipex]

Great drive by Massa, he completely dominated the track. I think that Ferrari is responsible of Massa not winning the WDC. Ferrari must do something to prevent the reliability problems that have plagued them this year.
I don't think that Alonso is happy now that Hamilton is the new youngest world champion...

[modbaraban]

It is rare that one sees a sporting event, any sporting event as exciting as the Brazilian GP of 2008. It is rarer still that one sees such sportsmanship and such heart.

Both Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa deserved the be World Champion. Hamilton won it, but for many people Massa was the hero of the day.

The real winner, however, was the sport.

F1 could not have asked for a better race.

Hamilton =D>
Massa =D>
Vettel =D>

Maybe Massa now equals Stirling Moss as the most Champion of the Sub-Champions. I felt bad for him, he did all he had to do in this race, but also think Lewis deserved it, because of Spa, because of Bourdais stupid penaltie and because he won the best races in this season (maybe together with Vettel in Monza and Massa in this amazing Brazil GP)

F1 could not have asked for a better race.

I second that.

Also I find it really disgusting that many forums are flooded now with 'talks' around Glock.

[Badmon]

It is rare that one sees a sporting event, any sporting event as exciting as the Brazilian GP of 2008. It is rarer still that one sees such sportsmanship and such heart.

Both Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa deserved the be World Champion. Hamilton won it, but for many people Massa was the hero of the day.

The real winner, however, was the sport.

F1 could not have asked for a better race.

Hamilton =D>
Massa =D>
Vettel =D>

Maybe Massa now equals Stirling Moss as the most Champion of the Sub-Champions. I felt bad for him, he did all he had to do in this race, but also think Lewis deserved it, because of Spa, because of Bourdais stupid penaltie and because he won the best races in this season (maybe together with Vettel in Monza and Massa in this amazing Brazil GP)

F1 could not have asked for a better race.

I second that.

Also I find it really disgusting that many forums are flooded now with 'talks' around Glock.

The ones who think that Glock slowed down have no clue!!

[Badmon]

It is rare that one sees a sporting event, any sporting event as exciting as the Brazilian GP of 2008. It is rarer still that one sees such sportsmanship and such heart.

Both Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa deserved the be World Champion. Hamilton won it, but for many people Massa was the hero of the day.

The real winner, however, was the sport.

F1 could not have asked for a better race.

Hamilton =D>
Massa =D>
Vettel =D>

Maybe Massa now equals Stirling Moss as the most Champion of the Sub-Champions. I felt bad for him, he did all he had to do in this race, but also think Lewis deserved it, because of Spa, because of Bourdais stupid penaltie and because he won the best races in this season (maybe together with Vettel in Monza and Massa in this amazing Brazil GP)

F1 could not have asked for a better race.

I second that.

Also I find it really disgusting that many forums are flooded now with 'talks' around Glock.

The ones who think that Glock slowed down have no clue!!

[Badmon]

It is rare that one sees a sporting event, any sporting event as exciting as the Brazilian GP of 2008. It is rarer still that one sees such sportsmanship and such heart.

Both Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa deserved the be World Champion. Hamilton won it, but for many people Massa was the hero of the day.

The real winner, however, was the sport.

F1 could not have asked for a better race.

Hamilton =D>
Massa =D>
Vettel =D>

Maybe Massa now equals Stirling Moss as the most Champion of the Sub-Champions. I felt bad for him, he did all he had to do in this race, but also think Lewis deserved it, because of Spa, because of Bourdais stupid penaltie and because he won the best races in this season (maybe together with Vettel in Monza and Massa in this amazing Brazil GP)

F1 could not have asked for a better race.

I second that.

Also I find it really disgusting that many forums are flooded now with 'talks' around Glock.

The ones who think that Glock slowed down have no clue!!

[donskar]

Full disclosure: I'm a tifosi and have been for 40+ years.

Each of the two contenders -- Massa and Hamilton -- had to accomplish a difficult but straight forward task:

1) Massa had to win the race; drive mistake free on track and in the pits, and he had to do so in wet conditions, where he has proven (Silverstone) to be more than a little inconsistent

Massa succeeded completely. A great drive in every way. =D>

2) In the closing stages, Hamilton had to do ONE thing to win the WDC - he had to hold off Vettel, then failing to do so, pass Vettel. Hamilton failed. He won the WDC, NOT through his own efforts, but through Glock's failure.

Hamilton deserved the WDC =D>, he broke no rules, did not cheat, did not drive carelessly or dangerously. But the way he won the championship - through Glock - leaves a bitter taste.