Brazilian GP: thrill in Brazil

I’ve been lucky enough to see a few world championship finales but I’ve never before witnessed one like this. After more than 3,400 miles of racing in 18 Grands Prix, it all came down to the last half mile. Quite incredible.

I saw Richard Cregan, the team manager of Toyota, ducking the rain and rushing through the paddock clutching a coffee. ‘I’m getting outta here!’ he joked, while jerking his thumb towards the Ferrari garage before diving into the Toyota office.

He was referring, of course, to Toyota having played a major but unwitting part in the outcome of the championship. Anyone who thinks Timo Glock deliberately backed off to drop from fourth to sixth in order to give the title to Lewis Hamilton only needs to look at the lap times.

Toyota’s gamble of leaving their cars on dry weather tyres while the leaders changed to wets with five laps to go almost paid off.  But, as the rain intensified in the last lap, Glock’s lap time extended. Sebastian Vettel may have passed Hamilton and apparently put Hamilton out of the championship, but the McLaren team were trying to remain calm by telling themselves that Glock’s progress was going to decide this championship. It was going to be agonisingly close.

On the penultimate lap, Glock went round in 1m 28.041; Hamilton 25.567s. On the final lap: Glock 1m 44.731, Hamilton 1m 26.126. Did Glock slow deliberately? Not if you see that Jarno Trulli, also on dries and a couple of places further back, went round in 1m 44.800. Anyway, there’s no way Glock was going to give up fourth place just to help Hamilton.

As Hamilton started the last lap, he got the radio message: ‘You’ve got to pass Glock, you’ve got to pass Glock!’

‘I passed Glock but didn’t know if I’d won,’ said Hamilton. ‘I crossed the line saying: “Did I do it? Did I do it?” They said I had. I couldn’t believe it.’

In the end, McLaren were able to don their orange shirts and gather in the cramped garage for the traditional world champion’s photograph in front of a mob of snappers. A few doors up, Ferrari were packing up quietly. It is one thing to know you are losing the championship in the closing stages, quite another to actually think, for a few seconds, that you’ve done it and then see the timing screen showing Glock in sixth place.

Massa was extremely dignified in defeat. He’d done nothing wrong. But it all came down to events half a minute behind him in the final half mile.

Extraordinary end to a great season.

What do you think?

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bravo lewis hamilton …

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its took me age’s 2 read through this crap so 1st god did not faver lewis, 2nd lewis did fuk up at spa!!!!3rd mclearn desirved nothing this year the fia wer not hard enough on them 4 the way they brought the sport in2 disrepute last year! on the other hand hamilton is a brill driver very talanted and as wearth a champ as any driver befor him. massa is just as good it jus didnt work out in his faver on sunday. now my biggest gryp is this hole british thing it is sicknin i hate national pride its a load of balls!! now iv got the bad stuff outa the way its great to see a black man win and do well in the sport because it has nevr happened b4 so any 1 that brings somthing new to the table has my vote, so well done lewis next year is going to be a vintage year for the sport there is sure to be 4 teams fit 2 win the construcion championship,ferrari,bmw, renault and mclearn. maybe 6 redbull,toyota. and there are deffo 5-6 drivers fit 2 win the championship masa,kimmi,alonso,lewis,r obert,vettle roll on 2009 yeha!!!

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btcamp – yes Clarkson called it on the show, but it was also followed on the show with a comment along the lines of “or instead, oh unlucky Lewis” so he called BOTH scenarios on Sunday.

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I would like to say that Sunday’s grand prix was a wonderful and thrilling race. It goes to show that you should never count your chickens before they hatch, as was demonstrated here when the Massa family started to celebrate a little prematurely only to have it snatched off them at the very last corner of the last lap. Yes Massa had a wonderful race and deserved to win and I take my hat off to him for this.

Hamilton has had an awful lot of pressure on him for such a young age as everybody has expected so much from him both emotionally and physically. He and his family have also had to endure racist gestures and comments which are in all honesty uncalled for and totally out of order. I find myself wondering what do these small minority of people hope to achieve out of this and what do they gain, nothing, in my opinion they are jealous of his success at such an early age. This has not been an easy road for Lewis Hamilton and his family. His family have backed him all the way and encouraged him as he had potential and he’s demonstrated this. The Hamilton family have done without financially for years so why shouldn’t they reep the rewards.

I think it’s wonderful and can’t wait for 2009.

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Hint….Watch next seasons F1 races in a Home Theater! We watched on my 120″ screen with the volume cranked! IT WAS AWESOME!!! Congratulations Lewis. Well deserved.

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Sometimes people forget that if the F.I.A had not intervened at Spa,firstly Lewis would have been the one who had won more races this season and secondly,with an eleven point lead going to Brazil,the race would have been academic…

And that is just one example of the F.I.A’s interference!Let it be people.It’s over.It’s done.Yes,your man hasn’t won the championship but at least he gave a good account of himself,and proved alot this year…

Ken Breeze,I’m sorry but even as an 18 year old guy who is pretty used to texting I find it hard to understand what you wrote.I agree that God did not favour Lewis Hamilton,I do no agree that McLaren deserved nothing this year.Perhaps you are unaware of this but constructors points are a major generator of income for a team,McLaren were stripped off all as well as receiving the $100m fine.Renault were found guilty of the exact same crime earlier this year,ironically against McLaren,and absolutely no penalty was imposed on them.Strange,no?

And as for the patriotism card,that has no place.I am as staunch a McLaren fan as you will find,but I’m not British.Or European.Or American…I’m from a little place called South Africa,and I take exception when someone lumps people like me with the “national pride” lot.I’ve been there,celebrated when Hakkinen won his first world title in 1998,when I was 8years old.I’ve shed the tears when his clutch gave out on the last lap of the Spanish Grand Prix in 2001,and again when he announced his retirement.I got upset when Raikkonens suspension failed at the Nurburgring in 2005,so it should be pretty clear that,for me,and many more people than you think,the passion is not for Lewis Hamilton alone,but for the fact that we once again have a leading driver in our team,who can compete at the sharp end.I couldn’t care less where he’s from,what colour his skin is or,to pick up on others points,that he signed for McLaren when he was 12.I care that he’s good enough to win championships for the team I support.And that’s it.Because I am a McLaren fan,and I am an Formula One fan.

And lastly.To all…Lewis got to where he is on talent.I’m pretty sure Ron Dennis would nt have had enough confidence to invest in a 12 year old if he wasn’t worth his salt.Yes,he has had an easy ride into a top team.But this is Formula One.The pinnacle of motorsport.If you want to see people working hard to get somewhere,sit in an a lecture in your local University,or a class at your local High School.That is not what this is about.I guarantee that Seb Vettel,Heikki Kovalainen and especially,Nelson Piquet Jr did not get into F1 based on their,or their fathers’,work ethic.That’s reserved for karts.Instead of hating the man for being where he is,why not admire the drive,talent,and balls it took to get to where he is?To approach Ron Dennis when you’re 12 and tell him you’d like to drive for him?That’s something.

Congratulations to Anthony Hamilton,this is as much his achievement as it is Lewis’.And as for the confidence that sometimes borders on arrogance…Nice guys finish last.Or second.Everyone seems to think Massa is such a nice guy.But Lewis is world champion.End of.And ’nuff said.

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*sit in at a lecture

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Thank you very much. There is something to ponder.

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good, fresh post and actual still

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good, old post and actual still

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