Todays Grand Prix of Brazil marked the end of the 2008 Formula 1 World Championship, and on the 2nd to the last corner, fate crowned Lewis Hamilton World Champion.
It was an exciting race. Unlike last year, Lewis was much more controlled and calm… he wasn’t fighting battles he didn’t need to fight, which cost him the crown last year. However, very much like last year, late in the race he just fell apart and acted like he forgot how to drive… it was sad. Post race interviews reveal that he was just trying to play it safe and didn’t realize that when he gave up position to Sebastian Vettel he was in fact giving up the World Championship. He got oh so lucky that Timo Glock lost out big in the 2nd to last corner allowing Lewis an easy pass and the Championship.
Conspiracy theorists will suggest that Glock actually let Lewis by… but I tend to doubt it. He was on dry tires, struggling on the last lap, and that corner becomes a small river in the wet. Furthermore, there is no incentive to letting Lewis win, Toyota could have used the extra point. Lastly, given the level of concentration in the closing laps, I highly doubt he was aware of the championship situation. Post-race interviews showed that when Vettel passed Lewis he had no idea that he was potentially deciding the World Championship… in fact, his tone was such that I think he regretted the pass. Therefore, the only way this thing goes down as a plot was if there was a radio transmission to Glock in the 2nd half of the last lap with information or an order. If there was information, and he wanted to give up the position, its his to give… if there were orders, you can believe Ferrari will sniff it out and we’ll hear about it. But I seriously doubt it, as I said, Toyota had nothing to gain either way.
While I’m a Ferrari fan (more to the point, a Räikkönen fan), I’m glad Lewis won. Frankly, I just don’t like Massa. And more importantly, I think Lewis winning the title is just plain good for the sport.
While a side note, I’m sure I’m not the only one thinking that if Obama win’s the Presidency, 2008 will go down as a year where two prominent positions always assumed to belong to white males have gone to black men.
And, on top of all that, a British driver with a British constructor won… go Britannia!!
Isn’t it fantastic to see him win the championship!
Why the dislike of Massa, sure I can understand someone disliking Alonso, but Massa?
Makes you wonder why Ferrari seems to have a policy against Italian drivers in their team. I discussed this with an Italian F1 fan and he told me that the team is afraid that the driver will overshadow the team in terms of popularity. I don’t know how much truth there is to that though.
As for the winner, my opinion is, after seeing the majority of the races this season, that neither Hamilton or Massa was a worthy winner. Both of them made too many mistakes to be worthy winners. I still believe that Alonso can beat most of them out there if he just had the car to do it, but I am a Raikkonen fan just like you are (I am Scandinavian so it is Kimi or Kovi all the way for me when it comes to drivers!).
Anyway, I also admit that I am beginning to loose interest in F1. I think FIA plays too much of a role in how things end up and I feel that their rulings on issues are almost never consistent (which is an indication of the weakness of the underlying set of rules). I am also truly sick and tired of both Mosley and Bernie, who somehow always seem to move F1 focus away from what is interesting: the racing itself. Mosley should pretty much resign his post, not because of the scandal (which I don’t care one bit about) but because his ideas on the future of the sport are both lame and uninteresting. He has no support for his ideas within the teams.
In short, the only development happening in F1 is the political circus surrounding the event. It is a shame.
I too am glad Lewis won, though I was thinking he’d blown it with a couple of laps to go.
The FIA stewards must be happy too, as the questions about some of the decisions won’t be as loud, though it may take some time before the tag Ferrari International Assistance gets dropped by everyone.
It was a shame that David Coulthard got knocked out of the race really early. Not exactly the best finish to a long career.
I’m really looking forward to the next season, hopefully it’ll be just as good as the last one.
I don’t see any reason not to like Massa. I would have liked it to see a brasilian to win the crown again.
But Lewis had the bit of luck he needed to win. Neither of the two runners for champion had the ability to make the decision before the last race, so none of them was that much better than the other.
Mr. Hamilton has taken his chance and made it in his second year.
Congratulations for this!
If you think back to the time when Ron Dennis thought Michael Schumacher is not mature enough for McLaren just before he made his first and second championship, this is a funny development.
Ferrari had italian drivers. But most italians like them to be number one in the team. But there are no number one italian drivers at the moment.
Glock Really given World champion for Hamilton……..
Just Lucky Hamilton……..this conspiracy…
Ben, that’s interesting.
Thank you very much!
thanks
good read thanks
I very intersted in the article
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