Eurosport - Mon, 03 Nov 10:36:00 2008
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton roared into the record books as Formula One's youngest champion when he snatched the title in last lap drama at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The 23-year-old, needing only a fifth place finish in the season-ending race to become Britain's first champion since Damon Hill in 1996, was seconds from failure for the second year in a row as Ferrari rival Felipe Massa swept to victory.
Hamilton entered the last lap in sixth place after a late shower forced a change to wet weather tyres and saw Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari-powered Toro Rosso overtake the McLaren.
With the title disappearing as fast as Massa's Ferrari approached the chequered flag, Hamilton had Toyota's Timo Glock to thank after the German stayed out on dry tyres and was unable to hold on to his fifth place.
Hamilton powered past as the final corner approached.
"Amazing, I can't even get my breath back," said the astonished Briton, who embraced his father and brother before being mobbed by the team.
Massa, Hamilton's sole title rival, won his home race for the second time in three years to chalk up a record 16th constructors' title for the Italian team.
Hamilton, who missed out by a single point to Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen in Brazil last season, ended the 18-race season one point clear of Massa.
"He scored more points than me, he deserves to win the title," said the disappointed race winner. "I know how to win, I know how to lose.
"This is another day of my life that I'm going to learn a lot from."
At 23 years and 301 days old, Hamilton broke the age record set by former McLaren team mate Fernando Alonso, the Spaniard who won the first of his two titles with Renault in Brazil at the age of 24, one month and 27 days.
Hamilton's title was the first for Mercedes-powered McLaren since Finland's Mika Hakkinen in 1999.
Massa, the first driver since Ayrton Senna in 1989 to miss out on the title after winning more races than anyone else, led from pole position after a start delayed for 10 minutes by a sudden downpour while the cars were waiting on the grid.
The safety car was then deployed for two laps after a collision that sent Britain's David Coulthard crashing into retirement after 15 seasons in Formula One.
The Scot's Red Bull tangled with the Williams of Kazuki Nakajima and Renault's Nelson Piquet, who was also eliminated from the race.
Alonso took second place in the race, with Raikkonen joining him on the podium to seize third place overall from BMW-Sauber's Robert Kubica on race wins.
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achunkyjones, you have a very blinkered view on things. If I was earning as much as Hamilton, I'd live in bloody Switzerland too rather then stay in a recession gripped country. The truth of the matter is, he is a great role model for youngsters who has worked hard with dedication for his dream and why shouldnt he enjoy and reap the rewards.
I think Hamilton did a teriffic job this year after being shot down so many times losing out on points that he earned, which i'll point out after that race they introduced a new rule about cutting corners which basically points out that what he did was not a fault but anyway he is a true champion and we need to appreciate him more, there was a comment somewhere saying that he and his family are immagrants (honestly do you know his family history)Hamilton is British and proud hence why he drives for our country. How can you judge someone by the colour of their skin we are all the same it's lame and pathetic you have obviously been bullied in your life!!!
Well done Hamilton
well done Hamilton you won in the face of adversity, go enjoy your Championship your supporters sure are. you are the rightful winner the best driver this year, although massa is most improved. to all you people who say "Massa would have won without the unreliablity" thats what you get with the team you drive for the strengths and weaknesses of the team, a fast car or slow car, good pit stops or bad, good stratagy or bad it all comes with the team not just the car. also had spa been fair then Hamilton would have most F1 wins. (you can all argue whether lewis should have got the penalty or not but fact is Massa just didn't have the pace to win at spa and so shouldn't have). there all said and done. again, well done Lewis Hamilton you are Formula 1 World Drivers Champion 2008. GO lewis, Kubica and BMW next year.
congratulations lewis hamilton!!!!!!!!!!!!
he is cool, he looks like walcott, he is cool he looks like obama he its cool he super super cool
well don you deserve it mate forget wot everyone says sod all of them party hard you worked hard to win do the same next year good on ya mate .
go hamilton, ur the best, every 1 that surpportes lewis im ur best friend, this guy deserved the championship fair and square and is a role model to all kids hoping to be racing drivers when they r older, lewis im proud of u, britain is proud of u. you got the job dun nice 1. oh did i mention i loved the look on massa's fathers face when he thought his son had won, the most funny thing ive eva seen. any way ill shut up now, all the best lewis.
Isn't it funny how us Brits put such a huge emphasis on being a nice person? Well I say show me a 'nice' person, and I'll show you a loser.
Lewis Hamilton is a confident young man, and why shouldn't he be? He's worked hard at this thing all his life, and he really doesn't deserve all the grief he's getting from so many dodgy, ignorant, mostly illiterate, factions.
I heard some random on a radio station today having a go at Hamilton because she thought he was 'smug'. Can you credit that? She couldn't stand him because he was smug? WTF?
We do the same thing with Andy Murray. Because he's not as gentlemanly as Tiger Tim Henman, we as a country react churlishly towards him.
I say our sports men and women need that arrogance and the self-belief that borders on arrogance, to win things.
All the greatest stars in the world all had one thing in common - the belief that they were the best in the world. Without that kind of conviction, they would have been also-rans, and semi-finalists.
So I say give Lewis a break, he won the damned race fair and square in spite of the FIA's best efforts. It would be nice if for once we could just get behind our sports people who win things, rather than finding any old excuse to do them down.
Also, if I could afford to move to another country to escape the punitive taxes that this country punishes us with, I bloody would.
FAKE CHAMPION....FAKE TITLE.....AND THE TITLE GOES TO.......TIMOOOOOOO........................THE REALLY RULING DRIVER
Teamstone, me too!! I'd even paint myself black if I thought it would help!! Good Job, Lewis, Congratulations
I think that Hamilton deserved to win the title and he should have wrapped it up a race or 2 ago. The only reason he didn’t was because of punishments that were unfairly given out and not just to Hamilton. For example why was Bourdais given a 25 second penalty in the Japanese GP when Massa was clearly in the wrong, this gave Massa an extra point. All in all I think the whole the whole season evened its self out for Massa and Hamilton. Massa made more mechanical failures but Hamilton was unfairly treated by the FIA. And for those that actually know anything about F1 it is easy to lose 18 seconds on one lap when u r using slicks on a wet surface because the tyres cannot build the heat that they need to stick to the tarmac therefore making it very hard to control the car and reducing the power that the car can put down.
Hamilton won by default! only by Glock's mistake. he should be ashamed and embaresed
I now understand why Alonzo is sooo much jealous, cos someone was about to break his title. Poor him. it happened anyway. the penalty Hamilton got, in this saison i think was not fair but well, he took the Title and thats all that matters. Enjoy it Hamilton.
AGAIN SWIFT 750 I DO NOT LIVE IN THE PAST,I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH ROONEY ,TERRY ,FERDINAND AND LAMPARD EARNING THEIR MONEY AS THEY PAY THEIR TAXES TO THIS COUNTRY WHICH PAYS FOR SCHOOLING,NURSING ,POLICE AND FIRE SERVICES,THIS IS DEMOCRECY,HAMILTON IS JUST A SELFISH PRATT!
RAB you are a sad pathetic racist, this forum is for people to comunicate about f1 please take you racist hate and stoneage views back under your stone you sad pathetic wase of space. lewis is a role model for millions of young people (who can read this) and is/has made young people realise that thay can also become top of there sport with dedication and hard work. i can onley feel sorry for twats like you. i am white and proud of lewis and have never had any reason to coment on the colour of his skin as this has no bearing on his ability to drive! i hope other readers also report you for abuse as i have
swift 750 you dont get the point! i detest all tax exciles immigrants or not,people like sean connery who were happy when OUR taxes were good enough when they had nothing.
When mentioning immigrant i was just saying our country was good enough then,this is not a race issue.
world champion, 23 yrs old, more money than a train can pull and nailing nicole scherzinger!!!!!! i would swap places with him!!!!
To all you Lewis haters,HA HA.Your Ferrari boy was beaten fair and square even with the FIA doing their utmost to gift the World Titles to Ferrari.Now Lewis is going to kick everyone`s arse again next year,especially with the new regulations that will make the cars more prone to under and oversteer.This will play right into Hamilton`s hands with his unbelievable car control.
Alonso will come and get you, you know it, ha,ha,ha...if it made more points than nobody elses over the last 8 races on a renault tractor? what is going to happen to you X factor winner next year?....Lewis you are beautiful thoug!
well jeff whats ur answer know
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