Immaculate Hamilton on brink of title

Eurosport - Mon, 20 Oct 13:47:00 2008

Britain's Lewis Hamilton has moved to the brink of the Formula One title by winning the Chinese Grand Prix ahead of Felipe Massa.

FORMULA 1 2008 Malaysia GP Lewis Hamilton / Foto:EFE - 0

The McLaren driver led from start to finish, producing a superbly controlled display, but Massa kept the championship race alive by finishing second, 14.9 seconds adrift.

Hamilton leads the drivers' standings by seven points, with 94 to Massa's 87 ahead of the final race of the season at the Brazilian's home track of Interlagos. BMW's Robert Kubica has been mathematically eliminated from contention.

If the 23-year-old finishes fifth or better, he will become the youngest Formula One champion even if Massa wins.

However, he took the same lead into the final race of 2007 at the same track, and ended up surrendering the title to Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.

"All weekend we've had God on our side, and the team have done a phenomenal job," said a jubilant Hamilton.

"The car has taken a big step forward, it has felt fantastic all weekend and I owe so much to the guys.

"It was quite straightforward actually. I managed to do everything right on the formation lap. I got a great start, probably one of the best we have had. I got to turn one first, took the first few corners easy and then started to create a gap."

Massa said: "Lewis was stronger today. It was not a good result for the drivers' championship, but not so bad for the constructors and that is good for the team."

While the previous race in Japan provided non-stop drama, this was a processional race - but Hamilton's supporters will not mind given the recent criticism of his aggressive driving style.

The only mild controversy came from Ferrari, whose outgoing world champion Raikkonen slowed to let Massa through into second late on.

Although there were no 'team orders', the intention of the move was clear, and Massa takes two extra points into the final showdown on November 2.

Hamilton appeared unfazed by Raikkonen's decision to allow Massa through, saying: "It was inevitable Kimi would let Felipe past."

Raikkonen said of the arrangement: "I knew what to expect and what we wanted. I'm driving for the team. It's normal in this situation."

Ferrari struggled to match Hamilton's pace all weekend, even after selecting a softer tyre compound for the first stint.

Things were not so straightforward for Hamilton's McLaren team-mate Heikki Kovalainen, who retired with brake problems and also suffered a puncture.

Renault's Fernando Alonso took fourth place and his team-mate Nelson Piquet Jr took a point in eighth place.

BMW duo Nick Heidfeld and Kubica took fourth and fifth respectively, with Toyota's Timo Glock seventh.

Britons David Coulthard and Jenson Button finished out of the points in 10th and 16th places respectively.

Alex Chick / Eurosport

Comment 674 - 693 of 693

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  1. nick: He is an F1 driver, being into women, men or chickens doesn't make the slightest bit of difference when it comes to driving the car (although the latter might be of interest to his therapist).

    From ginger_gitt, on Wed 22 Oct 12:41AM

  2. it's relevant to f1 it's about a f1 driver, we quite often see drivers parteners but i dont ever recall seeing anyone with mark webber, it may not be life and death but it is a f1 related question and this is a f1 site.

    From NICK C, on Tue 21 Oct 9:14PM

  3. 694 - ok but why should it matter anyway - it's not relevant to anything.

    From m.e.jenner@..., on Tue 21 Oct 8:22PM

  4. was a genuine question (691)that just needed a yes or no,there is nothing sexist about asking if someone is gay and 690 was a reference to a c4 documentery.

    From NICK C, on Tue 21 Oct 8:12PM

  5. m.e.jenner: I got bored, thought a little diversity was needed

    From ginger_gitt, on Tue 21 Oct 6:54PM

  6. 691. We are fed up with racist and sexist comments - this is a forum about FORMULA ONE RACING get it?????

    From m.e.jenner@..., on Tue 21 Oct 6:47PM

  7. is mark webber gay?

    From NICK C, on Tue 21 Oct 6:37PM

  8. will bobby KUBICA do the job for half the cost that anyone else will and then not answer his phone when it all goes wrong?

    From NICK C, on Tue 21 Oct 6:30PM

  9. Massa has needed help from Kimmi and the fia to get his points Lewis has got all his points of his own skill with the fia against him. sorry ferrari fans but it's true.
    read it and weap

    From NICK C, on Tue 21 Oct 6:22PM

  10. touronroute: you typed "if massa finishes first at inter largos,lewis hamiltons car will not win the race." OF COURSE HAMILTON'S CAR WON'T. Only ONE car can win the race and you already stated that Massa finished first.
    Also, seeing as there is NO race at a place called "inter largos" (as you typed), your prediction is WRONG. However, I predict Hamilton finishing 3rd at INTERLAGOS and finally putting an end to the FIA's shame.
    Your spelling let you down again dumbass!

    From crispyduck, on Tue 21 Oct 5:42PM

  11. 684 ginger - yes, but you were forced 'off the track' for a moment! But it's always fascinating to get snippits of info. like this.

    From m.e.jenner@..., on Tue 21 Oct 9:01AM

  12. Vlad... why would I need to hide... people like you are all mouth...

    every point to make is utter rubbish... i will leave my window open for you

    From Tony, on Tue 21 Oct 4:44AM

  13. Call 999, Yeti's engine blows up!!! Yeti burnt oh no!!! BBQ Yeti on the roasts podium!!! Poor Yeti, half baked!!!

    From vladtepes666@..., on Tue 21 Oct 3:15AM

  14. m.e.jenner: I just don't see the point in allowing people to perpetuate a myth. The basis for the use of 666 is based around its appearance in a dreamscape, but it is commonly agreed that numbers appear upside down and backwards in dreams, therefore the myth of 666 is flawed further more that the translation of 666 from dreamscape to real world would actually make it 999. Therefore stereotyping the British Emergency Services as the minions of the devil, given that is the emergency call number for those outside of the UK who didn't know.

    And people thought they'd come on here to learn people's views on F1.

    From ginger_gitt, on Mon 20 Oct 11:53PM

  15. Ha ha, Ginger - that foxed 'em !

    From m.e.jenner@..., on Mon 20 Oct 11:36PM

  16. Tony W 'The Yeti' are you sleeping???

    From vladtepes666@..., on Mon 20 Oct 9:58PM

  17. Where's Tony W 'Yeti"???

    From vladtepes666@..., on Mon 20 Oct 9:56PM

  18. Hello my friends hello!!!

    From vladtepes666@..., on Mon 20 Oct 9:54PM

  19. emerson.spottipaldi: Sorry to pull you up on the whole 666 thing, but I'm afraid you are wrong (as are 95% of people in the world) as is vladtepes666 if that is what he is attempting to refer too. 666 is commonly refered to as the number of the devil but this is a misconception based on fictional texts when the majority of information in the world was passed by word of mouth and not by factual books. In both Demonology and Christianity, as well as the studying of the Seraphim, the number for the Beast/Devil/Satan/Lucipher is actually 616. Unfortunately the lie is so widely told now that the truth has been lost, making 666 the prefered choice in the modern world.

    From ginger_gitt, on Mon 20 Oct 7:50PM

  20. USALIEN,1967, APOLIGIES, WROTE WRONG WORD SHOULD READ, (LAST) THE RACE.YOU HEARD IT FROM ME FIRST

    From touronroute, on Mon 20 Oct 6:38PM
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