2008 Brazilian Grand Prix - Title Decider

[AzShadow]

Is the new final race Abu Dhabi? Some new boring street track will conclude the next season? Oh please...

[iceman1]

In the midst of his despair, Felipe Massa turned his thoughts to the wellbeing of Toyota team members.

According to Germany's Sport Bild, Massa feared that his Brazilian supporters at Interlagos might turn their frustration on members of the Japanese team.

Timo Glock's dramatically slow final lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix, which gave fifth place to Lewis Hamilton, cost Massa the world championship.

Sport Bild reports that Massa sent his younger brother to the Toyota garage to advise team members to change out of their uniforms before leaving the circuit, located just outside sprawling Sao Paulo.

Apparently, Toyota figures did heed the warning, returning to their hotels or to the airport wearing Brazilian national team jerseys, or spare uniforms of the Renault or Ferrari teams.

German driver Glock, meanwhile, was forced to deny wild conspiracy theories that - albeit with an unexplained motive - he deliberately slowed to allow Hamilton to be champion.


"Maybe the Brazilian fans are not on my side any more but I tried my best and drove my race," he told BBC radio.

Hamilton was not afraid to enter the city to celebrate his triumph on Sunday evening. He was spotted dining at a local steakhouse before partying with his entourage at an invitation-only nightclub party just after midnight.

And, just for the record, even the Briton's arch-enemy Fernando Alonso returned to the McLaren garage after the race on Sunday to personally congratulate Hamilton.

Source: GMM
© CAPSIS International

[shailf1]

Cruel for Massa, but what a last lap!

For me, in twenty years of motor racing commentary, and ten on ESPN STAR Sports, I cannot think of any more dramatic thirty seconds of motor racing than the final corners of the Brazilian Grand Prix. It was nerve-wracking, it was dramatic, it was motor racing at its very best.

Last year, Ferrari won the World Championship by a single point in Sao Paolo. This year they lost it by a single point, regained by Hamilton on the run to the chequered flag. It was the cruelest of endings for Massa, who had driven a perfect race in the toughest of conditions.

Felipe had soaked up the pressure of a nation gone crazy with Formula One fever. I doubt that there was a living room or bar in the whole of Brazil that did not have their TV tuned to the race, with both the set and its audience, at full volume.

Massa handled the expectations of his home crowd as admirably as he handled the Ferrari in the wet. I have gone on record a few times this year rating Massa above Hamilton as more of the purists racing driver.

He’s more of a throwback to an earlier era. He drives with his heart and he’s breathtaking to watch in his best moments such as his magical pole position laps in Singapore and in Sao Paolo.

Massa has always been fast, he’s also sometimes been erratic, but he has grown up hugely this season. His performance in the last few races has shown he is a very much different, tougher and better, driver than even at the start of the season.

His resilience was shown in Japan. After his penalty for clashing with Hamilton on the second lap, his charge back through the field showed a new steel in his driving. I’m sure he was proud to hear it described as Schumacher-esqe.

More importantly, it was the two points that he gained in Japan that gave him the final chance of the crown in Sao Paolo. I hope now that Ferrari can give him the car with which to challenge again for the 2009 title.

As for Hamilton, he too has run the full roller-coaster of emotions in the past few days. Not least in the closing stages of the race, when he knew that his McLaren, with a deliberately low-downforce setup to prevent others from challenging him at the end of the straights, was going to be hopeless when the rain came.

He was right. He could do nothing about the pace of the Ferraris, or Alonso’s Renault and ultimately Sebastien Vettel’s Toro Rosso. Even then it was a wildcard strategy from Toyota and Timo Glock that so nearly ended Hamilton’s hopes.

As the rain shower turned into a proper tropical storm, Glock, who had last stopped at half-distance, was skating around the track on a set of worn-out dry-weather tyres. Had the rain held off for one more lap, he’d have claimed fourth place and Massa would have been champion.

As it was, he finished sixth, Vettel grabbed fourth and Hamilton fifth, and with it Lewis fulfilled what he sees as ‘his destiny’. The big question for me is now, can Hamilton be a popular champion?

While he is an awesome racing driver and a smooth PR professional, he is perceived by some as being just a little too slick. A little too smart. Dare I say arrogant?

While in London on Monday morning the British newspapers are all frothing about his success in becoming the ninth Briton to take the title, there isn’t the massive groundswell of popular support behind Hamilton that we saw when Nigel Mansell or Damon Hill took the world title. In a way, I suspect that it is because he is so much a part of the ‘McLaren machine’.

They are seen as slick, smart, efficient and in many eyes too arrogant. It is sad because anyone that gets inside the silver walls of ‘Castle Dennis’ knows that this is a team that is just as passionate as Ferrari. It is just that they can’t seem to show it.

Think of David Coulthard. While he was at McLaren, he was perceived by the public as ‘Mr Boring’. It seemed that only the insiders could realise what a character he really is. When he went to Red Bull, we saw the true ‘DC’ and now he’s retired everyone thinks he’ll be sorely missed!

The biggest feeling though, that Sao Paolo’s stunning finale has given me is a sense of anticipation already for next year. Come March, we can look forward to the Hamilton and Massa being renewed.

A hungry Raikkonen awakening from his hibernation this year? Alonso in an on-form Renault perhaps? Vettel battling Webber at Red Bull and possibly, another major championship contender in Robert Kubica and BMW.

Roll on next year, I can’t wait!

[jayb7]

never cared about the teams like most people. only follow the drivers and have always supported
british drivers. it makes no difference to me if lewis drivers for macca or ferrari.

[phil1993]

@ Az, yeh, Abu Dhabi is Last round (18 races is it? or 17? we lose France and Canada (maybe) so its either Round 17/17 or 18/18 (please 18 with Canada)

@iceman- nando went to macca. wow!, probably to get some cake though and your sig has gone kaput

[shailf1]

Is the new final race Abu Dhabi? Some new boring street track will conclude the next season? Oh please...

it will be intereseting for the viewers if the championship goes to that race which i think it will. We will see mistakes being made in hope of trying to go faster in order to win the championship.

[TwistedArmco]

nando went to macca. wow!, probably to get some cake though and your sig has gone kaput

lol, comfort eating. I did that on Sunday. And Monday.. and today, and probably on and on.

[megasyxx]

nice article by steve slater...(kinda miss his commentary though)

[phil1993]

what. cos you were pithed out of your mind? i'm lolling now - just seen a vid of my teachers dancing on utube

found out reading is really a sithhole yet?

[iceman1]

nando went to macca. wow!, probably to get some cake though and your sig has gone kaput

lol, comfort eating. I did that on Sunday. And Monday.. and today, and probably on and on.

what are you eating?

Lewis is the most favourite for the BBC award

just seen a vid of my teachers dancing on utube

sharing is caring

[phil1993]

Today? I have eaten 2 apples, a chocolate bar, (for lunch) shepherds pie and a chocolate doughnut (for dinner) and had a glass of OJ to drink. I skip breakfast, never get hungry till 11

Happy?

[TwistedArmco]

what. cos you were pithed out of your mind? i'm lolling now - just seen a vid of my teachers dancing on utube

found out reading is really a sithhole yet?

Yeah, I'm pithed. I've been eating that many oranges. As for Reading, it has a nice centre, the Campus is great, some bits are scummy, but it beats my old town hands down.

what are you eating?

Well after the race I had three generous portions of flapjack, a bowl of pasta (carb heaven) and lots of toast and marmite.. Then instead of my usual muesli and fruit and yoghurt, I had a two bowls of coco-pops and an orange. Then I ate some more oranges and stuff cos I felt that I'd eaten too much unhealthy food. I've had like a constant supply of them for yesterday and today.

[MP4/4#12]

Today? I have eaten 2 apples, a chocolate bar, (for lunch) shepherds pie and a chocolate doughnut (for dinner) and had a glass of OJ to drink. I skip breakfast, never get hungry till 11

Happy?

Where`s the bacon with eggs and fish and chips ?

[phil1993]

Today? I have eaten 2 apples, a chocolate bar, (for lunch) shepherds pie and a chocolate doughnut (for dinner) and had a glass of OJ to drink. I skip breakfast, never get hungry till 11

Happy?

Where`s the bacon with eggs and fish and chips ?

wow talk about stereotypical... (i had bacon and scrambled eggs yesterday but i havent had proper fish and chips in months out: )

Yeah, I'm pithed. I've been eating that many oranges. As for Reading, it has a nice centre, the Campus is great, some bits are scummy, but it beats my old town hands down.

You obviously haven't found some parts I ran from my school (near the hospital) to the station to catch my train in 10 mins with a heavy bag and sports bag, got it by 30s - i was redder than this - . and this is when i'd only had 1 apple and a TimeOut bar all day, straight after sport. bloody tiring fun first day back at school, only 7 weeks till Xmas hols :tired:

[TwistedArmco]

Well the Uni's fun anyway. You could basically live without ever leaving the campus, and except to go to clubs or pubs, or occasionally Asda, I don't really need to leave it.