Except his Superlicense.

 

 

Lucky break for Hamilton on the last couple of corners! I couldn't believe it when I saw Vettel go by LH and then lewis not be able to attack back. That was an awesome finish to the race. BUT - I wish that Massa had gotten it (WDC) because Ferrai did everything they had to do and LH just stroked it back there.....

 

I'm no fan of Lewis, but he did not luck into the championship by any means. He did exactly what he had to -- drive a smart & skillful race. No one gave it to him, he earned it. Glock wasn't going to be able to hold his position in the wet with dry tires.

And if we didn't know it already, we learned that Vettel is on his way to a future championship himself.

That's racing and it was a great finish. Nothing lucky about it.

 

Depends on how you look at it. He earned enough points to make the WDC a near cert before the race started today, but I say there was one tiny bit of critcal luck at the very end of the race today. When Vettel passed LH he suddenly desparately needed that position back, and if it weren't for Glock's tire choice and the elements he wouldn't have made it. I know potato, tomato...opinions will always differ.

Either way you look at it though, I think it was a great finish, and you can't get much closer than a last lap of the last race clinching of the WDC!

 

All in all it was a fantastic season. Weather conditions minus traction control made for some nail-biting moments!!! Big congrats to Lewis....but also glad Massa took the win at his home track!

 

Incredible finish, yes, but I found it equally incredible was that they never interviewed Lewis, or even gave him a second of air time showing him getting the WDC trophy. Did they really award it, and then make him walk home? After all, there was confetti falling on the podium for someone.

Massa gave a great, controlled interview. I wouldn't have been the gentleman, er, gentlelady--I would have just broken down and started bawling. I do wish they'd done something for Lewis. Even if they have a banquet or something later, it's just not the same.

BTW, I thought the video in the Ferrari pits was a perfect mirror of the events--don't know who the older guy was (not in Nomex), but it was a classic display of joy turned into disbelief.

Of course, it's not over yet--there is still the chance someone will protest the events......

It does look like Vettel will be a real threat in the next season. Get him some real wheels, and look out! I remember when he first came on the scene--wasn't he the one who wasn't old enough to drive on public roads?

 

I don't think the WDC and CC trophies get awarded until December or so, at meetings in Monaco I think.

That's what I recall anyway...

 

I think you are talking about Felipe's Father. He must have been devastated. That was one of the most incredible finishes I have ever seen in all my years of F1. Congratulations to Lewis; a true champion and a gentleman.

 

"Lewis Hamilton, 2008 World Drivers Champion"

I like the sound of that!

Jim

 

Yeah, lucky. Just like Ferrari benefitting from the FIA taking 6 points away from Lewis. The WDC should have been decided two weeks ago in China.

Congratulations Lewis!

 

What an exciting race and finish! We were jumping up and down cheering when Massa crossed the line and then gutted when Timo finally got overtaken, handing Lewis the championship! If the race would have been 15 seconds shorter, the title would have been Massa's. As he said, that's racing. He did the job he needed to and just didn't get enough bad luck for Lewis.
It's always a shame when they don't allocate any time to the WDC winner if they weren't on the podium. F1 should have have the top 3 for each race, plus one more driver that was a key performer, such as Hamilton in this case. It would make for much better most-race coverage.
Now the wait for 2009!

 

AMEN!

Okay, I confess. When Lewis was passed I stormed off, slamming a few doors. In the distance I hear words like "Massa is world champion," etc. Then sound of hubby yelling the unbelievable...

 

I'd rather enjoy each race on its own rather than let the specter of the FIA decisions haunt my every thought. In fact, as this race went on I caught myself thinking "I wish the damn WDC didn't exist, so everyone on the track could just RACE!" Taken on its own, this was only a fair race but it had an exciting finish and yes, as far as THIS race is concerned, LH got a lucky break at the end right when he suddenly and desperately needed it. I have a feeling though that if he'd been free to race and take chances like usual he wouldn't have needed Glock's tires and the weather to end up in P5.

 

2009 is going to be awesome!

 

Fantastic finish to a most memorable season! I really thought that F1 was only slowly coming back to becoming interesting after too many seasons of Bernie and Max induced follow the leader, and then in the 2nd half of this season, all the molds were broken. Kubica let's us know what he's made of, Vettel shows his mettle, Alonso's resurgence, Massa and Hamilton up and down and round and round.

What a great race, what a fitting end to the season. Although a Massa fan and diehard tifosi, Hamilton's championship was well deserved. If only it weren't for Ferrari's Singapore incident with the electronic lollipop, it might have been a different outcome.

 

Well, certainly if the FIA didn't exist the WDC would have been chosen a long time ago. I do like the idea of picking the "best" of both teams, cars, and drivers, but there have been way too many rulings this year that have interfered with racing, and some that SHOULD have.

For example, the recent race that was given to Massa because of a controversial call on a pass. And conversely, the penalty that SHOULD have happened, but didn't, on the pit stop that had 15' of hose hanging from his car as he departed. Or the refusal of stewards to black flag Kimi when his exhaust broke. Would that have happened with Force India or even the BMW team?

I didn't put much credence in a bias toward Ferrari in past years (probably because I was a Michael fan), but it certainly was evident this year. And I speak as someone who really likes Massa, just not as much as Lewis.

 

I agree, lots of intersting stuff this year and many great drives plus more than just 2 or 3 winners all year. You (mgcman) got me thinking about drivers though, and I think if I was asked which driver impressed me most this year I'd have a tough time deciding. As strange as it is to see myself typing this--given I've been the opposite of a fan of the man--I think I might say Alonso was my driver of the season. He didn't win a lot of races, but it always seemed to me like he pushed his car further beyond its apparent capability than anyone else did with theirs, and routinely finished higher up the order than anyone expected.

I'm not trying to take anything away from Hamilton and Massa, but Alonso surprised me more often than anyone else this year.

 

Great end to the season, and I though that it would be impossible to top the ending to the '07 season. Wow, I was wrong. I was rooting for Kimi and Massa all season(as was really happy for about 2 laps), but it was good to see Hamilton get it. I doubt it will be his last. With the drivers at Ferrari and McLaren staying the same it should make for another close championship next year too. Only 144 days until the 09 season!!

 

144 days. Seems like an eternity.

 

Ferrari essentially let Massa down, he should have been many points ahead of Hamilton...and that other fellow driving a car with a Ferrai engine in it...looked like a deliberate move to let Hamilton by on the last turn...I might have a very quiet and pointed discussion with those folks if I were someone at Ferrari...

 

And remember Timo Glock's team is switching to the McLaren Engines next season. Straight line on the drier part of the track with no corners left, Glock could've just as easily blocked Hamilton; nodoubt there was politics in there.

I really wanted to see Massa win (ok more to see Hamilton lose), but the championship wasn't lost by him today, it was the other season mistakes that cost him the crown.

 

You are apparently very confused. The TOYOTA factory team is not switching to Mercedes power next year. Glock drives for TOYOTA.

You are trying WAY too hard to find a controversy where there isn't one. Glock gambled by NOT pitting and switching to wets like everyone else. The only reason he was in front of Vettel and Hamilton at all was because he (Glock) didn't pit when everyone else did. Had he gone for wets like they did, he would have been behind them and the Vettel pass on Hamilton wouldn't have mattered.

 

Toyota switching to engines built my Mercedes? Not in a million years.

Are you serious? Toyota gambled with Glock and Trulli on dry tires and lost. Glock had no grip, and was losing 20+ secs. per lap. There was no possibility of him holding off the passes by Vettel and Hamilton. There is no conspiracy there. If Glock could have held the position he would have. Giving it up did not help his or Toyota's cause one iota.

 

After I finished throwing up last night (had to watch the race recorded), cursing Glock and Toyota, I wondered what happened to Kubica. He wasn't doing squat all race, and suddenly at the end he's going like a bat.

the real tragedy of the race wasn't that Massa lost, but DC getting punted by Nico at the start of his last race. Damn kids!