On November 2, 2008, Method 1 followers witnessed some of the unimaginable championship finales in historical past — a second that has just lately returned to the highlight as a result of Felipe Massa’s ongoing authorized case associated to the Singapore Crashgate scandal.
Between previous and current
For youthful Method 1 followers, or for individuals who began following the game solely lately, it may appear that the dramatic ending of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was one thing fully distinctive. But, again in 2008, at Interlagos, Method 1 skilled a finale that was maybe much more spectacular and emotional — a real web page of sporting historical past. The story has gained renewed relevance in the present day as Felipe Massa pursues authorized motion in London towards those that managed and ruled Method 1 throughout that controversial interval.
On November 2, 2008, the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos concluded two hours of pure pressure, emotion, and unpredictable twists, crowning Lewis Hamilton as Method 1 World Champion for the primary time. On the identical time, Ferrari secured what stays, at the very least for now, their final Constructors’ title. Seventeen years later, it feels exceptional to assume that the British driver and the Scuderia from Maranello now discover themselves on the identical aspect of the grid.
What would grow to be some of the iconic races in F1 historical past initially appeared like a formality. After the Chinese language Grand Prix, Felipe Massa arrived at his residence race — the season finale — seven factors behind Lewis Hamilton within the standings, with little hope of turning issues round. At the moment, a race victory was value ten factors, so the Ferrari driver wanted to win and hope that Lewis Hamilton completed exterior the highest 5 to take the title.
A premonitory downpour
Moments earlier than the beginning, a sudden rainstorm hit the São Paulo circuit, forcing race management to delay the beginning by ten minutes — a transparent signal that this could not be an strange afternoon. Massa took management from the start, whereas Hamilton — nonetheless haunted by the reminiscence of shedding the title beneath related circumstances on the identical monitor one yr earlier — hovered between fourth and fifth place. He was removed from the race lead however able protected sufficient to safe the championship.
With simply eight laps remaining and Hamilton calmly holding fourth place, the rain started to fall once more. At first, the depth was delicate, however almost each driver within the factors selected to pit for wet-weather tyres — besides Toyota’s Timo Glock, who gambled on staying out on dry tyres. The technique allowed the German to climb from seventh to fourth whereas others made their pit stops. After the spherical of stops, Hamilton dropped to fifth — the ultimate place he wanted to retain the championship if Massa received — however he quickly got here beneath strain from the fast-charging Toro Rosso of a younger Sebastian Vettel, who had already confirmed his wet-weather ability by profitable the Italian Grand Prix at Monza earlier that season.
The function of Vettel and Glock
In a panoramic twist, on the finish of the third-to-last lap, a small mistake by Hamilton on the uphill closing nook opened the door for Vettel to overhaul him, briefly handing the title to Massa. Over the ultimate, agonizing laps, Lewis Hamilton was unable to discover a means again previous Vettel, and it appeared sure that the Ferrari driver from São Paulo could be topped World Champion in entrance of his residence crowd. However the rain was intensifying, making it almost unattainable for these nonetheless on slick tyres, like Timo Glock, to take care of management.
In the course of the closing lap, Timo Glock struggled to maintain his Toyota on monitor as Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton quickly closed in. Within the final nook, each vehicles handed him at double velocity — a transfer that returned Hamilton to fifth place, the place he wanted to clinch the championship. In some of the unbelievable conclusions in Method 1 historical past, Lewis Hamilton turned World Champion for the primary time, whereas Ferrari, already main McLaren by 11 factors heading into Brazil, secured their sixteenth Constructors’ title. On the time, nobody might have imagined that it will stay their final — at the very least for the following 18 years.
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