Brazil 2008

THERE WERE ONLY TWO DRIVERS AT THE BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX IN 2008 - OR SO YOU WOULD THINK WHEN WATCHING OR READING PRE-EVENT COVERAGE. FELIPE MASSA WAS 7 POINTS BEHIND AND HAD TO WIN WITH LEWIS HAMILTON FINISHING 6TH OR LOWER OR HE COULD COME 2ND IF LEWIS FINISHED 7TH OR LOWER.

LEWIS GAVE HIMSELF AN UPHILL TASK BY ONLY MANAGING 4TH IN QUALIFYING WHILST FELIPE TOOK POLE POSITION. WHEN THE CARS WERE JUST ABOUT TO DRIVE OFF THE GRID FOR THE FORMATION LAP, THE HEAVENS OPENED AND THE PARTICIPANTS ALMOST DISAPPEARED IN A WATERY MIST.

THE ORGANISERS PUT BACK THE START FOR 10 MINUTES TO GIVE TEAMS CHANCE TO EVALUATE THE SITUATION AND POSSIBLY CHANGE TYRES. THEY ALL CHOSE INTERMEDIATES BECAUSE THE RAIN STOPPED FAIRLY QUICKLY AND SOME PARTS OF THE TRACK WERE STILL DRY WHILST OTHERS, INCLUDING THE GRID, WERE VERY WET.

MASSA LED THEM AWAY AT THE START AND ALL THE FRONT-RUNNERS, AND MOST OF THE REST, MADE IT THROUGH TURN 1. UNFORTUNATELY, THE TWO WILLIAMS DRIVERS SEEMED DETERMINED TO SPOIL DAVID COULTHARD'S DAY IN THIS, HIS FINAL GRAND PRIX BEFORE RETIRING. NICO ROSBERG NUDGED HIM INTO A SPIN AND THAT LINED HIM UP FOR KAZUKI NAKAJIMA TO CRASH INTO. THE SAFETY CAR WAS DEPLOYED AND HAMILTON WAS IN THE 5TH POSITION HE NEEDED.

AND SO THE RACE PROCEEDED WITH PIT-STOPS TO CHANGE BACK TO 'DRY' TYRES AS THE WET PARTS OF THE TRACK BEGAN TO DRY. SOME TEAMS CHOSE TO RE-FUEL EARLY, SOME DIDN'T - IT ALL DEPENDED WHETHER THEY WERE ON A TWO-STOP OR A ONE-STOP STRATEGY RESPECTIVELY.

AT ONE STAGE, LEWIS HAD GAINED A PLACE TO 4TH, WHICH GAVE HIM A BREATHING SPACE, AND FELIPE STAYED IN THE LEAD BUT WITH ABOUT 7 OR 8 LAPS TO GO THE RAIN THREATENED AGAIN AND THEN THE THREAT MATERIALISED. WHAT DO WE DO NOW? THAT SEEMED TO BE THE QUESTION ON EVERYONE'S MIND. EVENTUALLY, THE DECISIONS WERE MADE AND MOST OF THE TOP RUNNERS COULD NOT RISK BEING ON THE TRACK WITH SLICK, GROOVED TYRES SO THEY ALL PITTED TO CHANGE BACK TO INTERMEDIATES.

THE ONE DRIVER WHO DIDN'T CHANGE TYRES WAS TIMO GLOCK AND WHEN LEWIS EMERGED FROM THE PITS HE HAD LOST 4TH AND WAS NOW DOWN TO 5TH WITH SEBASTIAN VETTEL IN 6TH AND HARRYING HIM TO GET PAST. IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE HE DID AND, WITH ONLY 2 LAPS TO GO, LEWIS WAS NOW IN 6TH AND IF IT STAYED THAT WAY FELIPE AND HE WOULD BE EQUAL ON POINTS BUT FELIPE WOULD BE WORLD CHAMPION ON COUNTBACK.

TRY AS LEWIS MIGHT HE COULD MAKE NO IMPRESSION ON SEBASTIAN AND, EVENTUALLY, FELIPE CROSSED THE LINE TO WIN AND THE WHOLE OF BRAZIL ERUPTED AT THE THOUGHT THAT THEY HAD THEIR FIRST WORLD CHAMPION SINCE AYRTON SENNA 18 YEARS BEFORE.

BUT THE RACE WAS STILL 'LIVE' FOR A FEW MORE SECONDS AND AS LEWIS ROUNDED THE LAST FEW TURNS LEADING ONTO THE STRAIGHT, HE WAS ABLE TO OVERTAKE THE STRUGGLING TIMO AND REGAIN THE 5TH PLACE HE NEEDED LESS THAN A FEW HUNDRED YARDS BEFORE THE LINE! HE WAS WORLD CHAMPION, THE YOUNGEST EVER, AND POOR FELIPE WAS DISTRAUGHT. DRAMATIC? I DON'T THINK ANYONE COULD ARGUE DIFFERENTLY.

Race Results posted by
David Little
3rd November 2008

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