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Lewis Hamilton – 2008 FIA Formula 1™ World Champion

diapo_393In only his second year in the sport, McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton became today the 2008 FIA Formula 1 World Champion at the season finale in Brazil.In one of the most dramatic finishes to a World Championship ever, Hamilton took the title by a single point after securing fifth position on the final corner of the final lap of the final race of the 2008 season.

Hamilton finished the year with 98 points, one point ahead of Ferrari’s Felipe Massa who won his home race at Interlagos this afternoon.

Heikki Kovalainen finished seventh – a result that helped the McLaren Mercedes team to second in the constructors’ championship with 151 points. Ferrari amassed a title-winning total of 172 points

At the age of just 23 years, 10 months and 26 days, Lewis is the youngest champion in Formula 1 history. He takes McLaren’s 12th drivers’ world title, and the third for the McLaren Mercedes partnership, which won the drivers’ title in 1998 and 1999 with Mika Hakkinen.

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Lewis Hamilton, 2008 FIA Formula 1 World Champion:
“The most dramatic race of my whole life. It’s pretty much impossible to put this into words: I’m still speechless. It’s been such a long journey, but I’ve always had the support of my family, the team, our partners and the fans. We did a fantastic job throughout the whole year and, with all the sacrifices we made, I’m so thrilled to be able to win this for everyone.”

“Before it started to rain I was quite comfortable, and I was just focused on having a clean race. Then it started to drizzle and I didn’t want to take any risks – but Sebastian (Vettel) got past me and I was told that I had to get back in front of him. I couldn’t believe it. Then at the very last corner I managed to get past Timo (Glock) – it was just amazing.”

“This was one of the toughest races of my life, if not the toughest. I was shouting, ‘Do I have it? Do I have it?’ on the radio. It was only when I took the chequered flag and got to Turn One that the team told me I was World Champion. I was ecstatic.”

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Heikki Kovalainen:
“The most important news today is that Lewis pulled it off; he did exactly what he had to do to win the championship. Everybody in the team deserves this title, particularly after what happened here one year ago, but the guys stayed focused throughout so congratulations to everyone. I’ll now work even harder over the winter and hopefully next year’s World Champion will be on the other side of our garage!”

Ron Dennis:
“Well, that was a really tough race. We never pushed hard, we never did anything silly, but of course the late rain made things extraordinarily tense. Even so, even when Sebastian got past Lewis, we never gave up, and Lewis never gave up, because we knew that Timo was on dry tyres. Lewis took his chance brilliantly, and the result was one of the most thrilling finishes in sporting history. I’m so proud of Lewis; I’m so proud of the team; everyone – every single one of them – did an absolutely fantastic job. Thanks, also, to Mercedes-Benz and all our partners – and, last but not least, congratulations to Ferrari on winning the constructors’ championship.”

Norbert Haug:
“I am really, really happy for all of us at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. Everybody in the team worked so hard throughout the year. Thank you all, guys. Lewis finally won the title with one point ahead of Felipe Massa after he lost it by one point last year to Kimi (Raikkonen) in his first one in Formula 1. Congratulations to him. Lewis showed a very disciplined race today and I can imagine how hard it was for a driver like him who wants to win every race that he had to drive carefully to just get the necessary points. Congratulations to Ferrari on the constructors’ title; this was a truly remarkable year for Formula 1.”D.B. © CAPSIS International

Source: F1-Live

Zerotohundred.com – We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Lewis and Team Vodafone Mclaren Mercedes on an outstanding achievement and to Ferrari for capturing the constructors title. We look forward to 2009 and anticipate another thrilling season. Cheers!!

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    rossifumie
  • Nov 3, 2008
congrats to Lewis!!

cheers...
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    stephan
  • Nov 3, 2008
brilliant race...congratulations 2 hamilton...sad for massa...he did everything he could... please visit my new website... www.dontbuytoyota.com ... hehe...juz kidding...great season...looking forward 2 next season, hope to see bmw challenging more together with renault...
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    drM
  • Nov 3, 2008
the most overrated driver for the last 2 years. the circus must has been very lucky to have him on board. not to mention how glad bernie is. and how he turned the event from teams threatening to pull away to the world now glued to F1. atleast for another year to see whether hamilton can be the next schumacher

he almost blew it wide open. almost copycat from season 2007.

massa did whatever he could. i remember alonso said something about helping massa. i wonder why dont he banged into hamilton yesterday. lol. but that alonso kid, has not he got any balls, is he?
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    effie
  • Nov 3, 2008
Mclaren bribed Timo Glock...... He basically threw his race to let Lewis win. In return, he'll prolly replace Heiki in 2010.

Timo SUX !!!!!
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    ephique
  • Nov 3, 2008
such a dramatic race. wouldnt ever forget this one.
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    defuser
  • Nov 3, 2008
Yess i agree, hamiltion is to overrated. What really happen when hamiltion said " Then at the very last corner I managed to get past Timo (Glock)" ??

did time really slowed to let vetal and hamiltion pass ? if so, iam gona hate glock for his entire f1 lifetime. But Props! to Veatel !
(edited) i dont understand what ya'll mean that hamilton is over rated? schumacher himself regards him highly and the only reason vettel got past him was a) Lewis is running on a few races old engine and gearbox and b) he was advised not to push hard in the wet (a team mistake?).. so when in a situation like that.. that just means that team strategy and the urge not to make mistakes is higher because there is much to loose.. Hamilton led the championship from early on in the season.. was that luck? how come better racers, if there are any, couldn't catch up? a conspiracy? maybe!!

but please explain.. how is it that normal people can justify calling him over rated when world champions like schumacher, nikki lauda, eddie jordan and others say that he's probably the most talented since whoever? please.. entertain me.. this'll be interesting.
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    dolanmin
  • Nov 3, 2008
Ferrari made too many mistakes this year.... look at Singapore GP... poor Massa.....
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    drM
  • Nov 3, 2008
those world champions are the boffins with the circus. so they have to say nice things on hamilton. but come on. most talented? if u bother to read the unofficial auto-bio on him (by one bloke i cant remember his name though!, but i bet u can find that on any Popular/MPH bookstores) he was not extraordinary in the lower leagues of single driving machines.

even piquet jr was rated well over him.

overrated is that the circus need somesort of a focus which may channel all the attention to him. first black driver to win world championship? thats gonna weight alot. youngest driver to win? thats another more. the circus was at breaking point some months ago with teams are threatening to go away to have a rival competition with Ferrari is THE ONLY team to stay. but now everyone want to stay because F1 is 'getting hotter and having all the attention again!'

certainly all Brits will go to circuits for their Lew next year!

talent wise, there are alot of equal of him. that bloke at torro rosso and also glock of toyota. but the fact that hamilton got the best machine and crewmen, so he got the edge vettel and glock had not.

but at the hands of ross brown, i believe toyota is going places come season 2009.
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    Hamilton_fan
  • Nov 4, 2008
Its really a dramatic race i ever seen,.......Good job Lewis, u supposed to win the title...For me u an excellent driver and very talented....Hope u can continue it next year.....
toyota will not be doing much cuz ross brawn is actually with Honda.. Lewis did do quite well in GP2 actually.. He was champion of almost every one of the non F1 leagues.. ure right that there are of equal talent.. but to say that he is over-rated.. that is blind.. and every team namely ferrari still wants to leave f1.. hence why all A1GP cars are powered by ferrari.. so they do have their break away league already.. why do teams want to leave f1? blame the FIA.. a single standard engine for all teams when there are works teams that race within f1? not very smart.. how are teams like renault.. toyota and ferrari to transfer f1 technology to the road when they don't even use their own engines?
conclusion: lewis is definately very talented and is not over-rated.. other drivers such as vettel.. glock and kubica are just under rated.. watch for bruno senna.. another case of being over rated thanks to the senna name? most likely.. but still oozing with talent non the less..
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    effie
  • Nov 4, 2008
yea..... i don't think Lewis is over rated. But....... I rate Vettel higher.......
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    bryan
  • Nov 5, 2008
Lewis???? NAH.....I still love the picture of the 3 Kings together on the podium after the Brazil race.
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    spyderslr
  • Nov 5, 2008
its funny how some ppl made criticism without getting their facts right.......which just equals to utter bullocks of a criticism.......
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    BabyGodzillaGTi-R
  • Nov 6, 2008
To me anyone who's in F1 these days are champions in their own right.
U just imagine the trials and tribulations just to get there to begin with.
I can understand that he might be over rated as he's been with/ supported McLaren since the days of Champions of the Future (British karting series) when he was 12 and when he was racing in Formula Super A(karting) with Nico Rosberg as team mate in CRG but i never doubted my predictions that he will be a champion and he is where he is today. At the pinnacle of the podium.

Trust me the amount of sacrifices they made just to get into F1 is unreal which is the real challenge. The actual racing on the track is just a small part in motorsport.
And yes i feel i'm in a fair position to comment as he's my age and i've been following him in the karting scene since young. He is GOOD.
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