If you just returned from the woods and haven't heard, the 2008 F1 season ended in the most dramatic fashion possible. If someone wrote the ending as a movie script it would be rejected as implausible. Felipe Massa (Ferrari), by leading the race, was doing everything he could to overtake Lewis Hamilton for the championship. Hamilton, running 4th, was just barely doing what he needed to take the Championship by 2 points. With 10 laps to go it was obvious rain would hit before the race was over. Almost everyone stopped for a premptive change to intermediate rain tires. That was everyone except the two Toyotas. They gambled the hard rain would hold off long enough for them to maintain a high position to the finish. It almost worked. Timo Glock's Toyota gained 4th place, dropping Hamilton to 5th. With two laps to go, Sebastian Vettel (Toro Rosso) sneeked past Hamilton in the wake of the similar move by the one-lap-down Robert Kubica (BMW). Hamilton was now 6th which would mean a tie in points with Massa, but Massa would take the title by virtue of more victories. Starting the last lap, the slick-tired Glock was 15 seconds ahead of Hamilton, but the rain was getting harder. Massa crossed the finish line and the Brazilan crowd went wild with glee that their home boy had won the championship. But as Glock slowed for the final left turn, both Vettel and Hamilton easily drove by. Hamilton was back in his necessary fifth place on the last turn of the race and season. It took a while for the crowd and Ferrari camp to realize what had happened. Hamilton is the new World Champion over Felipe Massa by 98 points to 97.
It was a bad day for the BMWs. For the first time in two years, neither finished in the top eight point scoring positions. Nick Heidfeld's 10th meant he was overtaken by Fernando Alonso for 5th place in the final drivers standings. Kubica's 11th place finish allowed Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) to tie him for 3rd place - 75 points each in the final standings. Raikkonen will be considered 3rd based on a tie-breaker - two wins to Kubica's one.
BMW did hold on to 3rd in the Manufacturers Championship.
In case you missed it, SpeedTV will repeat the race Wednesday afternoon at 12:30.
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