Last race, last lap, last corner

[veravista]

Just watched it, really pleased for Hamilton - knew the boy would get on as soon as I saw him in GP2's, but gutted for Massa. He must have been told he'd won it by the crew and then told he hadn't. Sort of sums up Ferraris season really. And, painful as it is to say it, well done the FIA for a great finale - I know that they probably didn't mean it to happen quite like that - but well done anyway.
Nice sporting Brazilian crowd, too...

 

[Porceliamone]

...Nice sporting Brazilian crowd, too...

I REALLY hope this is tongue in cheek!
The crowd couldn't have been less gracious if they tried...Extremely poor behaviour, in my opinion.
I'm so glad Massa conducted himself impeccably. A very very gracious individual after having WDC victory snatched from him at the very last gasp.
I'm so happy McLaren have a WDC under their belt again. Congratulations to VMM and LH. Hurrah!

 

[Brogan]

Graphical last few laps summary from Times Online:

http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/pdfs/hamiltonchampion.pdf

Last 3 laps times

[b]Lap	Glock	Hamilton	Difference[/b]

69	1:18.7	1:24.6		+5.9

70	1:28.0	1:25.6		-2.4

71	1:44.7	1:26.1		-18.6

 

[Brogan]

A selection of last lap commentaries from around the world.

 

[Croydon Bob]

The crowd couldn't have been less gracious if they tried...Extremely poor behaviour, in my opinion.

I'm not sure. ITV seemed to be exaggerating the crowd reaction. As Idiot Allen was saying "partisan crowd" the camera was panning past a bunch of black guys in Vodafone T-shirts. I've seen worse crowds at Silverstone for booing the "enemy" and from TV coverage the Germans have seemed worse when supporting Schu. Hammy is very popular in South America but the Paulistas were obviously going to prefer Massa.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Congratulations to Hammy and it's great to see another British World Drivers Champion.

I feel a bit deflated after yesterday because I wanted Hammy to dominate the weekend and take the title in as convincing a manor as possible and I can't help thinking that there are so many what if's surrounding this title win. Mind you it's been a cracking season. My other half summed it up neatly when she said "Do you know if Massa was in any car other than a Ferrari I would have felt sorry for him". That made me laugh.

I am not the biggest Hammy fan in the world and there is a fantastic article in the Times today (page 70 if anyones interested) that sums up almost exactly how I feel about him.

Bring on 2009. This is going to be a long long long close season and I will be scanning every line in the press to get all the news and reviews on next year.

 

[Porceliamone]

Wow FOM are hardcore in taking those videos down. Only one of them left that you posted Brogan. *sigh*

 

[Brogan]

As usual.

I've added some more - let's see how long those last...

 

[Surebrec]

I don't believe the conspiracy theories for a single moment, and the fact that all the haters are using this as a crutch to take some of the achievement out of what lewis has done shows just how pathetic they are, this picture someone sent me in an email made me laugh

 

[Brogan]

 

[Mezzer]

, nice one, although offering the money and then driving past without giving it to him would have been funnier!! Ah the stupidity of some people, how quickly Heidfeld and Spa disappear from people's minds.

 

[RacingManta]

cider_and_toast I feel similar, it all happened so late in the race part of me still felt that Massa had won, very confusing, I'd have preferred it all to have been settled a few laps earlier. Although in that instance it wouldn't have been even remotely as entertaining!

 

[Bellabella]

I am afraid I am one who thinks Glock gifted Hamilton - sorry! - But I am happy that some have noted the great Fernando Alonso!!

 

[Brogan]

I am afraid I am one who thinks Glock gifted Hamilton - sorry!

Even though Glock has categorically denied it and the telemetry proves he did the same lap time as his team mate who was also on slicks?

So basically you're calling Glock a liar and suggesting that both he and Trulli co-ordinated it, without radios, to slow down by exactly the same amount so their last lap times were identical?
If Glock had wanted to "gift it" all he had to do was come in for inters and he would have finished way behind Hamilton

 

[Brogan]

Just to reinforce my points, here is some proof:

Lap times
Glock
Lap 66 1:17.992
Lap 67 1:18.897
Lap 68 1:18.816
Lap 69 1:18.688
Lap 70 1:28.041
Lap 71 1:44.731

Trulli
Lap 66 1:19.113
Lap 67 1:20.528
Lap 68 1:20.188
Lap 69 1:22.428
Lap 70 1:33.539
Lap 71 1:44.800

Q&A with Toyota’s Timo Glock
http://www.f1.com/news/interviews/2008/11/8642.html

Q: Were you taking it easy on the final lap?
TG: Absolutely not! It was completely the opposite; the final lap was one of the hardest laps I have done in Formula One because there was no grip at all and on dry tyres it was almost impossible to keep the car on track. I was pushing really hard to keep fourth place and if you look at the lap times I was actually faster than Jarno on the final lap and he was the only other car on dry tyres at that stage.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/nov/03/formulaone-motorsports

"It was raining quite badly and it was just impossible on the last lap," said Glock. "I was fighting as hard as I could but it was so difficult to just keep the car on the track and I lost positions right at the end of the lap.

 

[Porceliamone]

I am afraid I am one who thinks Glock gifted Hamilton - sorry! - But I am happy that some have noted the great Fernando Alonso!!

Every shred of evidence proves otherwise. Every statement, every single piece of communication, telemetry, interviews and commentary go against this so called conspiracy. It's like someone sitting in the dock in a courtroom and before they open their mouth for their plea the judge states 'Guilty'. Preposterous. Desperate claims from desperate, embittered F1 fans that do not support VMM or LH. A bit sad really.

 

[gribbli]

Well thats the point isnt it? It isnt based on facts, facts matter not to Alonso fanatics, its all about it being Lewis. If the tables were turned and the same thing happened to Massa then they would be on the other side of the conspiracy theory. And further more if the same thing had happened to Alonso then the story would go something like 'Well Glock was settings world record pace but then Alonso flew past him, halving the lap record when crossed the line 23 laps ahead of everyone one else on a bike he made out of matchsticks five minutes before the race started'.

Its a simple equation, Alonso fanatic = Hamilton hater and never the twain shall meet, dont muddy the waters with facts, statements under oath or stupid comments direct from the horses mouth, found in live interviews, that we can go back and watch over and over again. Some people have become zen like gurus in the art of 'lalala i cant hear you lets just blame Hamilton instead'.

Its childish, really, really childish.

 

[Galahad]

Come on guys, let's keep it friendly. I'm not interested in a forum that scares people away because of who they support.

It's enough to state the facts (which bellabella may not have been aware of) without the personal stuff.

 

[gribbli]

Apologies all, it just saddens me that the same horse is being flogged after an achievement of the likes we saw on sunday. After the doldums of the Schumi years the drivers we watch week in and week out are the best thing that has happened to the sport in a while, and they all play their part to the utmost.

Hopefully in future we can look back on this and appreciate the drivers for their ability and not who they are friends with.

 

[The Moderator]

This is obviously an emotive issue but as GordonMurray said, let's try and tone down the invective a little.
If in doubt, please refer to the Forum Rules.

The facts have been made clear for all to see so if people still choose to ignore them then so be it.

Thanks for understanding