"Felipe Massa is world champion - NO!"

Richard Jackson | 19:48 PM, Sunday, 2 November 2008

Were you listening to the extraordinary closing stages of the Brazilian Grand Prix?

If you need a reminder, you can listen back to the whole race online in the BBC iPlayer.

"I've never seen anything like it" said our commentator David Croft moments after he thought he was calling home Massa as the world champion - only for Lewis Hamilton to clinch the title with a last gasp move past Timo Glock... to clinch the vital 5th place.

"And there's absolutely no chance for Lewis Hamilton to get back. They're throwing their hats into the air in the crowd here in Interlagos because Felipe Massa, with Lewis Hamilton coming home to take sixth place, is world champion. No! Lewis Hamilton's up to fifth! Lewis Hamilton has made it up to fifth by the end of the line! Ferrari think they've won it. Our timing screen says that's Lewis Hamilton's fifth and Timo Glock is sixth and there's confusion at Ferrari -- but I'll tell you what, the times say Lewis Hamilton is the winner."

On Monday's Breakfast programme we'll reflect on Hamilton's extraordinary achievement to be the youngest-ever world champion - and we'll compile congratulatory messages for Lewis. We'll send them on to the team HQ after the programme...

UPDATE: 08:22 Monday 3rd Nov

We spoke to Keiran Crawley, who worked closely as a mechanic and engineer with Lewis Hamilton in his early karting days, and one of the greatest ever British Formula 1 drivers, Sir Stirling Moss - have a listen back to the interviews here:

Don't forget you can download the Chequered Flag podcast for all the reaction to an amazing victory for Hamilton.

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1. At 8:20pm on 02 Nov 2008, postiepete70 wrote:
did you see the ferrari team celebrating before the race had finished?hahahahahahahaha

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2. At 10:30pm on 02 Nov 2008, supernovered wrote:
Brilliant Lewis I'm so pleased for you. Congratualtions!

Carol

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3. At 10:39pm on 02 Nov 2008, -MoreTeaVicar- wrote:
One point and in the last seconds of the race, WOW what a win! Congratulations Lewis, Ron and Team McLaren for winning the F1 World Championships.

I?ve a dream to work at the McLaren technology centre, tip all the pictures askew, hide and watch Ron Dennis walking around straightening them!!

It?s been a keen and exciting year for F1, here?s to 2009.

Martin

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4. At 04:34am on 03 Nov 2008, TGRWorzel wrote:
Poetic justice.

Earlier in the season, Stewards awarded Massa points he didn't deserve. Particularly at Spa when Lewis was robbed of a brilliant win when they moved the goalposts by changing the accepted rules after the race to favour Ferrari.

Seeing Ferrari's premature celebrations at Interlagos scuppered on the penultimate corner really couldn't have been scripted any better.

Hope F1 is cleaned up before next season.

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5. At 07:10am on 03 Nov 2008, i_am_hunky_dory wrote:
I am thrilled Lewis is Champion. The race didn't do my heart any good though. I had never watched F1 until last year. I am a 41 year old mother of two. Lewis and his family are people I can relate to. They do not come from a background of privilege but a background of hard work, focus and love. I now am hooked on F1.

The Mclaren team have had every obstacle put in their way but have triumphed with Lewis's win. Well done to Ron and the team. I can't wait 'til next season.

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6. At 07:28am on 03 Nov 2008, lordbrackley wrote:
Thank god for the end of German Summer
Time!
That's when they turn the Glocks back!

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7. At 07:31am on 03 Nov 2008, cmountb wrote:
Absolutely Brilliant Lewis, not only were you racing the Farrari's and the other teams, you were racing the Stewards aswell !!, You have earned it, you deserve it, congratualtions !!!!!!!!

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8. At 07:37am on 03 Nov 2008, twangyourkipper wrote:
hamilton pay your taxes!!!!!
where did u go to school?
were you born in a british hospital
the list could go on......
next you will want to be British sports personality of the year!
you've taken so give back.

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9. At 09:16am on 03 Nov 2008, mrsdoasuwillbdoneby wrote:
Quite agree twangyourkipper(?) Lewis Hamilton has done whatever for Lewis Hamilton and no-one else

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10. At 09:29am on 03 Nov 2008, jinnysportsfan wrote:
Well done Lewis, you were brilliant! Don't listen to those people who critisise you, they're just jealous. Please come and visit all your fans in Stevenage.

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11. At 09:35am on 03 Nov 2008, jaimepmg wrote:
Congratulations Lewis,
You were at the verge of being a looser for the rest of your live. Only real champions can achieve what you did last evening, too much pressure for the rest of the mortals only a wheel stroke for a champions. I?m thriving for the next season with Alonso driving a real car.

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12. At 09:36am on 03 Nov 2008, ChrisFromTorquay wrote:
Well done Lewis. My wife and I have been supporting you for the last two seasons. She was so distraught when Vettel passed you I thought she was going to require medical attention! Thank God you got passed Glock to set up and amazing win to the Championship. You deserved the win after a great year. Well done!

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13. At 09:42am on 03 Nov 2008, tishtosh20 wrote:
Fantastic achievement by Lewis Hamilton - and how wonderful to have a British sportsman of such calibre.

We are truly proud of you - congratulations!

Sportsman of the Year??!!

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14. At 09:47am on 03 Nov 2008, supernovered wrote:
Here we go. We have a British World Champion and out come the knives. All the beloved celebertities that we love to worship live in tax havens and many top businesses here don't pay any taxes curtesy of the Government. A lot of footballers have found loop holes so that they don't pay taxes in this country either.

Well I'm proud of Lewis. I loved the way Ferrari were celebrating. I too thought it was all over, it made his winning all the sweeter.

Don't listen to the negatives Lewis, you are a hero.

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15. At 11:41am on 03 Nov 2008, Beadfeet wrote:
Congratulations to Hamilton for winning the world championship. He might be brash, arrogant, maybe even ruthless on the track, but he is a winner - is that the problem we have him because he is there to win - it's not "well played", but I want to come first?

Hamilton aside, I did get annoyed with (an obviously biased) David Croft shooting down all the Breakfast Show callers for spouting "rubbish", just as his comment to Aasmah was rubbish - that the two of them didn't contribute the same amount of tax as Hamilton did with his one race on British soil - it's the proportion of tax you and Aasmah pay (20% plus, I reckon) - don't see Hamilton paying anywhere near that proportion of his income in tax to our coffers, so get it right Crofty!

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16. At 12:50pm on 03 Nov 2008, vteclimey wrote:
Funny how no one moans about David Coulthard not living in the UK, he hasn't done so for years.

So what if he wants to leave this country and live elsewhere. I would too!

Seems like moaning about those who are better than yourself is still the Englishmans favourite pastime.

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17. At 7:28pm on 03 Nov 2008, superjuggernaught wrote:
Yes... Congratuations to Hamilton. Suppose fair is fair as it did seem as though the system was against him and his team since his debut.

But lets also be fair and say if it wasn't for Temo Glock slowing down and letting Hamilton pass, Hamilton would not have won the championship.

Massa should have been awarded the championship!

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18. At 06:52am on 04 Nov 2008, righteousfairplay wrote:
Amazing how self deprecating some of you Brits are (see: superjuggernaught). LH won fair and square (which wouldn't have been the case if Massa had won). Since when has a German ever knowingly made way for a Brit to win anything?

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19. At 09:06am on 04 Nov 2008, TGRWorzel wrote:
Re:17
McLaren would say it was all down to a good call on the strategy side, applying a mathematical model to precict the course of the final couple of laps. Nothing to do with Timo Glock giving way.

As a math modeller myself, I know its perfectly possible. I'm really interested in that side of the story. How did they do it ?

And as I'm on the dole, do McLaren or any other F1 teams want me next year ? I'm cheap !

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