2008 F1 season is over

Lewis Hamilton started the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend as title favourite and duly ended it as champion. Ahead of their showdown, Felipe Massa said the pressure would be on his rival at Interlagos - and that’s exactly how it panned out. As the Brazilian romped to the home win he needed, Hamilton and McLaren understandably took a more cautious approach. It so nearly cost them everything, but ultimately gave us the most thrilling season finale in years...

Ferrari

Felipe Massa, P1

Kimi Raikkonen, P3

Massa did everything so brilliantly that no wonder his supporters felt he deserved to be world champion. And for fleeting moments it seemed that he was, but then after he had crossed the finish line Hamilton passed Glock for the fifth place he needed, and the Brazilian lost by a point. Raikkonen said his Ferrari got much better towards the end, but was told not to bother challenging Alonso’s second place since third would be sufficient to secure the constructors’ title for the Scuderia as the consolation prize.

Renault

Fernando Alonso, P2

Nelson Piquet, Retired lap 1, accident

Piquet might have crashed on the first lap, but Alonso drove another great race to take a strong second place, which bodes well for the team’s 2009 prospects.

McLaren

Lewis Hamilton, P5

Heikki Kovalainen, P7

McLaren did not get the best from the MP4-23 as they appeared to aim just for the fifth place that Hamilton needed. Had it remained dry to the end, he would have achieved it without problem; as it was it came down to fate intervening as Glock lost so much ground on his dry tyres on that critical final lap. Nevertheless, a championship is won over a season not one race, and Hamilton and McLaren were deserving winners.