F1’s Greatest Races: Brazil 2008: When Two Drivers Won the World Title

F1 Brazil 2008: The Dramatic F1 Race with Two Winners

Fierce rivalries and premature celebrations: the outcome of Brazil 2008 was decided in the most gripping fashion.

The Sporting Blog covers the full story!

This engrossing finale epitomised the intense rivalry between McLaren and Ferrari throughout the 2000s, showcasing the emotional rollercoaster of motorsport at its tumultuous best…

Backstory to Brazil 2008

F1 arrived in Brazil for the season-ender for a title showdown between two young drivers chasing their first world title.

Lewis Hamilton burst onto the F1 scene in 2007, almost taking a sensational title in his rookie season but missing out by a single point to Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.

The 2007 loss was even more agonising for Hamilton than you would imagine, all the F1 prize money in the world couldn’t make up for missing out on the title.

He had led the championship comfortably going into the final two rounds but crashed out in China before suffering a gearbox issue in Brazil.

Many billed the 2008 season as a Hamilton-Raikkonen title fight, but it was the Ferrari of Felipe Massa that emerged as the other protagonist.

Raikkonen failed to deliver, only taking two victories across the season and eventually slumping to a support role for Brazilian Massa.

Both Hamilton and Massa had missed opportunities to stamp their authority on the title race throughout 2008.

Hamilton crashed in the pit lane in Canada and lost a victory in Belgium for cutting a corner and gaining an advantage.

Massa span five times in the wet at the British Grand Prix, left the pit lane with the fuel hose still attached to his car in Singapore and he had an engine failure in Hungary, three laps from victory.

A Surprise Challenger

One other driver mounted a surprise challenge across the season. Polish driver Robert Kubica delivered consistent results, and despite only taking a single victory, he led the championship seven races in.

Sadly for Kubica, his BMW team decided to focus on the regulation change for the following year and develop the 2009 car, rather than support a title challenge.

As a result, his car became increasingly uncompetitive and his title hopes had long gone by Brazil 2008. BMW’s gamble backfired as their 2009 car was poor, leading to their withdrawal from Formula 1 before 2010.

Kubica moved to Renault but then suffered horrific injuries in a rally crash in 2011, partially severing his arm.

He made a truly staggering comeback with Williams in 2019, but in uncompetitive machinery, he flattered to deceive and never won a race again.

F1 Brazil 2008: The Race

Hamilton was seven points clear of Massa, meaning that if he could finish 5th in Brazil, he would be the world champion regardless of the finishing position of his rivals.

The Brit had finished in the top five in every race of the season, avoiding trouble. So unless disaster struck, glory seemed likely - although not inevitable, given the agonising events of the year before.

For Massa, he had to win and hope that Hamilton hit trouble.

Massa had become something of a specialist at the Interlagos circuit. The Brazilian won his home race in 2006 and had given up the win in 2007 to allow Raikkonen to win the title.

It was no surprise, then, when Massa qualified on pole ahead of the Toyota of Jarno Trulli, Raikkonen and Hamilton.

Race day dawned, and as is so often the case, the Brazilian weather was to play its part.

A rain shower - just five minutes before the race start - enhanced the air of unpredictability. Would Hamilton, aged just 23, be able to cope with the pressure?

Massa led away, with the top four holding position and all drivers on intermediate tyres.

Veteran driver David Coulthard’s last race ended abruptly as his Red Bull was hit from behind, ending a 15-year career in a disappointing fashion.

After a brief safety car period to remove the stricken car, racing resumed and the track was drying. Some gambled and came in early, replacing intermediate tyres for drys.

Massa rejoined in the lead. Hamilton stopped a lap later and paid the price for his caution, dropping back to 6th behind Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella, who had stopped earlier and reaped the rewards.

Hamilton soon dispatched Fisichella and benefitted from a Jarno Trully error to move back into 4th. All looked comfortable until the weather once again had its say…

The Rain Returns

With just six laps to go, the rain returned - certainly enough for a change of tyres, but not enough to guarantee justifying the time taken to make a stop.

Whilst others could afford to gamble, Massa and Hamilton were faced with an agonising choice, which could so easily define the outcome of the title.

Massa chose to stay out an extra lap whilst Alonso, Raikkonen, Hamilton, and 5th-placed Sebastian Vettel, opted to pit.

Meanwhile, Timo Glock of Toyota chose to stay out on dry tyres, putting him ahead of Hamilton and a young Sebastian Vettel.

Hamilton, now in 5th, came under increasing pressure from Vettel.

Massa was still first, so it was critical that Hamilton stayed ahead of Vettel.

With three laps to go, Hamilton ran wide, allowing Vettel through and demoting him to 6th place.

Suddenly the title was slipping away for a second year running in an even more agonising fashion, and heading to Massa and Ferrari.

‘Is that Glock?!’

Hamilton chased Vettel in desperation into the last lap, his car sliding through corners as the track grip waned, and the rain came down harder, the title just a few agonising metres ahead on the road.

Massa came through to take the race win, his Ferrari crew cheering him on the pit wall, his finger waving out of his cockpit in the quiet belief that he had become Brazil’s first world champion since the great Ayrton Senna.

All attention turned to Hamilton, still chasing Vettel, braking as late as he dared in the flickering hope that he could slide up the inside and cling onto track position.

As Vettel and Hamilton rounded Turn 13 of 16, all seemed lost.

Then, suddenly, a pink and white car came into view. Glock was tiptoeing around on his dry tyres, which were by this stage wholly unsuitable for the weather.

Vettel and Hamilton slid past him, to the sheer disbelief of ITV F1 commentators James Allen and Martin Brundle.

Hamilton crossed the line in 5th, taking the championship by one point, prompting wild scenes of celebration in the McLaren garage.

At the other end of the pit lane, Ferrari had begun to celebrate too, not realising that the title had slipped away in the cruellest of fashions.

Scenes of Massa’s father and brother embracing joyously were soon curtailed as a team member realised their error and their dream slipped away.

Massa, who took this loss with dignity and pride, beating his chest on the podium in front of a crestfallen home crowd, would never win a race again.

For Hamilton, who was the youngest champion in history at this stage, this was the first of seven world titles, matching the great Michael Schumacher. Hamilton is now considered one of the greatest F1 drivers of all-time!

Nothing has ever come close to his 2008 title for sheer drama and tension.

For more great F1 races, check out our articles on Canada 2014, Brazil 2003 and Monaco 1982.