John Shiels

Kimi

Hardcorvette

Awesome race, Hamilton just couldn't catch a break.

aggiehobbie

I was really looking forward to watching the race and the AT&T U-verse system (at least in Houston) had a problem just before the start and could not watch it, in fact it is still out....I was really pissed and kept trying to get through to them on the service line but I think everyone else was also calling. There response was an automatic $15 off your bill...

codename Bil Doe

I called it on Wednesday when checking out the ALMS cars at lunch! Only I was thinking Alonso would crash out Hamilton lol. Bad result for Hamilton, but you breed your own luck. Burying himself in the gravel in China and racing Alonso on turn 1 wasn't just a rookie mistake. You've had months to formulate a game plan and know you didn't have to be first to win. go Kimi!!

GT40_GearHead

awesome race for Kimi, Masa and of course Ferrari !

63Corvette

Well I was pullin for Hamilton, but he will have many more chances for his championship(s). Anyway, 'Way to go Kimi" and I would rather Kimi win than Alonzo.

John Shiels

I wanted Kimi but felt Alsonso would beat LH form experience and no mistakes. Glad Kimi got it that's why you never say never. Kimi didn't think he had much of a chance either from the interveiw.

Lancer033

as much as I hate to say it, it's probably his own fault. If he had just let Alonzo go, he probably wouldn't have had the mechanical and he'd be the championship. There's always next year and he's only 22.

For now to Kimi

John Shiels

yes but he will never be a rookie World Champion again.

xsiveone

That was cool when the FIA pulled the plug on Hamilton's car remotely and shut it off.

Hamilton had brain farts at the wrong time of the season with his little off-track excursion in the last race and trying to pass Alonso at the beginning of this race. He might not of lost all that time if he would've been right behind Alonso when his car shut down. His car might not have even shut down if he didn't run wide like he did trying to race with Alonso. He'll learn.

I was happy that anyone other than Alonso won the championship.

I wonder how Ron Dennis must feel after this race. He must be shaking his head after losing the drivers championship to Ferrari after coming into the race with both of his drivers leading Ferrari. I think it's safe to say that this is a season that he'd like to forget.

Falcon

I read on another site that the BMW cars were having post race fuel issues with the FIA which could disqualify them. If that happens, it would move Hammy up in the race standings and give him the WDC.

Man, can it get any more screwed up?

here's the link: Fuel too cold

RMVette06

Thats officially been reviewed and nothings going to come with it. Kimi is the official champ.

Falcon

Thank goodness, the season is finally over!

GTB/ZR-1

Well, even though I called Kimi to be World Champion before the season began in the thread we had going back then--I never thought he'd do it midway into the season...

Congrats to Kimi & Ferrari on a job well done.

Also, as a 'Freddy' (Alonso) fan, I'm not all that broken up Hamilton didn't clinch. He'll be a multiple WC in the future that may even (w/ proper equipment) eclipse Shummy's 7 titles, IMO...

I really hope Alonso goes 'Red' next year

xsiveone

Not so fast. McLaren is going to appeal it. I believe that these cars should be excluded if they broke the rules.

We'll have to see how this plays out.

What a goofy season.

xsiveone

I thought that Fred might be going to Ferrari, but now it doesn't look like it's going to happen since Massa now re-signed with Ferrari through 2010 to be Kimi's bitch boy.

Massa seemed like he was going to cry today. It was a smooth move by Ferrari, but you could clearly tell that Ferrari handed down team orders today to put Kimi in front of Massa. I think that Massa is not only sad about letting Kimi win today at his home GP, but he's also had a glimpse into the future now that Kimi is going to be the clear #1 driver for Ferrari and Massa is now relegated to being Barrichello Jr.

I think that everyone thought that Kimi would win the title this season. The BIG surprise was Hamilton. No one expected him to be this good, this fast. Also, McLaren's performance and Renault's lack of performance was a huge surprise.

I have mixed feelings about the season. On one hand, I don't like Ron Dennis and I feel like he deserves this. Also, after Alonso's actions this season (blackmailing his team principles), I'm definitely glad that he didn't win the championship. I do feel bad for Lewis though because he was very deserving of the championship and showed a lot of class. With the exception of a couple of huge brain farts at the most inopportune times, I thought that he was brilliant this season.

I also think that it's rotten how Ferrari ended up on top in both the constructors and drivers championship since it was their technical advisor that started this whole espionage mess. They shouldn't be rewarded for this. Like someone else said here, someone should slap together some technical documents, put their team name on it, get it in the hands of another team and then blow the whistle on them.

Zee916

Craneboy finally got the karma that was coming to him.

I'm so glad this season is over so Alonso can move away from Honest Ron and his protege......

Alonso and Renault FTW in 08'

Solofast

Hamilton showed in the last couple of races that he really wasn't quite ready to be champion... The reason he didn't win the championship that was all but handed to him was ALL HIS FAULT. If he just would have kept his cool he could have done it. He has nobody to blame but himself. This is but another example of how important the cars are to F1 success. There are PLENTY of F1 drivers who could have done what Hamilton did had they been given a Mclaren, think Rubens, Coulthard, Ralf, Kubitisa (sp) and probably more, all could have been right there instead of being a rolling chicane that they were this year. All year long there was this talk of his fantastic talent, but if you aren't pushing the car you aren't going to slip up. Look at what happened when he tried to push and what it got him....

Masa, on the other hand knows that he is driving the best car out there, and at times has shown to be better than Kimi. He has a choice. He can play #2 until he can prove that he is capable of being #1. Or he can quit and go somewhere else. If he looks at what happened to Barrelofjello when his head got too big for his helmet, and considers the alternative, staying with Ferrari is clearly going to be in his best interest. He is lucky that Ferrari wants his services and should count his blessings. I'd rather be number 2 at Ferrari than be number 1 anywhere else...

Note that early next season there won't be any "team orders" and whoever has the best chance to win the championship when it comes time, will get the best effort from the team. If the situation had been reversed, with Masa needing to win to be champion, and Kimi in first place but out of the season points race, do you think that they wouldn't have made sure Masa won to clinch the championship? Not a chance. Masa is doing fine, he is getting poles ahead of Kimi and they are working together as a team. Who could ask for anything more...

heavychevy

I would bet money Lewis said he was going to drive like anytime else to keep all the stuff out of his head. He has not backed down to anyone all year and it just cost him this time.

I'm just happy he beat Alonso by tie braker, I dont mind Kimi winning, he's deserving of it.


Lewis is still a rookie, and it's shown over the last two races, that clutch issue was probably his fault too from going off, so no excuses there, but he didnt give up and made it exciting. He's still Very much on par for greatness.


I cant wait for next season already!!!!!!! I hope Alonso goes back to Renault to make it a 4 way competition for the constructors (Ferrari,McClaren,Renualt, BMW), but if Kimi and Massa stay at Ferrari, then that scenario almost garauntees Ferrari wins.

Slalom4me

Hmph - a certain two-time past world champion CONTINUALLY had
trouble keeping his car between the kerbs for a good part of the
season.

For his part, Hamilton showed maturity beyond his years on many
occasions. What is more is that he NEVER GAVE UP.

Case in point: China - everyone else who went off at that turn quit,
Hamilton kept his car running and insisted on getting back onto the
track. And whose decision was it anyway to leave Hamilton out on
track while his tires wore to the cords? What about the tire
delamination in Turkey - Hamilton saves his car then nurses it back to
the pits and then salvages 5th. How about at Brazil? Somebody spills
their tea on a keyboard in the pits and LH suddenly has his hands full
with a car in limp mode. Despite this, once the car is functional again,
he gathers himself up and heads for the front, slicing through traffic like
it was standing still. Was anybody here paying attention when he
caught and passed Barrichello at the end of the straight (lap 29?). To
top it off, Hamilton makes three stops to everyone else's two.

Sigh, who would have thought that it Hamilton, not Alonso, who needed
a steward in the pits to guard his interests.

And where was Alonso? If they haven't already done so, someone
should review his race telemetry. Quit filing your nails and drive fer
pete's sake.

I am not happy that Raikkonen won. I will concede that he made a
significant turnaround, but the win still leaves a taste. Some of the
bitterness went away when in the post-race interview with his
acknowledgement of the help he received. No honorable man could
take pride winning in such a fashion.

.