2008 WDC - Lewis Hamilton

[donKey jote]

What an amazing Finale
Congrats Lewis, deserved it this year far more than any of the other contenders

Great stuff and great result in the end, now bring on 2009

[jso1985]

Yes, that's good that Ferrari have something to celebrate too. It wasn't a complete disaster for them in that respect.

I'll never understand this attitude that people have whereby they just can't come to terms with it when things don't go how they wanted it to, and they get all bitter and twisted over it, making themselves look silly in the process.

same could be said about your previous "anti-hamilton manupulation" comments! there are bad losers and bad winners too!

As for me, all I could say was "no no no! what the hell Timo?, no no no!"
certainly the driver I don't like won it and in the way I certainly didn't want!
still... he deserves it... so Congrats Lewis!

[jens]

Congrats! Hamilton's title is quite memorable and remarkable after all those setbacks and situations we have seen this year. Before the season there were serious suspicions about McLaren's competitiveness (spygate + Alonso's departure) plus also doubts about Hamilton's nerves. The beginning of the season was rough and it seemed like the choking of 2007 may have haunted him throughout 2008, causing temporary setbacks. Also all kinds of comments of other drivers being against him, FIA penalties, etc, made Hamilton's title fight even more challenging, but he together with McLaren managed to emerge at the top despite all the criticism. Amazing, really.

This title may take that enormous pressure off from Hamilton and make him seriously consistent - like we witnessed especially in the first half of 2007. And if this happens, he'll be a very difficult driver to beat. Although there are discussions about competitiveness of Ferrari vs McLaren and although Lewis had a rough and a rollercoaster season, I think he still managed to genuinely outdrive the Ferrari guys this year to clinch the title. This raises another question - if even an "immature" Hamilton couldn't be beaten, then beating a "complete and consistent" Hamilton would be even harder.

About the last race - it seemed Hamilton and McLaren played it a bit too safe. They changed to grooves at least one lap too late at the end of the first stint and generally the whole race was conservative (was McLaren also trying to save engine due to 2nd weekend?) to somehow try to finish inside Top5. Such "safe play" would also have turned out to be costly...

Btw, considering all those penalties imposed on Hamilton I'm still not entirely sure he is the champion. Maybe there is an appeal somewhere... :

[ArrowsFA1]

Just a great picture that says more about what winning the WDC means than any words ever could.

[555-04Q2]

Congrats to Lewis. Nearly cocked it up but he got there in the end! Enjoy it

[aryan]

7 different winners from 5 different teams; the closest finish in history and the youngest world champion ever. What a season!

Couldn't have put it better myself

[Triumph]

same could be said about your previous "anti-hamilton manupulation" comments! there are bad losers and bad winners too!

Yes, the same could be said, but of course it would be nonsense. The anti-Hamilton manipulation was as clear as day, as has been alluded to by quite a few prominent figures, stopping just short of making career-wrecking statements.

There was no element of 'bad loser' in any of my comments; I was emphasizing the situation to redress some of the balance in this blatantly manipulated racing season.

If Lewis had lost then all his fans would be justified in such an outcry because he wasn't being allowed to compete on a level playing field. Thankfully, despite all the meddling, he prevailed, so we can celebrate this fact, albeit with an element of anger at the way things were manipulated to make his job so much harder than all the other drivers.