Formula One news
Delighted Hamilton savours narrow championship victory
02 November 2008 / PhotosAfter clinching his first F1 championship by one point from Felipe Massa with fifth place in the Brazilian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton admitted that when he crossed the finish line he didn't know if he had managed it.
"I didn't know when I crossed the line if I had it, then they told me in the first corner and I'm just ecstatic," Hamilton said.
Hamilton ran wide three laps before the end and was passed by Sebastian Vettel, dropping to sixth and looking like the championship had slipped out of his grasp again. He could do nothing to get back past Vettel, but in the final corner both the Toro Rosso and Hamilton found Timo Glock, struggling for grip on dry tyres in wet conditions and passed him. It was enough for Hamilton and the title was his.
"It's amazing, I need to get my breath back," he added. "It's impossible to put into words. I'm speechless, my friends and family and my dad's here and the people at home, the team's done a fantastic job and all the sacrifice has paid off."
"Before it started to rain I was quite comfortable, but struggling a bit to keep the pace up but I could stay ahead of Vettel, then he got past me and I was told I had to get past him and I can't believe in the last corner I got past Glock, I have to thank God," he went on. "The team told me just before I got to Glock that I had to pass him, until then I was pushing to get Vettel. It was one of the toughest races of my life."
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