2008
Hamilton vs Massa
The Last Corner Heartbreak
The Story
Lewis Hamilton needed just a fifth-place finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix to clinch his first World Championship. With rain falling intermittently, he ran fourth but dropped to sixth on the final lap when Toyota's Timo Glock, on dry tyres, slowed dramatically on the wet track. For 30 seconds, Felipe Massa and his Ferrari team celebrated on the podium, believing they had won the title. Then Hamilton passed Glock in the final corner, moved back to fifth, and snatched the championship by a single point. It remains one of the most heartbreaking moments in F1 history, and Massa has never fully recovered from how close he came.
Points Progression
| Race | Hamilton | Massa | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian GP | 10 | 0 | Hamilton +10 |
| Malaysian GP | 14 | 0 | Hamilton +14 |
| Bahrain GP | 14 | 10 | Hamilton +4 |
| Spanish GP | 20 | 18 | Hamilton +2 |
| Turkish GP | 28 | 28 | Hamilton +0 |
Final Standings
| Pos | Driver | Team | Wins | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren | 5 | 98 |
| 2 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 6 | 97 |
| 3 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 2 | 75 |
| 4 | Robert Kubica | BMW Sauber | 1 | 75 |
| 5 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 2 | 61 |
| 6 | Nick Heidfeld | BMW Sauber | 0 | 60 |
| 7 | Heikki Kovalainen | McLaren | 1 | 53 |
| 8 | Sebastian Vettel | Toro Rosso | 1 | 35 |
| 9 | Jarno Trulli | Toyota | 0 | 31 |
| 10 | Timo Glock | Toyota | 0 | 25 |