We don't even know how these F1 championships are managed. I am still very SUSPECT about the whole thing. The whole season reaks of something I don't like.
We didn't see so many mistakes from Schumacher because he took control of his team. We can blame Ferrari for their dodgy pit release system, but Massa SHOULD have put his foot down and said "change this problem now".
It's the drivers responsibility to make sure everything is right around them, and if Massa can't do that then that's his failure. You can be a faithful team member but you also have to be the alpha male.
We saw a MASSIVE clash between Alonso and Hamilton. Hamilton came out on top nut it goes to show how world championship winning drivers construct their situation. Look at ALonso at Renuilt and what he is doing there. Hamilton's record speaks for itself, and of course Schumacher at Ferrari.
What world champion hasnt made mistakes or made poor decisions along the way? Schumacher, Senna, Alonso... please.
When you consider that Lewis had 2 potential race wins taken away from him, which Massa in turn benefitted from by 10pts (Valencia he exited the pitlane dangerously but went unpunished an kept the win, while Singapore his team told him to leave dangerously and he was punished for their mistake, thats -2 for him dropping to 2nd, +2 for lewis, a 4pt swing, then Spa lewis lost 4pts while Massa gained 2pts, a 6pt swing) so the championship could have been done with by Fuji had the FIA had some sort of solid structure in place ruling over decisions which have conveniently added to taking the championship to the last round. These incidents have been done plenty, and the outcome wont change, however they could easily have gone the other way, the Spa one may well have been changed had the rules not said they have no right to object no matter how unfair it was.
Also, i think both Kubica and Vettel are good drivers, but you cant honestly tell me either have been better over the season. As Intrepid has just said, they didnt have any long term pressures, the only time Kubica had any pressure was about half-way through the Canadian GP when everyone else was out of the picture and all he had to do was keep it on the track, thats hardly the sign of a great driver. Same for Vettel, he led and won a GP, didnt have any real pressure from anyone, no defending his place or a need to pass anyone for position. Given what their circumstances are, they've done very well for themselves, but lets not make them out to be the best drivers of the 2008 season purely cos they've had 1-2 decent races where other things have gifted them results. Even Lewis at Monza, from 15th, was looking set to win the Monza GP if the weather hadnt changed just laps after he'd pitted, and just before Vettel was due to.
They've done great jobs, but pile on the pressures of all eyes being on you, having to overtake, race, and generally get the better of the likes of Hamilton, Massa, Kimi, Alonso etc etc and im sure they'd feel the heat.
Lastly, i think Massa needs thanking for creating one of F1s greatest memories, its something that'll enjoy watching for years... and his son's racing was good too
Of cource it's been manafactured, Bernie wanted a grand ending for TV and he got it, again.
Schumachers time at Ferrari was different due to the team around him, I'm not confident in the new guy. Schumys relationship with Brawn was the driving force behind Ferrari, not just Schumacher on his own.
Thats more to do with Ron Dennis blatantly backing Lewis over Alonso, how can nobody see this. He did the same with Mika Hakkinen (spelling?) over DC, he's done it with every driver.....picks one he like and the second driver is just a plaything for him.
As a side note, was anyone else slightly disgusted that they hardly said anything about it being DC's last race. He had 254 races over 15 years, and all we got from ITV was a byword on the parade lap. Maybe if he was'nt Scottish it would have been different.
Nah, he should lose his third place in the championship
by qualyfing 13th and not passing a Force India for
nearly the whole race. --> Kubica
Or by going straight threw the gravel nearly three or
four times in one race and slammig it right into the wall
in another --> Alonso
Don't get me wrong. I'm quite a fan of Alonso and Kubica
and believe that Hamilton did way more mistakes then he
should have but just assuming others would have done
it better is a bit to simple...
Alonso was in a position to score more than 100+ points wth McLaren in 2007 even against Hamilton. I am not arguing Dennis didn't favour Hamilton, but in actual terms of the car on the track Alonso in no way was dissadvantaged (I recall ALonso didn't want Hamilton at the SIlverstone test pre-GP. he got his wish) IMO
But by saying Dennis favoured Hamilton you are proving my point. Championship winning drivers have the knack of getting everything around them working correctly. Hamilton, age 10, made that decision. At age 10 he was in control.
Alonso is exactly the same in Renault. The way he works the team is typical of a WDC.
Had Massa not been given favours by the stewards he would not have been in contention on Sunday anyway. WHat Massa has failed to do is be the man in control at Ferrari. You don't have complete faith he is in control of what's around him. That's why he didn't win. He had the best car on the grid, and yet still failed.
But Lewis's and Massa's mistakes were rookie mistakes........ I don't remember the likes of Senna, Schumacher etc etc making such blatant rookie mistakes. Also please take the fact in that Kubica was in a poorer car, yet still had an outside chance at the title.....he made less mistakes than others.
And of cource there was pressure on him, he's the only won from Poland to make it big into F1, and so would be obviously all over him. Just because we did'nt see it, dont mean it was'nt there.
I cant remember it either tbh, but those seasons aren't fresh in the memory. I'm sure you could find some if you reviewed the seasons.
I can clearly remember Senna and Schuey blatantly cheating to win titles though. At least Lewis didn't sink that low.
As for suspect passes.... I swear some of you have been so used to the complete lack of overtaking in the last few years that you forget what the old days were like. Lewis makes overtaking moves that are hard. that's how you beat people. Go back and watch the likes of Schuey, Mansell, Prost, Senna..etc. They all did the same. No one gave positions away. Those guys had to make hard overtaking moves, that's racing.
wheres your tinfoil hat in that avatar?
honestly how can you believe such utter rubbish when mclaren wouldnt even be in the championship this and last year if the fia hadnt done them a huge favour?
He was dissadvataged though, the power was imediatly shifted towards Lewis, not because Lewis demanded it, but because Ron selected him as no1.
BULL....at age 10 his father made that decision, just like at age 23 his father made the decision to do the press confrence and where. His father controls more of the team than lewis.....the Lewis and Father relationship could end in a Frankie Muntz style mess if things go the way of the pear.
If Ferrari still had Ross Brawn in charge, do you think we would have seen these mistakes......
I look forward to the Honda's next year, they have been working on nnext years car for a while now, and I would hope that these guys progress well next year.
Lewis is what, 23? In his second season. Senna and Schumacher were both hiding at the back of the grid, had about 40 races behind them before they were getting involved in any championship talk. Its easier to make mistakes when nobody is watching your every move than it is when the world is watching. Lewis, after 2 seasons, has been the significant favourite to win the drivers championship both years, and thats while he's making these so-called rookie mistakes. So little experience, considerable expectation, and no excuses to hide behind. He cant use the team he's with to excuse a poor performance, its all on him.
Theres nothing like the pressure on Bobby compared to the likes of Kimi, Massa, Schumi & Lewis, they were in a top car and there are expectations that go with it. He's in a good team, but nobody expects him to win anything. When you dont have the burden of expectation on your shoulders things are a lot easier, its always easier being the underdog.
Yes, he might have had the hopes of everyone back home, but nobody expected him to be in with any sort of a shout, and he's done well to be in that situation, but he was never a real contender and really nobody expected him to be there because of the car he's in, as good as it is its not a WC winning car.
Well having raced Lewis at age 10 every other weekend I can assure you he was in full control of what he was doing. His dad played a massive role, but he was only following Lewis's lead. No offence but I was there, and saw it with my VERY EYES You don't beat me unless you very focussed (jokes lol)
Lewis was incredibly focussed back then, and it's that core characteristic that makes the difference. Hamilton gets everyone working for him that are around him. He made his dad help him. You do get SO many pushy dads, bit with Lewis he was the one who was pushy! e.g Hamilton's performances made sure John Davies gave him the best engines. You can't BUY the best engines sometimes. You have to earn them.
His dad is FANTASTIC btw. Speaking to the guys down at ZipKart I learned about the hours Anthony put in. What he did to make sure Lewis was racing is incredible. But Lewis WAS IN CONTROL. People assume pushy dads make the difference. But it's PUSHY kids that really succeed. You just got to be lucky to have the right dad
That's exactly the reason why he deserved to be champion more or at least as much as Hamilton and Massa. With this not WC winning car he was leading in the championship mid-season and still had theoretical chances of winning it two races before the end. If that's not deserving, I don't know what is.
Purely looking at Heikki's performances it doesn't take that much of an imagination to say Hamilton was in the 3rd best car. Heikki, rated by many, placed BEHIND Alonso and the TWO BMWs.
Eaven though im Ferrari fan, the truth is they both deserved it. They have both driven very good whole season. Massa or Lewis, at then end Lewis won, period. I just hope this wasnt Massas best chance. Looking forward to next year and new rulles Cant wait to see Senna in F1 also!
It is hard to know the true measure of the McLaren's speed. The difference between the two team mates clearly shows there is a huge gulf in skill between the two drivers, but what ratio of it is how quick Hamilton is, and what ratio is how slow Heiki is. Either was i'd like to see de la Rossa back in the 2nd McLaren.
Heikki was regularly fastest in Q2 during qualifying (at Interlagos as well), I'm inclined to think that they're not far apart in raw speed over one lap really. During the races it was completely different however...
When Schumacher won his first title, he did it by driving Hill off the road. That season I remember him binning it in the wall several times, and that he even got black flagged for his antics at Silverstone (Edit: Actually he got black flagged and two race ban). And Schumacher was the master of suspect passes, in fact, that's probably where Hamilton gets it from.
After ten years and seven championships, Schumacher was moulded into a fearsome and experienced driver, but in his early days he was a hot-headed young kid as well, just like the rest of them.
You don't beat me unless you very focussed (jokes 
Cant wait to see Senna in F1 also!