Hamilton Finally World Champion!

Finally he made it! In the previous season Lewis Hamilton had to accept a deficit from a whole round due to technical problems at the last significant race and lost in this way the chance for the World Cup title. Now the 23-year-old British man is overjoyed and he could hardly believe his luck to finally fulfill his dream. Last year we thought that we were seeing the most exciting final since a long time, but I think we all do agree that this year’s final crown it all.

Last year the two top-seeded racer Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton firmly believed in a victory for one of the McLaren Mercedes drivers, but the unexpected happened and a third person, Kimi Räikkönen, took home the World Cup title. Alonso and Hamilton became with a tie both Vice Champion. Hamilton just needed to arrive fifth like last year in order to reach his goal. Ten rounds before the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix, it started raining heavily just as last year when it cost Hamilton the title. The rain obviously didn’t matter to the Spaniard Felipe Massa and so he passed the finish line first.

Hamilton on the other side did not want to risk too much and remained quietly behind Timo Glock on the fifth position. So far everything went as expected for him, but he did not count with the youngest Grand Prix winner, Sebastian Vettel who overtook Hamilton in the last round. Massa, already at the finish, began to celebrate his victory since at that moment Hamilton was in the sixth position and in this way Massa the World Champion. But Hamilton was supposed to experience what blessing in disguise really meant.

The fourth-placed Glock did not adapt his tires to the new weather condition and kept driving with the plain tread slicks so Vettel overtook him as well. Everybody was anxious as the last round was almost over and there were no more than a few people who actually believed that Hamilton could still make it. The long home bend already showed up and Hamilton took the chance and rushed past Glock who was driving more carefully now. With one point ahead Hamilton became the youngest World Champion in the Formula One history.

Hamilton could hardly believe his luck and told that he was quivering with emotions and even didn’t remember how to lock the steering wheel. But he was not the only one who was overwhelmed, Mercedes motorsports manager Norbert Haug said in an interview: “What a race, this has never happened before, my nerves! This was great sport. Now we are World Champion and I think that we have earned this title. We have to take this in for now.”  

Even the British royal house showed interest in Formula One. Queen Elizabeth II. insisted to present her congratulations personally and so she sent a telegram to Hamilton which said: “I congratulate you to your noticeable and historical achievement.” Hamilton is the first one after Damon Hill in 1996 to bring the title to the island again.