Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 title race is one of the most debated seasons in Formula 1 history.
Hamilton clinched his first championship by a single point, with the battle going right down to the final lap of the season. Heading into the Brazilian Grand Prix, he held a seven-point lead over Massa.
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The McLaren driver started fourth but struggled to gain ground. As rain fell late on, Sebastian Vettel overtook Hamilton for fifth, putting Massa into a position to win the title.
Massa crossed the line first and thought he’d done enough. But on the final lap, Hamilton passed Timo Glock – who was still on dry tyres – at Turn 16, taking back fifth place and winning the title by just one point. The image of Ferrari fans celebrating before realising what had happened remains one of F1’s most unforgettable moments.
Smedley was devastated after the race. The season later became even more controversial following details that emerged about Renault’s actions at Singapore earlier that year.
Massa had been leading early in Singapore when Nelson Piquet Jr crashed intentionally under team orders from Renault. The resulting safety car triggered chaos in the pits, where Ferrari released Massa with his fuel hose still attached—a mistake that would haunt their season. Renault faced bans for their role in Crashgate after an investigation revealed they had instructed Piquet Jr to crash purposely.
Timo Glock’s decade-long wait to speak to Felipe Massa after 2008 title finale
Since then, Massa has taken legal action against the FIA, seeking to have the result of the 2008 season overturned. However, most observers believe his chances of success are slim.
Losing in that manner, especially with so much out of his hands, must have been a bitter pill for Massa. But it was arguably just as tough on Glock.
After the race in Brazil, Glock faced a wave of questions from journalists, many asking if he’d let Hamilton through on purpose. In a conversation with Hamilton on Sky Sports back in 2022, Glock admitted he was nervous about approaching Massa and avoided him for a decade.
He said: “I didn’t talk to him for 10 years about this. Because I was scared to go to him.”
“And funnily enough, one year ago, he walks by and he waves to me and I was like: ‘Is he waving to me?’ And then we had first contact and was talking.”
The broadcast then showed the pair embracing as Massa says: “You did your best, it’s also nice to be here and give you a nice hug.”
Lewis Hamilton apologised to Timo Glock for not supporting him after 2008 title decider
At the time, Hamilton became the youngest F1 champion, until Vettel dethroned him by claiming the 2010 title with Red Bull.
In the years that followed, McLaren’s reliability issues made things difficult for Hamilton until his move to Mercedes in 2013. Glock stayed with Toyota for one more season before joining Virgin after Toyota left F1 at the end of 2009.
The aftermath of Interlagos was tough on Glock, who faced a wave of criticism and abuse. Hamilton later apologised to him for not offering his support at the time.
“I didn’t understand what was going on for you and your world, so I’m sorry,” he said. “I was very young, so I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to support you in that time. If that was today, I know that I could be there to support you. Anyways, you’ve dealt with it amazing.”
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