Eyi’s Personal Blog

Everyone that watched the F1 Final Race last night must feel the tense of the race. The race is held at Interlagos Circuit Brasil, and this race is the closing race of 2008 F1 season. The race remains the competition of Lewis Hamilton and Luis Felipe Massa, who got the only chance to be the F1 World Champion. Before the race, Hamilton wins 7 points over Massa, which means that Hamilton will just have to finish the last race in fifth position to win the F1 World Champion. It seems so right when the third day of qualification, Massa gets the pole position while Hamilton in the fourth position. This condition gives advantage to Hamilton if he can maintain his fourth place till the race finished.

When the race begins with Massa at the pole position, nothing is excited to watch because Massa is very superior in the first position. No one can past him before he drives his car to pit. The exciting moment is happen in the last 5 laps to finish. The rain started to fall, and some cars get into the pit to change their tyres to wet tyre.

As I can see at TV, almost all cars in the top 7 standing table get into the pit except Timo Glock from Toyota. The assumption that he didn’t get into the pit is the race remaining 5 laps to go. He hopes the he will be able to finish and maintain his position till finish with dry tyres, while hoping the shower won’t continue. After some drivers get into the pit, Massa is still leading the race while Hamilton in the fifth position, in front of Sebastian Vettel from STR. Sebastian Vettel comes into the greatest challenging contender in this race. After challenging Kimi Raikonnen in some laps before, then he comes to challenge Hamilton after changing his tyres to wet. Unfortunately for Hamilton, Vettel past him in just 2 laps remaining, which means that Hamilton loses his fifth position. Losing the fifth position means the losing of F1 World Champion. From the team radio, the team told Hamilton that he must past Vettel or Glock. It seems so difficult because Vettel’s car is a little bit quicker than Hamilton’s car, while there is a quite far gap between Hamilton and Glock, 15 seconds clear. It must be tough to be Hamilton that time. As I watched that time, the Ferrari team seemed to celebrate the losing fifth position of Hamilton. The atmosphere becomes more cheerfully in Ferrari’s garage while Massa finished his race in the first podium, instead the McLaren’s garage everyone seemed so scared and hope some miracles happen.

The miracle finally happens just a couple turns to finish. Timo Glock who had decided not to change his tyres to wet, seems slower and slower in his last lap. This condition makes Vettel and Hamilton who competing for fourth and fifth position can past him easily. This situation must be the most dramatic moment for Hamilton, because he gets back his fifth position and make him able to be the F1 World Champion. When Hamilton past Glock, the commentators are very very surprised with this condition. One of them said “Ow, is that Glock, is that Glock going slowly..??” with surprise tone.

And the other one said, “It is Glock. Ow my Godness me..!! Hamilton backs his position again. A million, a hundred thousands local heart sink in the grandstand. It handed the place back to Hamilton. He comes through and absolutely I’m sure that he’s gonna claim fifth position, which is all he needs to do to become the 2008 Formula 1 World Champion.”. Then Hamilton finally finished his race in fifth position. The strange situation held in Ferrari’s and McLaren’s garage. Each of them claims that they win the World Champion. In fact, the Ferrari realize that they are at the losing side. Even the father of Massa has just realized that his son failed to win the World Champion when Hamilton crosses the finish line. “They celebrated a little bit too early”, that is what the commentator said.

Wow, all I can say is what a great final race. Even the commentators said in the end of race, “What can I say, I can’t say anything. I can’t really afford any words. Great, absolutely great, absolutely great, absolutely great.”. I agree with them, I think that was the greatest dramatic race ever. My heart beat so fast when Hamilton was behind Vettel, and had a long breath when he past Glock to get the fifth position. F1.com wrote that race as “A Nail Biting Finish”. Well, you can see the moment here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D63WnBwYWs.

The lesson that we can get from this race is:

Never give up

Can you imagine if Hamilton was give up on that race..?? One for sure, he won’t be able to be the F1 World Champion. He deserves to give up, because the situation is so uncomfortable, and depressed. It must be tough to be Hamilton that time, he must keep calm. He was in depressed and in tense while he was behind Vettel. He could be slip that time and the title goes to Massa. It must be tough to be Massa too. After failed to be the World Champion, he could still put his chin up and not yet given up too.

God will make a way when there seems to be no way

Who could predict that the decision of Timo Glock not to change his tyres will make a major impact to Hamilton and Massa? When Hamilton was behind Vettel, everyone must  be think that Massa will be the World Champion. But in fact, God used Timo Glock to break that and gives the title to Hamilton. Whenever you stuck, depressed, or other conditions that makes you crazy, just remember that “God will always make a way when there seems to be no way”.

God Bless..

* Irony, Massa is the winner (top of podium), Hamilton is the Champion (bottom of podium).