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F1 video: Vettel and Kubica overtake Lewis Hamilton at Brazil


Relive Lewis’ worst nightmare at Interlagos

Watch as Robert Kubica unlaps himself, then Seb Vettel takes fifth. You can almost sense the panic in Lewis as Vettel threatens to ruin his title chances.

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Posted: November 9th, 2008 by Ollie Irish

Ferrari boss smashed TV after Lewis Hamilton won title


Scuderia prez admits losing his cool

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He may look like a mild-mannered Italian gent, but Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has a dark and wild side. Crazy Luca smashed a TV set after seeing Lewis Hamilton snatch the F1 title from Felipe Massa at Interlagos.

“I broke the television, I must tell the truth,” Montezemolo admitted at a Ferrari event in Mugello.

“When a television breaks it makes a terrible bang. My daughter in the other room was given an awful fright. Luckily we had another television so I was able to watch the podium ceremony, which I enjoyed.”

Lesson learned: don’t make Luca angry… you won’t like him when he’s angry.

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Posted: November 9th, 2008 by Ollie Irish

F1 video: Felipe Massa fans go from ecstasy to despair


Massa’s won, Massa’s the champion! … Bugger…

In which Felipe Massa’s supporters:

1) Go absolutely crazy because they think their man has been crowned world champion.

2) … Then news reaches them that their man has not been crowned world champion.

Triumph to disaster in 3.4 seconds.

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Posted: November 4th, 2008 by Ollie Irish

Did Timo Glock slow down deliberately for Lewis?


Toyota driver denies foul play on last lap

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Some Ferrari fans and conspiracy theorists have accused Timo Glock of slowing down deliberately on the final lap of Sunday’s Brazilian GP, to let Lewis Hamilton overtake him and take the crucial fifth place that he needed to win the title.

Glock replied to the accusation by saying: “Are you taking the Mickey?”

Some Brazilian fans at Interlagos even booed Glock after the race, thinking he had robbed local boy Felipe Massa of the championship. But to blame Glock is ridiculous.

The notion that Glock allowed Lewis to pass him is laughable. Toyota had absolutely nothing to gain by helping Hamilton. Also, the German’s slow final-lap time matched that of team-mate Jarno Trulli, who was also on slicks in treacherous conditions - and Trulli was nowhere near Lewis.

Glock had zero grip on the final lap - it’s that simple. And if Toyota had brought him into the pits to replace the slicks with a couple of laps to go (as McLaren did, quite rightly), he would never have been in front of Hamilton in the first place, and we wouldn’t be having this debate.

Toyota made a wrong call, McLaren didn’t. End of story.

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Posted: November 3rd, 2008 by Ollie Irish

F1 grid girl confused by concept of Brazilian visa


Canada’s Red Bull girl not allowed into Brazil

Red Bull’s paddock girls, or Formula Unas to give them their proper name, show up at every grand prix and do a very good job of making the pit lane a prettier place.

At Brazil, the “winning” Formula Una from each grand prix (translation: the hottest local girl at each race) is invited by Red Bull to attend an end-of-season party. All of the Unas made it to Interlagos… except one.

Montreal’s Formula Una - better known as 19-year-old Katrina Lesko - required a visa to be allowed into Brazil. So Red Bull informed her that she should get her paperwork sorted. She duly obliged.

But when Lesko transferred from Montreal to Washington on Wednesday, and was asked to present her visa for Brazil, the immigration officer refused to let her get on the plane to Sao Paulo. Why? It might have something to do with the fact that Lesko pulled out a brand-new Visa credit card.

She never made it to Brazil. True story.

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Posted: November 3rd, 2008 by Ollie Irish

The girls of the F1 Brazilian Grand Prix


Even when it rains, it’s always hot in Braaaaazil

More ladeeeez just a click away…

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Posted: November 3rd, 2008 by Ollie Irish

Graceless Brazilian fans do no credit to Felipe Massa


Three cheers for Massa, no love for the Brazilian fans

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Felipe Massa showed himself to be a class act at Interlagos this weekend. Not only did he drive brilliantly, his emotional yet gracious reaction to ultimate defeat in the world championship proved that he is a top bloke. He didn’t hesistate to congratulate Lewis Hamilton after the race, when all around him Hamiton’s critics were looking for excuses or claiming that the McLaren driver was “lucky” to snatch fifth place on the last lap.

Massa is a credit to F1 - unlike his compatriots in the stands, many of whom booed at the merest glance on the big screen of Hamilton (and his family), and anything with a McLaren badge on it, throughout the weekend. The boos and whistles rang out loudest as it transpired that Hamilton had done enough to win the championship - from the huge amount of noise coming from the stands, it’s clear that this was not the minority of the crowd.

Anthony Hamilton, interviewed by ITV just after the race, said: “It’s a shame the crowd is doing this, they should be fair sports people.”

He’s right. It was a shame, and just about the only negative to come out of a thrilling weekend of motorsport.

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Posted: November 3rd, 2008 by Ollie Irish

Top 10 photos: Lewis Hamilton crowned world champion in Brazil


The best pics from Interlagos, for your viewing pleasure

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Nicole Scherzinger, Pussycat Doll and girlfriend of Lewis Hamilton, hugs Lewis’s brother, Nick.

More photos below:

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Posted: November 3rd, 2008 by Ollie Irish