Is this in bad taste? Like we care…

F1 without crashes would be like Strictly without John Seargant… pointless, in other words.

We’ve compiled five of the most spectacular prangs of 2008, which you can enjoy - if that’s the right word - after the jump, as well as voting for which one you think is the most spectacular crash of the season…

Brazil - what’s not to like?

Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
“I love this circuit: it’s in this incredible natural arena that is just amazing to race on. And it’s anti-clockwise too - so it presents an additional challenge to the drivers… Everybody’s always happy to finish the season in Brazil - there’s a real party atmosphere in Sao Paulo on the Sunday night and it’s a perfect place to end such a great season.”

Felipe Massa (Ferrari)
“I really like to race at home and I think I race better at home. Do I need to say I’m very motivated? I love this track, I grew up here and I know all its little tricks and secrets.”

More quotes from the key drivers after the jump:

Ferrari have Raikkonen lined up to be the spoiler in Brazil

There’s no way Felipe Massa will try to take Lewis Hamilton out in Brazil, as Eddie Jordan has suggested. In theory, a Hamilton retirement is Ferrari’s dream scenario, but Massa can’t get involved - if the Brazilian doesn’t make it to the finish, it won’t matter if Lewis ends up on the podium or back in the garage after one lap; the McLaren driver will be champion. It’s not a risk Ferrari would take. But they do have another driver…

Our eyes will be on Kimi Raikkonen, who will be primed to act as a potential spoiler to McLaren. The team will no doubt run Kimi light on fuel in qualifying this weekend, in the hope that he can get on pole and prompt Lewis to attempt another rash move - Ferrari want to see the hot-headed Lewis we all saw in Japan; Ron Dennis will do everything he can to get Lewis to be the cool, professional driver he was in China.

What Lewis, Felipe and co. really think about Japan

Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
“I love Japan… The Japanese fans are some of my favourite in the world: so passionate, but really polite, charming and respectful. As for the race, one of the questions I get asked most is whether I prefer to drive in the rain: my answer is always the same, I’ll race in the wet or dry, I don’t mind. But it’s always easier for us drivers to race in the dry; I’d always prefer a dry race.”

Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren)
“There is no single corner at Fuji that particularly contributes to your laptime. It’s relatively easy to understand the corners, and it’s not a particularly tricky circuit. So it’s a place where you can’t afford to make any mistakes - you have to be absolutely precise and extract the maximum from your car to be fast.”

Not every McLaren driver needs to date a Pussycat Doll

If Heikki Kovalainen were on the market, he would have to work at a furious rate to keep up with his philandering McLaren teammate in the lady stakes. Fortunately for him, this isn’t an issue, as Kovi is happy with his English ladyfriend Catherine Hyde, and according to the fountain of all half truths Wikipedia, they plan to marry on October 10, 2010. Seeing as that date is a Sunday during the F1 season, it looks a little unlikely, yet the couple are engaged and are certainly planning to tie the know in the near future.

Lewis struggles, young Toro Rosso star is the new rain master

Lewis Hamilton will start tomorrow’s Italian Grand Prix down in 15th position, after a rain-affected qualifying session left the grid with a topsy turvy look. McLaren didn’t send their No.1 driver out at the right time, or on the right tyres - he should have been on extreme wets, not wets - and so Lewis will really have his work cut out if he’s to make the podium.

Sebastian Vettel put his Toro Rosso on pole - you’d have got brilliantly long odds on that happening before the session began - and further enhanced his rep as F1’s brightest young star. “It’s just unbelievable and incredible,” Vettel said. “I was joking with my engineers that if it was wet we’d have to go for pole position. There was so much water out there you never knew what to expect especially at Ascari, just needed to be lucky not to lose the car.”

Not only does Red Bull’s so-called junior outfit have its first pole, but Mark Webber starts third for the senior team, with Seb Bourdais in fourth for the second Toro Rosso. A great day all round for Red Bull.

F1 team launches own footwear range

Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen stripped off recently for a photo shoot to promote McLaren’s new range of “Sport Footwear”. As you’d expect from F1’s most cutting-edge team, the shoes look futuristic and high-tech. But you’re not reading this are you, you’re looking at Lewis’ chiselled bod. And who can blame you. The boy’s in shape.

Check out a couple more pics of topless Lewis and Heikki…

Why do Kimi and co. love Spa so much?

Ask any F1 driver today what his favourite circuit is, and the majority will answer Spa. You can see why. It’s fast, long, scenic, challenging and uncontrived - in short, it’s a stone-cold classic track. Above all though, it has a whiff of danger that so few tracks possess these days - f**k up at Spa and the consequences can be serious. No F1 driver wants to risk his life in a car, but they all love the turbo boost of adrenaline that comes with taking a corner like Eau Rouge flat out.

With the Belgian GP just a few days away, here’s what the key players have to say about Spa. And it’s all good: