Hamilton Campeão

Com 23 anos, nove meses e 26 dias, Lewis Hamilton se sagrou o campeão mais jovem da história da Fórmula 1. A conquista veio com um quinto lugar dramático no GP Brasil, obtido apenas nas últimas curvas, quando superou o alemão Timo Glock, da Toyota.

Hamilton (front) holds off the Toyotas of Timo Glock
who dramatically handed him the title on the final lap - and Jarno Trulli

Assim, Hamilton assegura a conquista com 98 pontos no Mundial de Pilotos, um a mais que o brasileiro, e apaga a frustração do ano passado, quando deixou escapar um título certo. Ele tinha 12 pontos de vantagem sobre Fernando Alonso e 17 para Kimi Räikkönen a duas provas do término da temporada, mas fracassou na China e no Brasil, e viu Räikkönen sagrar-se campeão.

Lewis Hamilton - Campeão Mundial F1 2008

O inglês pôde celebrar o título ainda diante dos olhares do pai e do irmão, duas presenças assíduas nas provas do novo campeão mundial, e também da namorada, a cantora Nicole Scherzinger, do grupo Pussycat Dolls.

Lewis Hamilton - McLaren 2008

O triunfo ainda coroa uma aposta pessoal de Ron Dennis, chefão da McLaren, que investiu em Hamilton, preteriu o espanhol Fernando Alonso no ano passado e pôde enfim calar os críticos. "Em pouco tempo, ele quebrou muitos recordes. Começou na Austrália no ano passado e desde então marcou mais pontos do que todos os outros pilotos. Nenhum piloto atingiu um nível tão elevado nesta idade. Ele é um vencedor", disse o dirigente, antes do GP Brasil.

Mas a conquista teve seus custos. Tanto que o inglês, também o primeiro negro no topo da categoria, poderia ter feito uma marca ainda melhor, caso tivesse ficado com o título de 2007.

Mother's boy: Lewis Hamilton hugs mother Carmen and stepmother Linda after
his Chinese Grand Prix victory two weeks ago

Em sua temporada de estréia ele passou de revelação a decepção na última prova, perdendo o Mundial para Kimi Räikkönen no GP do Brasil, após ter a chance de ser campeão com uma corrida de antecipação. Assim, precisou superar não só os adversários, mas as dúvidas quanto à sua consistência nas pistas este ano, além de superar o trauma de 2007 em Interlagos.

Hamilton conquistou fãs com o seu carisma e com os bons resultados do primeiro ano

Ainda garoto, Hamilton foi contratado pela McLaren e garantiu a vaga no time inglês

E a temporada foi ainda mais dura em 2008, na briga pela ponta da tabela. Além da Ferrari, no início com Kimi Räikkönen e depois com Felipe Massa, o campeonato teve Robert Kubica despontando e até Alonso beliscando vitórias. Hamilton mais uma vez sofreu com erros e mostrou certa afobação no fim da temporada, quando podia ter garantido uma vantagem ainda maior.

O início de campeonato foi bom para Hamilton, que venceu na abertura, na Austrália, e viu seus adversários perderem pontos preciosos. Mas a regularidade esperada - e mostrada por ele em 2007 - não apareceu. Se conquistou quatro vitórias até chegar à China, triunfando também em Mônaco, Inglaterra e Alemanha, ficou fora da zona de pontuação o mesmo número de vezes.

Dois dos casos mais emblemáticos de erros pelo nervosismo da falta de experiência foram nos GPs do Canadá e no Japão. No primeiro, um acidente grotesco em que bateu em Räikkönen dentro dos boxes. Após a entrada de um safety car, a saída dos pit stops foi impedida e, sem ver o sinal vermelho, o inglês encheu a traseira do campeão de 2007. No Japão, trocou arrojo por afobação. Em uma prova que precisava apenas administrar sua vantagem, envolveu-se em dois toques - um na largada - sofreu punição e terminou em 12º.

Mas é claro que o fã confesso de Ayrton Senna não chegou ao título só com erros. Ele também contou com a ajuda da Ferrari durante a temporada, principalmente com falhas e panes de Felipe Massa, que quebraram a regularidade do time italiano. E, obviamente, teve uma boa parcela de seu talento, comprovado desde que colocou os pés na McLaren, em 2007.

Lewis Hamilton e Sara Ojjeh,
filha de um dos executivos da McLaren, passeiam no sul da França

As melhores provas de Hamilton na temporada foram suas vitórias em Mônaco, contando com a sorte aliada à competência, ao quebrar um jejum de oito anos sem que um britânico vencesse o GP de Silverstone, e na Alemanha, com boas ultrapassagens e um carro muito superior ao dos adversários. Na China, teve um fim de semana perfeito e construiu uma vantagem sólida, sete pontos à frente de Massa, que foi mantida no Brasil.

O início

Nascido em janeiro de 1985, em Hertfordshire, Hamilton teve seu nome dado em homenagem ao velocista Carl Lewis - seu nome completo é Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton. Ao invés de correr com os pés, rapidamente escolheu os veículos motorizados. Primeiro com os carros de controle remoto e depois com os karts. Aos 10 anos, tornou-se campeão nacional, primeiro título de expressão de uma carreira que subiria rapidamente. Aos 13, já fazia parte do time de desenvolvimento da McLaren.

Assim, o pupilo de Ron Dennis subiu seus degraus. Foi campeão da Fórmula Renault, Fórmula 3 e em sua primeira temporada da GP2, principal trampolim para a F-1. Com sua posição na mais tradicional categoria do automobilismo garantida, chegou com status de estrela. Novo e habilidoso, tornou-se o primeiro negro em um rico campeonato que ainda se perguntava sobre seu futuro sem o heptacampeão Michael Schumacher.

Seu início foi tão promissor quanto o esperado, mas os problemas internos da McLaren, com brigas declaradas com Fernando Alonso, atrapalharam. A pressão pesou sobre seus ombros, como no último GP do ano, quando apertou um botão errado em seu volante e deu adeus ao título, perdendo por apenas um ponto.

Prêmio Laureus, São Petersburgo, Rússia, 18/03/2008

Mas, com sua habilidade e seu sorriso marcante, Hamilton superou as adversidades na pista e na pouca experiência para, com um atraso de um ano, chegar ao topo da Fórmula 1.

World champion Lewis Hamilton interview

In perhaps the most dramatic Formula One World Championship finale of all time, Lewis Hamilton became the sport's youngest ever title-winner after snatching fifth place from Timo Glock on the last corner of the last lap.

Afterwards the clearly emotional new world champion was mobbed by the world's press and had to be escorted through the crowd to get back to his pit. After celebrating with his McLaren team and family he was mobbed again! But even 20 minutes after the race, he was fighting to find the words and the composure to express his feelings on becoming the first British world champion since Damon Hill in 1996.

Autosport.com was there to hear what Lewis had to say as he relived the unbelieveable drama of the final two laps of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Q. Lewis can you give us your thoughts on becoming world champion?

Lewis Hamilton: It's pretty much impossible to put into words, I am still speechless. My whole family is here, my dad's here. It has been such a long journey and with a lot of support from people back home. My team did a fantastic job all year and all the sacrifices we made, I'm so thrilled to be able to do this for everyone.

Q. What was the tension of those last few laps and last of couple of corners like from inside your car?

LH: Before it started to rain I was quite comfortable. My tyres were a little bit shot so I was struggling to keep the pace up, but I was able to stay ahead of [Sebastian] Vettel and then it started to drizzle and I didn't want to take any risks. Then he got past me and I was told that I had to get in front of him, and I couldn't believe it. Then at the last corner I managed to get past Timo Glock and I'm telling you it was just amazing. I can only thank God.

Job done: Hamilton (centre) is mobbed by fellow Briton Jenson Button (left) and team-mate Heikki Kovalainen

Q. Had the team told you about Glock slowing down?

LH: Just before I got to him they said you have to get past Glock, so I was trying my hardest to get to Vettel but he was just as quick as me, if not a little bit quicker. It was one of the toughest races of my life, if not the toughest.

Q. What was the feeling when you crossed the line and you knew you were world champion?

LH: Well I didn't. I was shouting: "Do I have it, do I have it?" and then they came on when I was at Turn One and they told me and I was ecstatic.

Q. And now you've repaid the faith McLaren has shown in you.

LH: It's been a dream.

Q. You made history, so are you really aware yet of what you have done?

LH: I don't think it has hit home yet. I just had the most intense race of my life, my heart is still racing. I'm just so thankful for the opportunity the team gave me. Huge respect to McLaren and Mercedes Benz for giving me a wonderful opportunity, and my family who came here and supported me, and the all the people back home as well. Without them I wouldn't be doing this.

Q. We almost couldn't stand to watch the last laps, how was it being in the car?

LH: My heart was about to explode. I don't know how I kept my cool, I was very fortunate, especially the last lap. It has been my dream.

Q. How will you celebrate your first world championship?

LH: I am going to celebrate with my family. We will party together as a team, that's for sure.

Q. What are your thoughts on being world champion?

LH: I am struggling to say anything. I am just thankful and I am proud of the team around me that's given me the opportunity and I am just so thankful that I can return the favour. It was such a tough race, the toughest race of my life.

I had a problem with my tyres, they were beginning to grain. There was nothing I could do, I was just trying to keep the car on the track. My heart was in my mouth when I was trying to get back in front of Vettel, but fortunately there was an opportunity to get past Glock. I did what I needed to do. So we came, we saw, we did what we needed and we go away [laughs]

Q. What was your heartbeat level like in the car?

LH: I thought my heart was going to explode. I think everyone else was the same. I don't know what would have happened if I had lost out on the last lap.

My tyres were shot, I was on such a heavy fuel load at the time. Felipe Massa did a fantastic job today, congratulations to him for his win and for challenging me all year. But it is great to be on top.

Lewis Hamilton (second front) steers his way through turn one in the treacherous opening lap

Q. When it was wet at the end and Vettel got past you, what were you thinking? 'That's it, it's all over'?

LH: I don't know what happened, my tyres began to grain and I just slid wide. There was nothing I could do, I didn't outbrake myself or anything.

Q. It was amazing really, because you should have been quite quick at that point in the wet.

LH: I don't know whether I took too much out of my tyres in the beginning, but my car was getting weaker and weaker throughout the race so I was just trying to bring it home.

Q. Did you see Glock in front of you, did you know you were passing Glock?

LH: I was told he was just ahead. I didn't know how far, but I knew he was on slicks. I was just praying that I would be able to get close to him, and I couldn't believe it when I could see him on the exit of Turn 10. He was just there and I wasn't close enough, but I managed to get up the inside of him.

Q. Can you describe your emotions right now, put them into words?

LH: No I don't think I can. I'm very emotional. I've cried. My heart's feeling so much strain right now, and I think that was the same for everyone. I am just proud of the team and my family as well.

Q. Lewis is it special to win the championship here in Brazil?

LH: Oh for sure. On Senna's home ground, it would always be special.

Fontes: Daily Mail, Do UOL Esporte em São Paulo, Fábio Tubino, Babado; Jonathan Noble; AUTOSPORT.COM