Asian Motor Sports

Lewis Hamilton was crowned Formula One champion after finishing fifth in the Brazil Grand Prix.

He beat Felipe Massa to the title by one point after Massa won the season-ending race in front of his home fans at the Interlagos cricuit.

“It’s amazing, I can’t get my breath back,” he said before his father Anthony ushered him away.

Hamilton senior had earlier told ITV television: “What can I say. I can’t say anymore. I really can’t find any words.

“It’s absolutely great and that’s a shame that the crowd are doing this (booing). They should be sportsmen. We have the championship and let’s look forward to the next one.”

Title rival Felipe Massa won the race and appeared to be heading for the title as Hamilton, who needed to finish fifth, dropped to sixth behind Toro Rosso’s Sebastian Vettel following a rain shower in the closing stages of the race.

After Massa had taken the chequered flag, Hamilton was still sixth and the Ferrari garage appeared to be celebrating an against-the-odds success for the Brazilian.

However, in the final few hundred yards of the final lap, Toyota’s Timo Glock, who had been running fourth on dry-weather tyres, lost grip and dropped to sixth, allowing Hamilton through to win.

Massa was followed home by two times champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Renault and third placed Ferrari team mate outgoing champion Finn Kimi Raikkonen.

German youngster Sebastien Vettel was fourth for Toro Rosso after passing Hamilton in the final laps and Hamilton fifth, just, after his late recovery when Glock slowed down and finished sixth.

Hamilton’s McLaren team-mate Heikki Kovalainen of Finland came home seventh.

Hamilton’s triumph made him first Briton to take the world title since Damon Hill in 1996 and the first McLaren champion since Finn Mika Hakkinen in 1999. He is Britain’s ninth champion.

The previous youngest champion was two-times champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Renault who was 24 years, one month and 27 days old when he won the title in 2005. Hamilton was 23 years, nine months and 26 days old as he drove to glory on Sunday.

Massa had been hoping to be the first Brazilian champion since Ayrton Senna in 1991.

Cross posted at Full Throttle and F1 Rage.