With Kazuki Nakajima and Nico Rosberg starting the seventy one lap Brazilian Grand Prix from sixteenth and eighteenth respectively the prospects for the race for far from promising. With the cars on the grid the rain, which has been threatening all weekend, started forcing a delayed start as the teams changed tyres. But just as quickly the rain would stop and the sun would return. The forecast indicated that it would not rain for around the next thirty minutes. But the track was still wet forcing the teams to start with a wet weather tyre. The grid would clear and the field would move away for the parade lap. It looked like most of the field had gone with the intermediate wet tyre. It looked like the track
would dry quite quickly.

The grid would form up and the lights would go out and the race was underway. Kubica had pitted as he was on dry tyres and Massa would take the lead going into the first corner. There was an accident involving Piquet and Coulthard. Massa was leading from Trulli, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Vettel, and Alonso as the safety car came out. A poor way for Coulthard to end his Formula One career. In the same accident Kazuki was forced into a spin but he was able to continue. Fisichella would pit on lap three as the cars continued behind the Safety Car. Nico was in thirteenth and Kazuki sixteenth.

Kovalainen was in seventh followed by Bourdais. The track would go green on lap five and the race was underway again. It looked like Nico had hit Coulthard sending him into a spin. Kovalainen would try to pass Alonso at Turn one but Alonso would repass the McLaren. Massa was fastest on lap five with a 1m:19.958. he would improve on this the next lap with a 1m:18.859. Raikkonen was looking to pass second placed Trulli. lap eight and Nico and Button would pit as Massa extended his lead out to 1.8 seconds. Nico would take on the harder dry tyre plus get a front wing adjustment. lap nine and Bourdais and Glock would also come in. Sutil and Nakajima followed them. They were all risking taking on dry tyres.

Vettel and Alonso came in on lap ten, joined by Webber and Barrichello. All were now on dry tyres. Massa would pit on lap eleven. Kovalainen and Heidfeld also came in. Kovalainen had a slow stop with a problem with the right rear tyre. The top three Trulli, Raikkonen, and Hamilton would all pit on lap twelve. Massa was leading as the drivers struggled on the wet parts of the track. Vettel was second followed by Alonso, Raikkonen, Fisichella, Trulli, Hamilton, and Glock in eighth. Nico was down in fifteenth and Kazuki eighteenth. Trulli would nearly spin dropping him to ninth. Hamilton was now sixth followed by Glock and Bourdais. Lap fourteen and a fastest lap fro Massa, 1m:16.888. Hamilton was looking to pass fifth placed Fisichella.

Vettel was 0.9 behind Massa as Massa went faster with a 1m:15.845 on lap sixteen. Alonso was 1.0 second behind Vettel. Alonso was fastest on lap seventeen, 1m:15.416. Hamilton would finally pass Fisichella going into Turn one. Lap eighteen and Vettel was fastest, 1m:15.160. A 1m:14.772 on lap nineteen would see Massa fastest. Eighth placed Bourdais was trying to pass Fisichella for seventh. Glock was now sixth. Trulli would pass Bourdais going into Turn one. The Toyota driver would force Bourdais wide and he would lose places coming back on the track in thirteenth. Glock was closing in onto Hamilton. Would the stewards impose a penalty on Trulli for his move on Bourdais? Vettel continued to apply the pressure on Massa.

Vettel would go fastest but Massa would respond with a 1m:14.541 on lap twenty three. Hamilton was five seconds behind fourth placed Raikkonen. A 1m:14.406 for Massa on lap twenty four. Glock was now 1.2 seconds behind Hamilton. A 1m:14.214 on lap twenty five would see Vettel respond to Massa. Massa would respond with a 1m:14.161 as he and Vettel traded fastest laps. Vettel would pit from second on lap twenty eight. Kovalainen and passed Trulli for eighth. Vettel would stay on the harder tyre. Kovalainen would pass Fisichella for seventh. Massa was now coming up to lap Kazuki. Replays had shown that Kazuki had spun for a second time earlier on. On lap thirty the order was Massa from Alonso, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Glock, Vettel, Kovalainen, and Fisichella. Hamilton was fastest on lap thirty one with a 1m:14.159.

Nico and Kazuki were still fifteenth and eighteenth as Glock went fastest on lap thirty two. Glock was 1.6 seconds behind Hamilton. Lap thirty four and Button would pit from fourteenth. A 1m:13.755 from Massa on the same lap would see him 5.0 seconds ahead of Alonso. 1:15.138 from Nico on lap thirty five was a personal best while Massa would go faster with a 1m:13.736. His lead was now 6.5 seconds over Alonso. Fifth placed Glock would pit on lap thirty seven. Glock would pit for 14.5 seconds seeing him come back out in fourteenth. Lap thirty nine and Massa would pit from the lead. No problems for him as Alonso took the lead and Massa returned in fourth. Fisichella and Bourdais would pit from tenth and fourteenth. Nico was now twelfth and Kazuki eighteenth.

Alonso would pit on lap forty one, joined by Hamilton. Raikkonen was now leading from Massa, Vettel, Alonso, Kovalainen, Hamilton, Trulli, and Heidfeld in eighth. Nico would pit from eleventh on lap forty three. Kovalainen would also come in along with Heidfeld. Raikkonen would pit on lap forty four. Seventh placed Trulli was also in. So Massa was again leading from Vettel, Alonso, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Webber, Kovalainen, and Glock in eighth. Webber had yet to make a pit stop. Hamilton was looking quite comfortable in fifth, all he needed to win the championship even if Massa wins the race. Fifteenth placed Kubica would pit on lap forty eight. Nico was in thirteenth and Kazuki sixteenth but Kazuki had yet to make a pit stop.

Webber would pit from sixth on lap forty nine. Vettel was closing in onto Massa with Massa's lead down to 1.5 seconds on lap fifty. But Vettel would pit on lap fifty one coming back out in fifth. Kazuki would pit on lap fifty three. Hamilton was now fourth and looking good to secure his first drivers title. Vettel was closing in onto Hamilton and on lap fifty six Vettel was just 1.0 seconds behind the McLaren. Reports were coming in saying that it could rain in ten minutes. Lap fifty eight and Massa was leading by 11.3 seconds from Alonso, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Vettel, Kovalainen, Glock, and Trulli in eighth. Vettel was right with Hamilton while Raikkonen was closing in onto Alonso. Ten laps remaining and it was looking good for Hamilton.

Nico was told to pit soon as he could see rain on his visor. Kazuki would pit on lap sixty five as a few spots of rain started to fall. Heidfeld, Barrichello, and Nico would all pit on lap sixty six. Bourdais was also in. They would take on wet tyres. Hamilton had Vettel right behind him as the front runners all pitted. Massa would be the last to pit on lap sixty eight. Neither of the Toyota's had pitted taking the gamble. Massa was still leading from Alonso, Raikkonen, Glock, Hamilton, Vettel, Trulli, and Kovalainen. Vettel was right with Hamilton but would he be in a position to pass Hamilton. He would do just that passing Hamilton for fifth on lap seventy. Hamilton had run wide at the final turn allowing Vettel past. The final lap and Hamilton was tryi9ng to get past Vettel.

Massa would win the race with Alonso was second and Raikkonen third. But Glock would slow dropping from fourth and Hamilton would move up to fifth and win the drivers title. What an amazing finish to the race. At one stage everyone in the Ferrari garage celebrated but this disappeared as they realised that Glock had slowed allowing Hamilton to take the fifth he needed to win the title. For a title to be decided by one driver slowing down was just amazing. For the AT&T Williams team Nico would finish in twelfth and Kazuki seventeenth. Not the way the team would have hoped to finish the 2008 season. Lets hope the Williams team can turn things around in 2009.

Pos  Driver        Team                       Time
 1.  Massa         Ferrari               (B)  1h34:11:435
 2.  Alonso        Renault               (B)  +    13.298
 3.  Raikkonen     Ferrari               (B)  +    16.235
 4.  Vettel        Toro Rosso-Ferrari    (B)  +    38.011
 5.  Hamilton      McLaren-Mercedes      (B)  +    38.907
 6.  Glock         Toyota                (B)  +    44.368
 7.  Kovalainen    McLaren-Mercedes      (B)  +    55.074
 8.  Trulli        Toyota                (B)  +  1:08.433
 9.  Webber        Red Bull-Renault      (B)  +  1:19.666
10.  Heidfeld      BMW Sauber            (B)  +     1 lap
11.  Kubica        BMW Sauber            (B)  +     1 lap
12.  Rosberg       Williams-Toyota       (B)  +     1 lap
13.  Button        Honda                 (B)  +     1 lap
14.  Bourdais      Toro Rosso-Ferrari    (B)  +     1 lap
15.  Barrichello   Honda                 (B)  +     1 lap
16.  Sutil         Force India-Ferrari   (B)  +    2 laps
17.  Nakajima      Williams-Toyota       (B)  +    2 laps
18.  Fisichella    Force India-Ferrari   (B)  +    2 laps

Fastest lap: Massa, 1:13.376

Not classified/retirements:

Driver        Team                      On lap
Piquet        Renault               (B)    1
Coulthard     Red Bull-Renault      (B)    1