In what was quite probably the most exciting finish to a F1 World Championship, Lewis Hamilton became the youngest ever Champion at basically the last corner of the last race of the season; and broke Felipe Massa’s heart in the process.

Massa and Ferrari did everything they could to win and just when it looked like McLaren would fall just short, the title fell to Hamilton as Toyota’s dry tyre gamble came a lap short. You can’t help but feel sorry for Massa, who took the chequered flag in front of his home crowd and for half of his cool down lap thought he was World Champion.

All in all it was a great finish to a great season with Robert Kubica, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel taking the fight to the usual Ferrari/McLaren pairings. With the new aerodynamic regulations and the introduction of “Kenetic Energy Recovery Systems” (KERS) in 2009, it promises to an open, competitive and exciting season once again.

– MCZF1