2008 Brazilian Grand Prix predictions
Lewis Hamilton is my pick for victory for the second race in a row - and the title
Heading into the final race of the season the momentum and the expected track conditions seem to favour Lewis Hamilton.
But last year was a case study in how championships that look like foregone conclusions can still be lost.
Will history repeat itself at Interlagos? Make your predictions for the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix below.
On paper, you’d be a fool to bet against Hamilton to win the Brazilian Grand Prix. He dominated the last round in a manner that told you exactly how little the criticism being hurled at him from many of his rivals affected his mental balance.
As mentioned in the Brazilian Grand Prix preview, Bridgestone are bringing harder tyres, which should suit McLaren better. Although Interlagos has been a ‘Ferrari track’ in recent years, so was Shanghai.
Since writing the race preview the weather forecasts have swung towards a wet weekend. This is where McLaren and Hamilton have excelled this year: particularly when a track moves from dry to wet conditions and when it is fully soaked.
Rain or shine, Hamilton’s chances of victory are, on paper, very good. But that doesn’t mean he couldn’t suffer a repeat of any of last year’s blunders (the first lap mistakes, the gearbox glitch, the strategy error) or be clobbered by the random hand of the stewards once more.
I think Ferrari will be strong enough to clinch the constructors’ championship, but their positions in this last race will reflect Kimi Raikkonen’s revival in these late races:
1. Lewis Hamilton
2. Kimi Raikkonen
3. Felipe Massa
That would make Hamilton the drivers’ champion and Ferrari the constructors’ champions.
Chinese Grand Prix predictions results
After a string of flawed predictions I finally nailed one at China. The only thing wrong with my podium prediction for Shanghai was that I didn’t put any money on it…
Congratulations to DMW who also got the top three exactly right.
What’s your podium prediction for the Brazilian Grand Prix?
Plus a bonus question: Who will with the two championships?
I believe Massa will win, followed by kimi and then lewis.
im going for
Massa
Ham
Kimi
Alonso
Kov
DC
I am going for HAMILTON
BUTTON
COULTARD
Then I will wake up to
HAMILTON
MASSA
KUBICA
Brazil GP: 1st place Ham
2nd Alonso
3rd Kubica
(If rain affected: massa and kimi spun off many times,
if not rain affected 2nd mas and 3rd kimi)
WDC: 1st Ham
2nd Mas
Constructors: Ferrari
Why is China a Ferrari track, considering until Hamilton crashed out into the pit lane he was leading quite comfortably, if I recall correctly.
Regardless I still think it’ll be a Ferrari 1-2. With Alonso in third.
So
1. Massa
2. Kimi
3. Alonso
1. Lewis
2. Felipe
3. Kimi
Massa
Lewis
Kimi
Alonso
Kovi
Coulthard
I could tell you the rest but then you wouldn’t enjoy the race.
I would like:
1 – Coulthard
2 – Alonso
3 – Hamilton
I think it will be:
1 – Massa
2 – Hamilton
3 – Raikkonen
lol,
Kimi has to certainly move out the way for Massa no matter what. This will do for me:
Ham
Kov
Alo
1. Massa
2. Raikkonen
3. Hamilton
Therefore:
WDC = Hamilton
WCC = Ferrari
p.s. and I’d be happy enough with that championship result.
To predict is difficult, especially about the future – Chinese proverb. But I’ll stick my neck out and say that Brazil 08 may just be one of the best F1 races ever, whoever wins.
1. massa
2. raikkonen
3. hamilton
i think mclaren wont take a risk and will reduce the performance of hamilton’s second-race engine which is going to affect his lap times on the hills of the circuit.
so wdc: hamilton, wcc: ferrari
I bet some people (cough…Kim… cough… Alonso) will try to take out Lewis on the first few corners. That said and with the race being wet, I don’t know how the Ferrari’s will respond. Massa has proved less than useful in the wet. Therefore, Hamilton will win it and the drivers championship.
1: Lewis
2: Kubica
3: Alonso
WDC: Hamilton
WCC: Ferrari
1. Hamilton
2. Kovalainen
3. Alonso
1. DC
2. MAS
3. BAR
4. ALO
5. VET
6. KUB
7. NELSON PIQUET JR ( LOL… special for you qazuhb )
8. HAM
WDC – Felipe / WCC – Ferrari
1. Ham
2. Kov
3. Rai
WDC: Ham
WCC: McL
1. Massa
2. Raikkonen
3. Hamilton
So Championships would go to:
WDC = Hamilton
WCC = Ferrari
This time you’ve said it for me Dorian.
Great minds and all that…
On the podium….
1. Hamilton
2. Massa
3. Raikkonen
WDC: Hamilton
WCC: Ferrari
- Alonso announces he is staying with Renault, and the team also reveals that they will keep Piquet jr.
1) massa
2) kimi
3) hamilton
4)koveleinen
5) alonso
im not a ferrari fan myself (i hate them) but im sick of hearing that a ferrari will try and take hamilton off. Lets face it their not going to do that so shut up everyone who has said it. But alonso you never no what he will be up to lol (thats why i love him).
HAMILTON TO WIN!!!!
ALONSO TO FINISH SECOND!!!
I think you’re all wrong. I don’t think Massa will finish the race. Vettel or Alonso to win.
1 -Massa
2 -Raikkonen
3 -Hamilton
What I want:
DC
Bourdais
Webber
What will probably happen:
Kovi
Massa
Kimi
Alonso
Webber
Piquet
Hamilton – Will do a Japanesa!
and everything will go wrong.
I even predict that somewhere on that day I’ll be struggling to get to sit down and watch it in peace. It’s amazing what happens in my house when an F1 race is about to start!
My podium prediction:
1.MAS
2.RAI
3.HAM
which means HAM will win the drivers charmpionship and ferrari will win the constructors.
I think HAM will just stay out of trouble while MAS goes for the home win.
My prediction(s)
Rain:
1.KUB
2.ALO
3.RAI
Dry:
1.MAS
2.RAI
3.ALO
1: Kovalainen
2: Räikkönen
3: Hamilton
WDC: Lewis
WCC: Ferrari
Very hard but I predict:
1.MAS
2.RAI
3.ALO
4.HAM
I think Lewis will play it safe unless he gets pole in which i think he will still not be too aggressive but will try and defend his lead.
So Ferrari and HAM to win championships.
I’m not a Lewis fan myself but i don’t hate him and he probaly desevres to win. Hopefully Alonso to win in 2009
1.RAI
2.KOV
3.MAS
6.HAM
or something as equally dramatic, hopefully! whatever happens, i get the feeling that kimi and heikki will just as important as lewis and felipe this weekend.
Massa
Raikkonen
Hamilton
Alonso
Kovi
Kubica
1-Massa
2-Kimi
3-Lewis
Rain
1. Hamilton
2. Alonso
3. Kubica
Dry
1. Massa
2. Raikkonen
3. Hamilton
Pole. Massa
WDC – Hamilton
WCC – Ferrari (although when you take the points that mASSa/Ferrari have been gifted by the stewards into account, McLaren should be doing the double. A feat they would no doubt have acheived this year had Alonso still been driving for them).
PP – Gifted, would be could be doesn’t matter, we can beat the dead horse for rest of of our life and the result would still be stinking carcass.
My prediction is Floods in Sao Paulo coz of Inconsolable Louise Goodman end of the race, It would be her last race, as well as DC. So double the amount of sobs
On serious Note
FM
SV
FA
RK
NR
HK
LH (after a puncture on race start – LH will drive Brilliant race like Schumi in 2006, and that wouldn’t be enough for him)
KN
KR will retire due to Hydraulic Problem
Overtaking moves of the race will be SV picking places in first two laps and LH marching through the field after Puncture
I agree with what Juan Pablo Montoya said in a recent interview. Lewis Hamilton has to play the points game, no question about it. If he can secure pole position, then that will be perfect, but the main focus is a top five finish.
Hamilton has to give the field plenty of respect, especially when in traffic. If he does find himself on the same piece of road as Massa, then he has to be very clever. Remember what happened at Fuji when Lewis was punted off. This is quite possible, especially in the heat of battle.
Pole position, with no mechanical problems and clean air, and Lewis has it made. I am still not unconvinced that something may happen untoward. I will be surprised if it a straight lights to finish victory like China was.
Massa, I believe, will get the pole position with Kimi swiping second and Lewis third. This would be great, as then the Ferraris can be left to their own devices up front. A car infront is always going to be less of a threat to Lewis than a car behind, wanting to pass.
Massa, Raikkonen, Alonso, Hamilton, Kubica, is my top five prediction for the race. Ferrari will be constructors champions, and Hamilton, by the skin of his teeth, will claim the drivers championship.
This could be a 1-2 for the Silver arrows. I have been so far saying that Lewis will take pole being a bit light, then cruise to 3rd place at the finish … but I then realized that Mclaren know they have the best car, they are bringing a special package to Interlagos, the tires are a step harder than last year, the temperature will be about 7-8 C cooler than last year (and it may rain too). I think they will go for the constructors’ title as well. And something tells me that one of the two Ferraris won’t finish the race.
Rai
Kub
Alo
1 massa
2 kimi
3 alonso
with the rain coming for the weekend, i wonder if mclaren will run that new rear wing still or not – i assume with the rain they’ll run a higher down force setup than what they would have planned for that wing.
Top four:
ALO, HAM, RAI, MAS (not in that order)
WDC: HAM (as much as I hope Massa takes the WDC)
WCC: Ferrari
Hopefully KOV is third time lucky after retiring at Fuji and Shanghai, and escapes Brazil without a DNF.
“random hand of the stewards”? Keith are you under the influence? There is nothing random about the stewards.
A rain soaked track of the 2003 proportions would be deadly for anybody including the rain master unless the drainage has been improved around Interlagos. However dry or wet, the pole sitter and winner of the race will be Hamilton because this is the lowest risk strategy for him as regards surviving both the first corner and the stewards.
Mclaren will aim for the constructors as well, so if it is dry and they run the new wing, expect Kova to come second with the first McLaren 1-2 of the season, though Kova’s performance has been uninspiring.
In a wet race i would predict Hamilton, Vettel, Alonso, Kubica
In a dry race i would predict Hamilton, Massa, Kova, Kimi
FM/KR/FA/RK/SV/NR/LH/JT
1. Alonso
2. Piquet
3. Kimmi
4. Massa
5. Lewis
6. Kovalinen
7. Vettel
8. DC
Given the weather predictions, this could be a tricky race for all concerned.
However, I think a bouyed up Hammy will mess up Q3 and not start on the first two rows, whereas a happy Massa will get Pole, with probably a BMW beside him.
However, a happy Massa is not a concentrating Massa and if it gets wet he’ll be thrown off the track at least once.
Which leaves:
1. Kimi
2. Kubica
3. Vettel
And Ferrari get the Constructors.
Oh, and DC won’t finish the race, though Webber might!
Ndinyo – After the baffling decisions at Valencia, Spa and Fuji I think ‘random’ is a fair choice of word.
HAM
MAS
ALO
I would love:
HAM
KOV
RAI
I belive: (dry)
MAS
HAM
RAI
I believe: (wet)
HAM
ALO
RAI
Heart wants:
Alo/Vettel/Massa/Kimi/Kub/Sutil/Heidfield/Nelson!!!
Head says:
Kimi/Alo/Ham/Kub/Masa…..
WDC: Ham (and I hate writing this part!!
)
WCC: Ferrari
1. Massa
2. Raikkonen
3. Hamilton
I’d like to see Hamilton get punted off into retirement at the first corner, the protagonist will be “punished” with a drive-through (followed by a post-race 5 course slap up meal courtesy of a mystery benefactor with the initals MM). On the pit wall we see Ron Dennis pull out his one remaining hair in frustration whilst the fat, ginger goatee-bearded Ferrari mechanic slaps Papa Masssa on the back in celebration.
.
Massa romps off into the distance, building up a 25 second lead only for his engine to expire 3 laps from the end; we then see the fat, ginger goatee-bearded Ferrari mechanic sobbing on Papa Massa’s shoulder as – on the pitwall – Ron Dennis allows himself to cry one solitary teardrop of joy.
.
Meanwhile, on the track, a sudden monsoon hits the circuit and the remaining cars tiptoe around, sliding off all over the place; but – thanks to a brilliant bit of opportunistic pit strategy – DC switches to “extreme ultimate wets” on the final lap and overtakes 7 cars at the final corner for a truly stunning win, with Sutil 2nd and Piquet Jr 3rd.
Ade, its like listening to mystic MEG…i ditto what he said! LOL
i think : 1.Massa
2. Kimi
3. Hamilton
would like: 1.Massa
2. Kimi
3. Coulthard Hamilton: retires Massa world champion
Alex-Ctba
LOL Alex
If I am correctly infering it from your nick, you are from Curitiba. And if your prediction comes true, I will travel all the way there and burn my magazine collection with Ayrton and Nelson(Sr.) pics just in front of your house!
In Dry,
1.KIMI
2.MAS
3.LEWIS
In wet,
1.KIMI
2.MASSA
3.SUTIL