Timo Glock reveals what really happened with Lewis Hamilton on infamous final lap in 2008
Hamilton overtook Glock on the final lap of the 2008 season finale in Brazil, winning his first world title in the process
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Your support makes all the difference.Timo Glock has denied long-standing claims that he let Lewis Hamilton overtake him on the final lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2008, allowing the Briton to win his first Formula 1 title.
Hamilton passed Glock during the final few corners of the last race of the season to finish fifth at Interlagos, denying race-winner and home driver Felipe Massa the title by a single point.
“There are still people out there that think I did it on purpose,” Glock told Sky Sports at this season’s Brazilian GP last weekend, per Planet F1.
“I was reading comments [where] people say: ‘Ah, it’s really interesting to see how you explain to Felipe that you left the door open like this and you didn’t fight against Lewis.’
“I got to the airport when I left Brazil, I had a police escort to the airport. I got even letters sent to my family back home, to my parents, which were really [over] the limit.”
German Glock said his gamble not to stop for intermediate tyres did not pay off, particularly as there was no chance to pit later to rectify the mistake – because the pit lane was full of people celebrating while thinking Massa had secured the title for Ferrari in his home country.
“At some point I said [via the team radio]: ‘Guys, I don’t think we will survive these last two laps.’
“Anyway, there was no chance to come in anymore, because there was already the whole preparation going on for the podium ceremony; everyone freaked out because he [Massa] in that moment actually was world champion.
“They said: ‘You cannot come in, the pit lane is blocked, you need to stay out.’
“It feels for me still hard to see that, knowing I was in that position to decide the championship, to see how much emotions went down the road.”
Massa would never win another F1 race, while Hamilton – a McLaren driver at the time – would have to wait six more years for his second title.
The 2014 title marked the first of the six the Briton has won with Mercedes.
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