BBC Sportmotorsport

After 17 races, the best of them all was arguably saved until last in a thrilling finale in Brazil.

Massa, trailing Hamilton by seven points, claimed a dominant win on home turf at Interlagos but Hamilton was cruising to the title until a dramatic final few laps.

Hamilton dropped out of the fifth place he needed to clinch the crown in a late spell of rain but, at the last corner, he managed to overtake Toyota's Timo Glock to recover the place and claim the 2008 world championship by a single point.