Hamilton clinched the 2008 title on the final corners at Interlagos 18 years ago today

Eighteen years ago today, on 2 November 2008, the Formula 1 season ended at Interlagos in São Paulo. The Brazilian Grand Prix was the 18th and final race of the season. Ferrari's Felipe Massa started from pole and won the race, but the championship went to McLaren's Lewis Hamilton on the final corners.

The title maths

Going into the race, Hamilton led the standings with 94 points and Massa was second with 87. Because a win was worth 10 points, Massa could only take the title if Hamilton finished sixth or lower. Fifth place was enough for Hamilton. Had the points been level, Massa would have won the title on countback, having won more races. In the constructors' standings, Ferrari had 156 points and McLaren-Mercedes had 145.

Hamilton had lost the title by a single point to Kimi Räikkönen at the same circuit a year earlier, and this was only his second season in Formula 1. A win would have made him the youngest world champion at 23 years and 300 days. For Massa, a title would have made him the first Brazilian champion since Ayrton Senna in 1991.

A wet race

Massa took pole with a time of 1:12.368, with Toyota's Jarno Trulli alongside him on the front row. Räikkönen was third and Hamilton fourth. Rain fell shortly before the start and delayed the race by ten minutes. Massa led into the first corner, but after the first lap David Coulthard and Nelson Piquet crashed and the safety car came out. When the track dried, Massa pulled away.

Rain returned in the closing laps. Teams switched to intermediate tyres once more, while Timo Glock, who stayed on dry tyres, moved up to fourth. Massa was on course to win while Hamilton battled Sebastian Vettel for fifth. Hamilton was told by his team over the radio to pass Glock. On the final corners, Glock's dry tyres lost grip on the wet surface, and Hamilton, who had also passed Vettel, took fifth. The celebrations in the Ferrari garage turned to disappointment.

Race result

This was the last of Massa's 11 Grand Prix wins. Alonso finished second for Renault and Räikkönen third. Vettel took fourth for Toro Rosso. Räikkönen's third place gave Ferrari the constructors' championship. Hamilton won the title by one point and held the record as the youngest champion until Vettel won his title in 2010.

Former champions Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher were among those who congratulated Hamilton. Queen Elizabeth II and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown also sent official congratulations.

The race was also David Coulthard's final Grand Prix. The Scot, who had 13 Grand Prix wins, retired after 246 race starts, but he did not finish, as he was caught up in a first-lap collision with Rosberg and Nakajima. It was also the last race for Honda before the team withdrew from Formula 1 during the 2008 financial crisis.