Ponty

You won't see a new Renault until January, like most of the other teams. There are 3 tests before Christmas but I've no idea who's going to be running what cars in what configuration. I don't think anyone knows what each other is planning. Also the cars unveiled in the new year will probably only be a nod to the cars that appear in Australia for the first GP. No one will want to show their hand with the new rules so important next year.

Oh dear, Fernando congratulated Lewis and said he deserved it.. That's a shame because it makes a lie out of all the recent press reports about Fernando's attitude towards Lewis. Ah well, c'est la vie.

Louise Goodman has got the gig as the press officer for Honda F1 next year.

It's not the crux, it's just one factor. All bets are off for next year for as well as a team thinks it's progressing there's actually no benchmark to rate the progress by. KERS may be optional but not having the option of using it could be distinctly disabling.

I would say Willies, RB and Honda moved the direction of their aero teams over to 2009 when it was clear they weren't going to be a threat in 2008. STR have the luxury of continuous development as they don't design their own chassis, thus them having the opportunity to try out the Beemer style bull-horns on the nose (which Red Bull adopted after them). BMW did change their focus after Kubica's win, but shouldn't have IMO because they robbed him of a real title chance given the inconsistency of the top two. Toyota badly wanted that 4th place and continued developing, as did we, and Ferrari and McLaren were developing up to the last race. The ground we made on those two is as indicative of their failure as our success as teams with their massive resources should not be caught like that. Alonso beating Heidfield and Kovalainen is quite an achievement considering the respective gaps they had at the halfway point. I'm sure there will be debates as to whether McLaren hobbled Heikki, and he certainly alludes to that himself, but it can't be ignored that the development of the top 2 teams this year has been disappointing.

The same exception that started the fire on the KERS rig at Red Bull?

Not moaning mate. If anything I'm commenting on the pronounced downward spiral of all three of the championship contending teams in the second half of the season... I've not seen capitulation so bad since they took the mass damper away from us in 2006 and Ferrari, McLaren and BMW don't have that excuse.

I think everyone is justifiably bricking it about next year...

Does the Touch do anything that the iPhone doesn't, out of interest?

Anyone noticed how Alonso would be leading the WDC if the season was just the last 8 races? No? Didn't think so today... lol

I agree, as should Hamilton for the stupid unlapping move on Alonso in Fuji. Seriously though, I think Kubica was just trying to finish the season on as positive a note as possible. Besides Lewis was lapping really slowly at the end, the Macca was not working on the wets at all.

There are no ties between Toyota and McLaren whatsoever, and we have to assume there's no reason to call foul. Glock stuck it out on the dry tyres, when all the other front runners switched to wets, and got caught out in the downpour over the last few corners.

Because Toyota handed Lewis the WDC.

If you're doing it by comparing to team mates then there's only one driver "a class above the rest" and it isn't Hamilton. Heikki (no slouch in arguably the best car) managed to finish the championship 2 places behind him btw.

Not really mate, we've had match threads with fewer responses than this. I can't shake the feeling that the closeness was a little contrived over the back half of the season though, with odd penalties and the like, most significantly for LH of course. Still, my dispassion for McLaren doesn't take away any respect I have for Lewis' championship.

I thought it was the most disappointing part of the day tbh, although it was probably written in the stars.

He was on the grooves and everyone else up there had changed.

Well, there's drama. F1 is boring right StL? Congrats to Lewis. Everyone needs a bit of luck lol... Double lol at the Ferrari pit at the end.. Ooh, and a nice podium to finish our season.

Correct, the camera doesn't need any markings to determine the speed but to be prosecuted for it there need to be visible markings on the road as a comparitor.

I know he wouldn't do it. If there's a coming together of any kind in turn one it will be because Hamilton has a rush of blood and tries something stupid.. again! The guys around Lewis have more to fear from him than he has from them.

Pathetic.

Septic tank = Yank. I'm afraid Robsk was being an oik.

Nothing about the timings for this season bear any relevance to what will happen next season in terms of competitiveness. This reduction in aero, in order to tighten the field, will probably have the completely opposite effect at first.

Priceless.

Having a few self-esteem issues?