Eyes wide open. Jenson Button is aiming to become the ninth British driver to be crowned world champion this weekend. Season’s penultimate round takes place in Sao Paulo at the Jose Carlos Pace circuit at Interlagos. Rain is expected for the whole weekend. Rain last year in the closing laps of the race resulted in a dramatic and thrilling finish for the championship. Lewis Hamilton’s last lap pass of Timo Glock on approach to the final turn snatched the title from race winner and local darling Felipe Massa, who for fleeting fifteen seconds was world champion.
Button leads the championship by 14 points over Brawn teammate Rubens Barrichello. Further two points behind is Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull team.
Mike Hawthorn was the first British world champion in 1958 with Ferrari. He was followed by Graham Hill, 1962/68, Jim Clark, 1963/65, John Surtees, 1964, Jackie Stewart, 1969/71/73, James Hunt, 1976, Nigel Mansell, 1992, Damon Hill, 1996, and in 2008 Lewis Hamilton became the youngest ever world champion.
Photo: www.timesonline.co.uk
Podcast number 384.
Motorsports Mondial with Nasir Hameed and…
Special Interview with Formula Atlantics Champion John Edwards.
Fernando Alonso tops the time sheets in second practice.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Alonso Renault (B) 1:12.314 27 2. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:12.357 + 0.043 45 3. Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:12.459 + 0.145 38 4. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:12.514 + 0.200 41 5. Button Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:12.523 + 0.209 45 6. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:12.605 + 0.291 37 7. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:12.611 + 0.297 45 8. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:12.633 + 0.319 42 9. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:12.720 + 0.406 35 10. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:12.749 + 0.435 39 11. Grosjean Renault (B) 1:12.806 + 0.492 27 12. Kubica BMW-Sauber (B) 1:12.862 + 0.548 39 13. Kobayashi Toyota (B) 1:12.869 + 0.555 40 14. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:12.929 + 0.615 41 15. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (B) 1:12.948 + 0.634 38 16. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:12.950 + 0.636 36 17. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:12.992 + 0.678 39 18. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:13.026 + 0.712 42 19. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:13.041 + 0.727 40 20. Fisichella Ferrari (B) 1:13.275 + 0.961 38
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