Down to the wire

Well, here we are on a glorious day at Interlagos. The sun is beating down. The place looks a treat and the Brazilian fans have turned out in their thousands to witness what should be a fantastic finale to an epic season. I have just been for walk round and the joint is jumping with the stands packed and the fans singing and chanting with music and drums in the Brazilian way. Quite honestly there could hardly be a better place for the season showdown. No doubt Lewis would have liked to have finished it off at Shanghai but that would have been a great pity, given the sterility of the atmosphere there. This is the place to do it as Fernando knows very well.

The weather is in Lewis's favour, I suppose, and so is the points position but this is far from a done-deal and I, for one, would not want to predict an outcome. Felipe could well win the race - I hope he does - Lewis could well win the title but so could Fernando and, as many of you are hoping, Kimi is in there too(though it does look hard for him). I must say the way Kimi handled the business of Lewis getting close to him in Q3 was exemplary. He's going up and up - a taciturn individual, a great driver and a sportsman to boot.

Some of you have been wondering whether this blog is going to carry on during the winter. Well I am afraid to say it will not be. The idea of it is that it is a paddock-based diary and during the winter I think I need to give it a rest(my wife will be delighted, as you can imagine). I think I will keep it going for a few days this week and then call it a day. If that is the bad news(maybe some of you would like to see the back of it anyway - it is an addiction isn't it?) the good news is that The Times Formula One blog will be back next season and will start a week before the first race. In the meantime don't forget I will be carrying on with my "day job" reporting developments in the off-season and you can follow that in the paper and on Times Online.

I feel I have got to know a lot of you quite well over the last eight months. We've had our disagreements of course and there has been some pretty edgy stuff in the comments but in general it has been fun and very informative(especially for me). So wherever you are from I hope you will join us next season and it has been a pleasure chatting to you about this great sport.

Comments

[HRT, Scotland]

Thanks for the Blog Ed.

[D]

ED - WHERE HAVE THEY POSITIONED THE COW?

WE NEED TO KNOW.

[ALLMAN]

Good to know that you won't write more nonsense during the pre-season.

[joan]

TO ALL OF YOU,
Relax and enjoy the race!
Take it easy, and if history is made, just be happy to be there.
Thanks, Ed, for mantaining and "feeding" the blog.

[Maverick]

Hi Ed....
I'm sure u will be happy n sad both...sad coz poor Hamilton didn't make it.....he n daddy Anthony, Ron Dennis,etc have another year to wait...n happy in a way coz Alonso got it neither....but the whole world is happy for the CHAMPION FINN.....KIMI....:) he is the one who deserves the most...with all the controversies n scandal around F1 this year...he was one driver who just focussed on beating one n all on the track.....hats off...Bravo Bravo..
And how can i forget Andy G..take this one....you too can join the sob party of Hamiltons....
THE ICEMAN RULES !!!!!!

[Spain]

Mc Laren ridiculus, is very sad for you. You had lost EVERITHIHG. aND IM HAPPY BECAUSE THIS IS JUSTICE !!!

[Juan]

Great Job Ron, Kimi World Champion

[Leticia]

Glorious day? Y E S ! !
Iceman World Champion 2007.

Kimi is the Champio thanks to Mr. Ron Dennis.
If Mr. Ron had trated Fernando as the Champion and best driver he is, things would be totally different now.

T H A N K Y O U K I M I

F O R M A K I N G S P A I N

S O H A P P Y

[Joseote]

Justice exists after all!!

Incredible race. The Ferrari drivers were unbeliveable. How Massa stopped Hamilton in the start!! One of the most thrilling race of the season.

Congratulations Kimi.

I am sorry for Lewis, but not for McLaren. They had maken a big fiasco. Lewis did a big mistake and Fernando's car simply hasn't gone all the weekend.

Well guys, do not despair. Hamilton is a good driver, and he may win a world champion soon. I wish Fernando will not continue in McLaren and go to Renault instead.

[Joseote]

Well Ed, thank you for the blog, good luck with your job. Read you soon!

[OgKar]

McLaren has lost a champion driver due to their wrong treatment they gave to Fernando. Cry all you now.

[antton]

Sounds like a lesson from Ferrari about how a competitive team should be run... McLaren has had everything to win this year, top car, top drivers and has been unable to managge that... in my opinion RD is to blame.

[peewee]

A glorious day at Interlagos...
HO, Ho , HO
next year...

[zzzzap]

"we were not racing Kimi, we were basically racing Fernando"dennis dixit

[Weasel]

Oh dear, Allman is at it again, no class, no grace, no manners - nothing but rancour. If you don't like, it don't read it and go elsewhere. What a bitter, twisted jerk you are.

To Ed: thank you for an entertaining, and indeed, addictive season of blogs. I believe that everybody who has read your blogs owes you thanks for entertaining and often controversial insight into the world of Formula 1, regardless of their point of view.

I for one, look forward to enjoying more of the same next season.

[Xao Vin]

Good job, Ron did. Cause,eeeeer. He was racing Alonso wasn´t he?

[Luisa]

where could be alonso without santion in hungaroring?
where could be alonso with a competitive car?
where was daddy? and ronni?
I wish you learn a lesson this year
congratulation kimi
congratulation fernando
congratulation ferrari

[D]

ED - Many thanks for all you have given us here this year (except that dreadful video!). It has been very much appreciated.

T'would be great if you could give us just a few off-season bulletins from time to time without the facility for people to add comments which you would have to spend time editing and moderating.

Hope you can: we'd enjoy them Anyway, thanks again.

We'll all be back here in March, ready for Melbourne!

Kind regards, D.

[F.]

Well! After all this has been a pure logical consequence. Thanks Ron for managing this team like hell!

The good part of all this, is that after this fiasco, Ron should be out tonight.

Hope we all learn from this.

[Comic]

Ja Ja Ja!!!!! Now Ron Dennis can atack the french journalist. Maybe she is guilty of losing the world championship

[Jesús]

Hey Ed, where are you now???

[Chema Chote]

Cool. Still waiting for the blog to be updated. I'm so eager to find an analysis from the always impartial and objective British press on the Brasilian GP, how the efforts of the maFIA, McLaren, Ecclestone, the crane, Daddy Hamilton and Niki Lauda have been useless, and how embarrassing it has to be to give two championships away in the sake of a spoilt child.

I'm so eager. Please, hurry up.

[Chris]

Great blog year round, hopefully calmer heads will rule in the aftermath of today's race.

Think the cow was wiring Lewis' car today :o)

[Mac]

I'd like to see Ron Dennis face, he has deserved this season ending.

Greetings from Spain!

[sonia]

well, well, well Interlagos race is finshed and your unhappyness Ed must be enormus.I am , as the majority of spaniards, very happy because at the end Mclaren won nothing, this is the result of being a cheatting team.As usual Fernando had problems with his car, he said he had made a perfect round but the car was not going well,mclaren wanted hamilton to be champion and it was its option, no giving fernando a good car, but god existes so he made justice, mclaren didnt deserve to win,no when they only wanted one driver to do it, they helped only one of them, they didnt celebrate when alonso won for 4 times, they didint helped alaonso in any wayn and they even treated him as a person. iam happy for Ferrari, they have worked as a team, both kimi and masa had the same opportunities, they both have always car in the same conditions, maclaren must take exemple of how a team works.Hamilton is a good driver , no one can deny it, but a s every one has sow ion gthe last two races he dint have the experience neccesary to be a champoion.He had all helps from his team, from the twice world champion from ma-fia, fron english media putting alonso a bad name he dindt deserve but with all of this he was not able to win...is he better than alonso?? please be honest, he still needs time this is what Ron denis and cia, forgott...Alonso is the best driver nowadays, because after fighting against all, was there till the end....Alonso go to renault!!!!

[israel valcarcel]

Congrats for your excellent job. Thanks for being impartial and avoiding nationalistics points of view.

[john carl]

GOD SAVE THE KING

[Jarros]

Ed,

Thanks for having made this blog available to all of us, regardless nationalities.

I am looking forward to joining it again next season.

[luis lopez]

I think Dennis got what he deserved, he abused Alonso all year, I understand ther's enough evidence on who's the best driver between Alonso and Hamilton??
I hope Alonso leaves Mclaren tonight ...not tomorrow...and I'm eager to see who's going to guide the so called new god of F1???

[Fernando]

Congratulations to Kimi, he really deserved a World Title.

Congratulations to Ferrari for being and behalve like a real team

Ron: you really blew it! McLaren looked like a real gang. All the bet was in one the drivers (Fernando's car was a turtle today)

Andy: just get rid of that "lucky" rugby shirt

[Txus G.R.]

THANKS

Well said ED,this time you are a true gentelman and a great sportsman.I think all of us also have learned lots of things from you and from this diversity colorful blog.So thanks too to all the bloggers...Andy G too,of course.

Hats off in your honor Ed.Enjoy this long brake till next season.

Best regards to all of you.

Ps.Where the f**ck am I gonna practice my English now?

[Pau]

Policy of equality means having two losers. Great job Ron Dennis. With the points stolen in Hungary Fernando would be the World Champion.

I can't believe it how Lewis blew it big big time. He was clearly not ready. I am looking forward to reading his biography tomorrow.

At any rate congratulations Kimi. I am happy for you. You made it, and not with McLaren. Unfortunately, a loser's team. Fernado get out of there!

[Cass]

The best thing that has happened to Formula 1 in the Last (20) years is Louis Hamilton.Ferrari Killed the Sport for the last (15) years with Michael Schmac, The world was not intrested in F1 anymore with every race predicted. It took a Rookie Like Hamilton in his Rookie year for the world to begin taking F1 serious again, he has brought excitment and competitivness back to the sport the world fans and none fans are watching F1 again.Look at the stats folks he is the true Champion. Alonso should be banned from the sport. What a Jerk this guy is.

[Janine Dawson]

Thanks Ed for all your articles. Today I thought the race was one of the best I had ever seen, and I have seen a few. Lewis had a lot of bad luck but Kimi was the MAN of the day and I am so happy for him. Fernando did not do well, not sure what happened to him, however I am sure that he was thrilled that it was Kimi and not Lewis who won the Championship. Lewis has plenty of time and it promises to be another exciting battle next year. The only question, is where will Fernando be???

[OSCAR]

Probably Mclaren team will be a case study next year in the best bussiness Universities all around the world. How can you become an idiot running a bussiness?, most of people are good speakers but such a bad listeners, that´s Ron Dennis case, Ron made multiple mistakes this year with his equal treatment inside his team, if he consider Fernando as world championship from the beggining of this season, I´m sure that right now Ron was drinking champaigne because he has a championship this year : Fernando Alonso. Is truth that Fernando has one point less than Kimmi but if stewards didn´t consider Hamilton´s cry in Hungary for sure Fernando today was WC. I just can tell 2 words to you Ron: Go Home!!!.

For Last: Congratulations Kimi!!!, weirdless you became WC when you left Mclaren and Ron.

[Egg full of eggs]

I'm just saving all your posts, Ed (and... well, your comments too). They're all pretty hilarious. Now here's the problem: your posts or Ron's face after last race? :D

[Pepe Ríos]

Ron promised so equality to both pilots that they have finish with the same points. Good job Ron.

[Fernando]

Ron...you deserve this end....Regards.

[Fernando]

What a glorious day...Now, when Alonso will be far far away from Mclaren you will realize...He was your BEST driver...Hamilton will be your new BLUFF as Jenson is actually...See you next year...HO HO HO HO HO HO HO JUA JUA JUA JUAAAAA::::: We cannot stop...sorry.

[Fernando]

COngratulations Ron... I can see you are a man with HONOR..equality is your main aim...Hamilton 109 Alonso 109...Nobody could do it better....SUPERB!!!

[Kathryn S]

Ed,

I want to sincerely thank your wife for sharing you with us this very contentious F1 season. Living quite a few time zones west of you, I was often surprised by how late your posts sometimes appeared and how many comments were moderated in at an hour I would consider quite late. I often imagined the long-suffering Mrs. Gorman calling out, "Ed,are you coming to bed any time soon," followed by, "just a few more minutes" in response. The woman noise that is a combination of a snort and sigh that signifies disbelief/skepticism and acceptance/resignation ends the exchange. It's obvious I have a way too overactive imagination, but you certainly owe your wife a lovely getaway--perhaps to New York City for some great shopping while the dollar is so weak.

Thank you, too, for a really great forum...it has been quite addictive and I will miss the great insights that have really increased my understanding and enjoyment of F1.

And I can't end this without commenting on some of the truly delightful personalities that I have gotten to "know" over the last few months. There are some that I hope do not return next year, but those posters are quite few and far between. I shall miss you all and hope to catch up with you next year.

[J.L.]

Thank you for your company Ed. See you next year.

Juan.