• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

  for this game

Grand Prix of Brazil Preview

November 2, 2008 
Interlagos 
Sao Paolo, Brazil 
Round 18 of 18 in Grand Prix Series

Laps: 71 
Track length: 2.67 miles 
Race length: 192 miles

Lap Record: Juan Pablo Montoya, 1:11.473 (2004)


DRIVERS TO WATCH
----------------

Fernando Alonso (Spain)
Team: Renault
2008 Points: 53 (6th)

Two-time champion has struggled in return to Renault, but races 
at Singapore and Japan, then finished fourth at China; prior to 
resurgence, had just three top fives all season - fourth places 
at the season opener at Australia, Hungary and Italy; retired in 
Spain and Canada and has a pair of sixth and eighth place 
finishes; had a tumultuous 2007 season with McLaren, but still 
managed to finish third overall; had the same points as teammate 
Lewis Hamilton, but lost the tiebreaker for second place; won 
four times last season, but relationship with team and Hamilton 
deteriorated after Ferrari spy scandal affair and returned to 
Renault for 2008 season; won consecutive titles in 2005-06 with 
Renault; won six races in 2006 and seven in 2005; ran third in 
this race last season.


Lewis Hamilton (Britain)
Team: McLaren
2008 Points: 94 (1st)

Won in China and leads Felipe Massa by seven points atop the 
standings; needs to merely finish in the points to become 
youngest Formula One champion at 23; finished second at the 
Grand Prix of Europe and won the British and German Grands Prix; 
was involved in a pit road incident with Kimi Raikkonen and 
retired from the Canadian Grand Prix; opened the season with a 
dominant win at Australia then ran fifth at Malaysia and 13th in 
Bahrain; bounced back to finish second at Turkey; had a stunning 
rookie season, scoring podiums in his first nine races; won four 
times and captured six poles to outperform more heralded former 
teammate Fernando Alonso; was the favorite to win the 
championship last year until errors in final two rounds dropped 
him to second place behind Raikkonen; made history at Canada 
where he became the first black driver to win a Formula One 
race; followed that victory in Canada by winning the United 
States Grand Prix; ran seventh here last season.


Nick Heidfeld (Germany)
Team: BMW Sauber
2008 Points: 60 (5th)

Ran second to teammate Robert Kubica at Canada; finished 5.4 
seconds behind Hamilton to claim second at Australia and was 
runner-up to Hamilton in Britain; was sixth at Malaysia, fourth 
in Bahrain and Germany, and fifth in Turkey; finished fifth at 
China and remained fifth in the standings; was the best of the 
rest behind the Ferrari and McLaren drivers last year after an 
impressively consistent season for BMW, finishing fifth overall; 
did not win last season as best race of the season was at Canada 
where he finished second; had consecutive fourth-place finishes 
at Italy and Turkey and was third in Hungary; opened the year 
with three consecutive fourth place finishes at Australia, 
Malaysia and Bahrain; forced to retire at Spain and the United 
States Grand Prix; has nine top-five finishes in 17 starts last 
year; finished sixth here last year.


Robert Kubica (Poland)
Team: BMW Sauber
2008 Points: 75 (3rd)

Won his first race at Canada and took over the top spot in the
standings; win at Canada was made more impressive after he was 
injured in a scary crash at the same track a year ago; followed
win by running fifth in France; finished sixth at China and 
currently sits third in the standings, 19 points behind Lewis
Hamilton; finished sixth overall last year in his first full 
Formula One season; opened the season by retiring at Australia, 
but has finished in the top five in every race since, except 
for an 11th at Singapore; ran second at both Malaysia and 
Monaco; was third at Bahrain and fourth at both Spain and 
Turkey; finished fifth in this race last year.


Felipe Massa (Brazil)
Team: Ferrari
2008 Points: 87 (2nd)

Picked up his fourth win of the season at the Grand Prix of 
Europe then ran sixth at Italy to move within a point of leader 
Lewis Hamilton; followed that up with a pit road mishap at
Singapore and finished 13th; after finishing second at China, 
sits seven points behind Hamilton with one race left; needs to
win on home soil and hope Hamilton finishes out of the points to
win the title; rebounded from an awful start to the season by 
winning at Bahrain and Turkey; completed only 29 laps before 
retiring at Australia with engine issues; also retired at 
Malaysia by spinning out early; posted three wins and six poles 
last season, but reliability issues and a disqualification in 
Canada put him out of title contention and he wound up fourth; 
contract with Ferrari runs until 2010; ran second here last 
year.


Kimi Raikkonen (Finland)
Team: Ferrari
2008 Points: 69 (4th)

Retired from the Grand Prix of Europe with engine issues and ran
ninth at Italy, falling to fourth in the standings; remained 
there after running third at China; retired at Canada after a 
pit road incident with Lewis Hamilton, then finished second at 
France, fourth in Great Britain and sixth at Germany; opened 
defense of his title by running eighth at Australia, completing 
just 53 laps before having engine problems; bounced back to win 
at Malaysia, ran second at Bahrain and third in Turkey; won 
first appearance for Ferrari in Australia last season then went 
on to win five more times; biggest win came at the season-ending 
event at Brazil, which gave him his first drivers title by a 
single point over Hamilton; trailed Hamilton by seven points 
entering final race; had 14 top-five finishes in 17 starts last 
season; joined Ferrari after spending five years with McLaren 
where he went winless in 2006; won this race last season.


2007 Top 10
-----------
 1. Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, Ferrari 
 2. Felipe Massa, Brazil, Ferrari  
 3. Fernando Alonso, Spain, McLaren-Mercedes
 4. Nico Rosberg, Germany, Williams-Toyota
 5. Robert Kubica, Poland, BMW 
 6. Nick Heidfeld, Germany, BMW  
 7. Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain, McLaren-Mercedes  
 8. Jarno Trulli, Italy, Toyota 
 9. David Coulthard, Great Britain, Red Bull-Renault  
10. Kazuki Nakajima, Japan, Williams-Toyota 

Past Champions
--------------
2007  Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
2006  Felipe Massa, Ferrari
2005  Juan Pablo Montoya, McLaren-Mercedes
2004  Juan Pablo Montoya, Williams-BMW 
2003  Giancarlo Fisichella, Jordan Ford 
2002  Michael Schumacher, Ferrari 
2000  David Coulthard, McLaren 
2000  Michael Schumacher, Ferrari 
1999  Mika Hakkinen, McLaren-Mercedes 
1998  Mika Hakkinen, McLaren-Mercedes 
1997  Jacques Villeneuve, Williams-Renault 
1996  Damon Hill, Williams 
1995  Michael Schumacher, Benetton 
1994  Michael Schumacher, Benetton 
1993  Ayrton Senna, McLaren 
1992  Nigel Mansell, Williams 
1991  Ayrton Senna, McLaren 
1990  Alain Prost, Ferrari 
1989  Nigel Mansell, Ferrari 
1988  Alain Prost, McLaren 
1987  Alain Prost, McLaren 
1986  Nelson Piquet, Williams
1985  Alain Prost, McLaren 
1984  Alain Prost, McLaren

NOTE: Event moved to Interlagos from Jacarepagua after 1989
race.