Formula One’s youngest champion - McLAREN’S Lewis Hamilton won in Brazilian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton, the youngest Formula One’s champion with his McLAREN
File Photo taken by S.S.Kanesan/The Star

McLAREN’S Lewis Hamilton roared into the record books as Formula One’s youngest champion yesterday after last-lap drama at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The 23-year-old Briton, needing only a fifth place finish in the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix to become Britain’s first champion since Damon Hill in 1996, pulled it off after entering the last lap in sixth.

With the title seemingly slipping through his fingers for the second year in a row, he had Toyota’s Timo Glock to thank after the German stayed out on dry tyres after the heavens opened.

Hamilton powered past for fifth place as the final corner approached.

Ferrari’s Brazilian Felipe Massa, Hamilton’s sole title rival, won his home race for the second time in three years to chalk up a record 16th constructors’ title for the Italian team.

Hamilton, who missed out agonisingly by a single point to Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen in Brazil last season, ended the 18-race season one point clear of Massa.

Hamilton was aged 23 years and 301 days.

“It’s amazing, I can’t get my breath back,” he said before his father Anthony ushered him away.

Hamilton senior had earlier told ITV television: “What can I say. I can’t say anymore. I really can’t find any words.

“It’s absolutely great and that’s a shame that the crowd are doing this (booing).

“They should be sportsmen. We have the championship and let’s look forward to the next one.” — Reuters

Britain’s Lewis Hamilton won Chinese GP

SHANGHAI: Britain’s Lewis Hamilton won the Chinese Grand Prix yesterday but was denied the world championship by title rival Felipe Massa, who finished second.

McLaren’s Hamilton led throughout for a straightforward win but he remains just seven points ahead of Massa, taking the championship to a dramatic final race in Brazil next month.

“A fantastic race, the car was a dream to drive for me,” said Hamilton. Read More

The sunset GT race

Three GT race cars gliding past a beautiful setting sun during the Japan

GT Race in 2008 at Sepang . Since its completion a decade ago,

the world-class circuit has been a magnet for racing buffs from Malaysia

and around the globe. ( click images for larger version )

Calsonic Impulz racing team car driven by B.Treluyer is tow away

after crash during the Japan GT with a beautiful sunset

at Sepang F1 circuit.

Renault's Fernando Alonso won the Japanese Grand Prix

Renault's Fernando Alonso won the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday in a race that featured a collision between championship rivals Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa on the second lap.

Both leading drivers received pit drive-through penalties, and while Ferrari's Massa recovered to finish eighth and earn one championship point near the end of the race, McLaren's Hamilton finished out of the points in 12th.

Hamilton's championship lead was cut from seven to six points with two races remaining this season, while Ferrari moved six points ahead of McLaren in the constructors' standings.

"What can I say, it was a bad day, I'll move on to next week," Hamilton said. "I went wide at turn one, it was a mistake, and then Felipe hit me off, I went on the inside and he broke left and hit me pretty hard.

"I lost one point which I guess is damage limitation." Read More

Chelsea in Malaysia

Some of the Chelsea's female fans during the friendly match
at Shah Alam stadium recently.



One of the Chelsea players throwing some gift item
to the malaysian fans after the game



Group picture of the Chelsea team before the friendly match
against Malaysia national team.

Chelsea's new star Deco(left) fighting for the ball with
Malaysian defender.



Malaysia's Hairuddin Omar (right) fighting for the ball
against Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard during the
friendly match at Shah Alam stadium recently.

Renault's Fernando Alonso won in Singapore Grand Prix

SINGAPORE -- Formula One was anything but predictable Sunday, with the Singapore Grand Prix providing a contrast as stark as night and day.

Renault's Fernando Alonso won after starting 15th on the grid in F1's first night race. It was his 20th career victory and first since the Italian Grand Prix last year during his short stint with McLaren.

Nico Rosberg was second for his best Grand Prix finish, giving Williams its best result since the 2005 season. Championship leader Lewis Hamilton of McLaren was third.

Alonso was way back on the grid after a fuel pump failed during qualifying. On Sunday, the Spaniard benefited from an early safety car period that turned the race around.

"After qualifying, our hopes were gone already," Alonso said. "It was nearly over, but it shows that Formula One is unpredictable on Sunday."

Hamilton extended his championship lead to seven points because of a turn of events that cost title rival Felipe Massa of Ferrari any points. The Brazilian led early from the pole, but his race was ruined when he pitted after the end of a safety car period at the start of the 20th lap.Read More

Felipe took pole position at Singapore Grand Prix

FERRARI’S Felipe Massa stormed to pole position for the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix on Sept 27th 2008, topping the times during qualifying ahead of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton.

It was a crucial drive by the Brazilian with front row of the grid likely to be decisive on the bumpy Marina Bay street circuit where overtaking will be possible, but difficult.

His lap of 1:44.801 was 0.664 of a second ahead of the British world championship leader, who is one point in front of his rival in the title race with four Grands Prix left.

Defending world champion Kimi Raikkonen, desperate for a win here to keep alive his slim hopes of retaining his title, was third fastest for Ferrari and BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica was fourth in the Toro Rosso.

Heikki Kovalainen, in the second McLaren, was fifth ahead of Nick Heidfeld for BMW Sauber.

New kid on the block Sebastian Vettel, winner in Italy earlier this month, was seventh in his Toro Rosso with Timo Glock eighth, Nico Rosberg ninth and Kazuki Nakajima tenth. Read More

The action moment I captured at Merdeka Millennium

COMBO OF FLYING TYRE....Driver K.Reindler team of
ARC Bratislava's car tyre flew off during the Merdeka
Millennium 12 hour Endurance race at 

Sepang F1 circuit. Always click the photos to

view enlargement.

I took this sequence action shots with my Canon 1D Mark llN

with a 70-200mm zoom

the Merdeka Millennium 12 hour Endurance race

One of the pretty grid girl during the Merdeka 
Millennium 12 hour Endurance race at Speng F1 circuit.

Two BMW cars fighting each others during the Merdeka Millennium
12 hour Endurance race at Sepang F1 circuit

Some of the racing car in during the Merdeka Millennium 12 hour

Endurance race at Sepang F1 circuit.

Click on the photos to view enlarements. 

These photos taken on Canon Mark llN and 70-200mm zoom lense

Sebastian Vettel the youngest driver to win F1 in Italian Grand Prix

MONZA (Italy): Sebastian Vettel became the youngest driver to win a Formula One race yesterday after finishing first in a wet Italian Grand Prix from pole position.

The 21-year-old German driver edged Heikki Ko­valainen of McLaren by 12.5 seconds on the slick Monza circuit to give Torro Rosso their first ever win.

“For sure the best day of my life,’’ Vettel said. “These pictures, these emotions - I will never forget.’’ Read More

Yana-silver and Feng Tianwei-bronze for the Volswagen woman world cup

Singapore's Wang Yue Gu


Singapore's Wang Yue Gu in action against teammate Feng
Tianwei in third placing playoff which she lost for the woman
world cup at klba stadium.


Singapore's Feng Tianwei waving to the crowd
after beat her teammate Wang Yue Gu in third
placing playoff

Tie Yana of Hong Kong playing against China's Li Xiaoxia
in the Volswagen woman world cup final at klba stadium
in Kuala Lumpur. Li won 4-0.

Click on the photos to view the high resolution.Photo taken on Canon 1D Mark llN and 300mm telephoto lense.

China’s Li Xiaoxia won the Volkswagen World Cup

These are some photos that I took during the final of the Volkswagen World Cup women's tournament at the Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium in Cheras on Sept 9, 2008.

China’s Li Xiaoxia was ranked third in the world but did not get to play in the Beijing Olympics last month — making way for veteran Wang Nan, who was ranked two rungs below her.

And the agony of having to watch from the sidelines while her team-mates battled their way to a clean sweep of the medals at stake drove her to a crushing win over Hong Kong’s Tie Yana.

The lanky 20-year-old from Wuxi Province continued China’s domination of the game with a superb 11-4, 11-3, 11-3, 14-12 win over Yana.

Yana, the world number 10, was bidding to become the first player from outside China to lift the World Cup title. Keep Reading

China's Li Xiaoxia in action

Hamilton won but demoted

Starsport reported Formula One was plunged into new controversy yesterday when race stewards at the Belgian Grand Prix stunningly stripped Briton Lewis Hamilton of a brilliant victory.

The stewards' decision, which will be seen by many as part of a conspiracy to rig the results to ensure a close fight in the title race, came long after the race when they hit the 23-year-old McLaren driver with a 25-second penalty.

It meant that he was pushed down to third and the race victory was handed to Ferrari's Brazilian driver Felipe Massa who had struggled to keep pace with Hamilton and defending world champion Finn Kimi Raikkonen.

Critics and paddock observers were swift in their condemnation of a decision that reeked of potential favouritism for Ferrari and seemed entirely unjustified following the most exciting race of the year.

Last year, the sport's ruling body, the International Motoring Federation (FIA) was accused of a 'witch-hunt' against McLaren and this spectre was raised again by their stewards action at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

Their decision to punish Hamilton came in relation to a move in the final stages of the race when after attempting to pass Raikkonen, who was leading, he was forced off the circuit and cut out the 'Bus Stop' chicane.

Hamilton recognised immediately that he had done this, and gained an advantage by going ahead of Raikkonen, and so he slowed to allow the Finn to re-pass him and lead as they completed the lap in teeming rain.

When they began racing again, Hamilton passed Raikkonen and went on to win, albeit with several more battles for the lead, before the Finn crashed out. Read More

Belgian Grand Prix-Lewis Hamilton in pole position

Starsports reported that the world championship leader Lewis Hamilton oozed confidence after he secured pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix with a dazzling lap in yesterday's qualifying session.

The 23-year-old Briton, in a McLaren, claimed his fifth pole of this season and the 11th of his career with a perfectly-timed lap to outpace title rival the Ferrari of Brazilian Felipe Massa

Hamilton's supreme lap lifted him clear of Massa by three-tenths of a second and proved he is fully recovered from his sore neck suffered in Spain two weeks ago.

Finland's Heikki Kovlainen in the second McLaren was third fastest and starts ahead of defending champion and compatriot Kimi Raikkonen in the second Ferrari on row two.

German Nick Heidfeld was fifth for BMW Sauber ahead of two times champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso in a Renault.

Australian Mark Webber was seventh for Red Bull ahead of Poland's Robert Kubica in the second BMW, Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais in a Toro Rosso and Sebastian Vettel of Germany in the second Toro Rosso.

Hamilton leads Massa by six points going into the penultimate European race of the year and oozed confidence. “It was a perfect lap, one of my four perfect laps so I was very happy,” he said.

“I made no mistakes and the team made no mistakes so we are looking good,” said Hamilton. Read More

Ferrari's Felipe Massa won in European Grand Prix

Reported by starsports that Ferrari's Felipe Massa has won the European Grand Prix for his fourth Formula One victory of the season, leading the race wire-to-wire to finish comfortably ahead of championship leader Lewis Hamilton in second.

Massa easily held onto his lead after starting from pole position and finished 5.6 seconds ahead of Hamilton's McLaren on the 5.4 kilometer (3.4 mile) street circuit Sunday. BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica was third.

Hamilton kept the lead of the overall standings with 70 points, while Massa moved into second place with 64.

Defending champion Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari retired from the race on the 45th lap after smoke started coming from the back of his car while he trailed in sixth place.

Massa on pole in Valencia

Eurosport reports on Sat, 23 Aug.

Brazilian Felipe Massa put Ferrari on pole position for the European Grand Prix in Valencia with McLaren's championship leader Lewis Hamilton alongside on the front row.

The 27-year-old secured his fourth pole of the season, and the 13th of his Formula One career, with a flying lap in the final seconds of Saturday's qualifying.

Hamilton had already clocked 1:39.199 seconds when Massa roared around Formula One's newest street circuit with a time of 1:38.989 to push the Briton into second place.

Poland's Robert Kubica qualified in third place for BMW Sauber with Ferrari's world champion Kimi Raikkonen next to him on the second row.

Finland's Heikki Kovalainen, in the second McLaren, and Germany's Sebastian Vettel for Toro Rosso, shared the third row.

Renault's double world champion Fernando Alonso qualified 12th in front of his home crowd.

The 27-year-old secured his fourth pole of the season, and the 13th of his Formula One career, with a flying lap in the final seconds of Saturday's qualifying.

Hamilton had already clocked 1:39.199 seconds when Massa roared around Formula One's newest street circuit with a time of 1:38.989 to push the Briton into second place.

Poland's Robert Kubica qualified in third place for BMW Sauber with Ferrari's world champion Kimi Raikkonen next to him on the second row.

Finland's Heikki Kovalainen, in the second McLaren, and Germany's Sebastian Vettel for Toro Rosso, shared the third row.

Renault's double world champion Fernando Alonso qualified 12th in front of his home crowd.

Reuters

MCLAREN'S Heikki Kovalainen claims first win at Hungarian Grand Prix

Starsports

MCLAREN'S Heikki Kovalainen celebrated a shock maiden win at the Hungarian Grand Prix yesterday after Ferrari's Felipe Massa suffered an engine failure while leading with three laps remaining.

Finn Kovalainen capitalised on Brazilian Massa's misfortune to finish ahead of podium debutant Toyota's Timo Glock of Germany with Massa's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen third.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton stayed top of the championship standings despite a puncture just after the midway stage that saw him finish the race in fifth place behind Renault driver and former team-mate Fernando Alonso of Spain.

Briton Hamilton now holds a five-point lead over Finland's Raikkonen in the championship with Massa dropping into third place, a further three points back. Keep reading

Lewis Hamilton win in Germany Grand Prix

Starsports

HOCKENHEIM: Briton Lewis Hamilton delivered another massive endorsement of his great potential yesterday when he opened a clear lead in this year’s drivers’ championship by winning the German Grand Prix in thrilling style.

The 23-year-old Englishman, in his McLaren Mercedes-Benz, dominated the early stages and then, after being upset by two safety car interventions and some cautious team strategy, proved he could overtake anyone with a dazzling display of passing moves in the final laps.

“Sorry about that,” said his McLaren team chief Ron Dennis over the radio system later. “We made it much more difficult for you and we made you drive like that in such a great car.”

Hamilton, smiling afterwards, said: “That’s ok, Ron. Don’t worry about it. We did good in the end, so it is ok.” Read More

Cool Hamilton takes pole

Reports from Starsports

HOCKENHEIM: Lewis Hamilton stayed cool yesterday after clocking the fastest lap in qualifying to grab pole position for today’s German Grand Prix.

The 21-year-old Briton thrilled his fans and the German supporters backing his McLaren Mercedes-Benz team by recording the best time in the final pole-position shootout session.

“That was cool, I’m feeling cool and all is good for us this weekend, but what really matters is the race on Sunday. Heikki (Kovalainen, his team-mate) and I are going to our best to make sure we get the result that counts.”

Hamilton was fastest in both the second and third sessions to prove his superiority on a circuit he enjoys and will be bidding to win two races in succession today for the first time this season.

He currently shares the leadership of the drivers’ world championship with the Ferrari duo of defending champion Finn Kimi Raikkonen and Brazilian Felipe Massa.

His pole today was his third this season and the ninth of his career. Read more

MCLAREN'S Lewis Hamilton won the British Grand Prix

It was a fantastic win by Britain's Lewis Hamilton who led all the way to the championship after beating teammate MCLAREN'S Heikki Kovalainen who seized the first pole position of his Formula One career at the British Grand Prix yesterday.

Hamilton blew away his rivals to win a wet and chaotic British Grand Prix yesterday and storm back to the top of the Formula One standings.

Hamilton, the first British winner at Silverstone since David Coulthard in 2000, was utterly dominant as he lapped all but second-placed Nick Heidfeld in a BMW Sauber and the Honda of Brazilian Rubens Barrichello.

Ferrari's world champion Kimi Raikkonen, had made a mistake on not changing the car tyre made him difficult to control his car on the wet racing track.He managed to make it in fourth position. Keep Reading