Ex-McLaren employee reveals what Lewis Hamilton told Felipe Massa immediately after 2008 F1 finale

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Lewis Hamilton’s maiden title win at the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix was one of the most dramatic endings to a Formula 1 race ever, and Matt Bishop recently recalled the moment Felipe Massa congratulated the newly crowned world champion.

The scenes of pure ecstasy in the McLaren garage, followed by sheer heartbreak in that of Ferrari, will be etched into the history of Formula 1 forever.

In the heat of battle that comes with such a high-adrenaline sport, especially paired with the extreme stakes that were present during the 2008 edition of the Brazilian Grand Prix, Massa could be excused for feeling a little bit hard done by how the title was decided.

But according to Bishop, the Brazilian driver served up a masterclass in sportsmanship in the media pen following the chequered flag, which left a 23-year-old Hamilton in awe.

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Matt Bishop recalls what Lewis Hamilton said to Felipe Massa after the dramatic 2008 F1 season finale

Serving as the McLaren PR chief at the time, F1 journalist Matt Bishop had a first-hand view of the celebrations that followed in the pit lane after Hamilton crossed the finish line to win the championship.

Bishop brilliantly recalled the ensuing events on an episode of the And Colossally That’s History podcast, saying, “Lewis wasn’t on the podium, of course, because he hadn’t finished in the top three.

“So Ron Dennis said to me, ‘Lewis is all yours. Get as much TV coverage as you possibly can.’ So we made Lewis available to you guys, the print reporters.

“But first, we had to service the TV crews whose broadcasts were still going out live. So I took Lewis from TV crew to TV crew, and he did interview after interview.

“All smiles, lost in the sheer elation of the moment, struggling for the right words to describe his exaltation, but definitely incredibly abidingly happy.

“Then, as I was guiding him from TV crew to TV crew, jostling him through the unruly media throng, our bodies, I remember it so well, our bodies bumping and thudding against a jockeying cluster of bulky cameras and big boom mics.

“A little figure in red began to squeeze its way through the crush, eventually making its way to the front. It was Massa. It was Massa.

“He extended his right hand to Lewis and said, ‘Congratulations, Lewis. Well done.’ They shook hands. Hamilton’s face, which had been wreathed in visible and unmistakable joy just an instant before, took on a momentarily somber look.

“I remember what he said. He just said, ‘That was impressive.'”

READ MORE: Former Ferrari engineer shares ‘uncontrollable’ reaction after Felipe Massa lost 2008 title to Lewis Hamilton

Felipe Massa only spoke to Timo Glock 10 years after the events of the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix unfolded.

Unbeknownst to him at the time, Timo Glock was the deciding factor in Hamilton’s success that day in Interlagos.

Whilst the majority of the grid dove into the pits for wet-weather tyres as rain began to fall in the dying stages of the race, Glock was one of the few who attempted to brave it out on the dry tyres, which proved to be his and Massa’s demise.

After losing fifth place to Sebastian Vettel just a few laps prior, Hamilton seized his opportunity to regain the place after the Toyota driver was forced to crawl to the chequered flag due to his gamble not paying off.

Glock was inundated with questions from journalists in the media pen, as many questioned whether his decision to stay out on dry tyres was a ploy to hand Hamilton the title.

Obviously, the German driver had no idea what the consequences that his actions would have at the time, and admitted in a 2022 interview with Hamilton that he was ‘scared’ to speak to Massa in the aftermath of the race.

The pair exchanged words 10 years later, with Massa reassuring Glock that he doesn’t blame him for the part he played in the Brazilian’s title denial.

Massa has since sued the FIA over the result of the 2008 season, due to a separate incident that occurred at the Singapore Grand Prix. The case is currently still ongoing.