And Colossally That's History: Brazil 2008 - The title showdown that had it all
The Race F1 Podcast
The Race Media Ltd
4.5 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 31 October 2025
⏱️ 60 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
As F1 2025 heads towards a spectacular conclusion, we wind the clock back to arguably the greatest title showdown of them all, which happened 17 years ago this coming Sunday: Brazil 2008.
It's a race that hosts Matt Bishop and Richard Williams were both in attendance for, affording us a unique perspective to look back on what happened, with Matt and Richard recalling how events played out through their own experiences: Matt watching on nervously from the garage as McLaren's PR and Communications chief, and Richard in the press room as a working journalist reporting on the event.
Listen in as Matt and Richard discuss the build up to the race, explaining its significance to all the key players, and how the tension grew and grew all weekend before that spectacular climax where McLaren's Lewis Hamilton snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, denying Ferrari's Felipe Massa - a moment that, even today, generates plenty of emotion...
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Athletic. |
| 0:09.7 | Hello friends and welcome to another episode of |
| 0:13.4 | And Colossaly, that's history, with me, Matt Bishop. |
| 0:17.3 | And me, Richard Williams. |
| 0:18.9 | How you doing, Richard? |
| 0:20.1 | Ready to appraise another slice of motor racing history? |
| 0:23.4 | You bet I am, Matt, although I think in this case the events we're going to discuss in this episode |
| 0:28.4 | qualify more specifically as recent history, even if they took place some 17 years ago as we record this episode. |
| 0:36.5 | Indeed, but recent history is still history. But yes, 17 years ago as we record this episode. Indeed, but recent history is still history. |
| 0:39.2 | But yes, 17 years ago, my goodness, time flies when you're enjoying yourself. |
| 0:45.3 | I guess I probably speak for a lot of listeners when I say that the events of the 2008 Brazilian |
| 0:51.7 | Grand Prix, the dramatic finale to that year's Formula One World Championship, |
| 0:56.8 | and our topic today, remain fresh in my mind, not only because it was such an unforgettable |
| 1:03.0 | race, but also because I was there. In the McLaren garage at Interlagos to witness and play a part in, small part in, as the |
| 1:14.2 | teams, comms and PR chief, the whole drama. You were at Interlagos that day too, weren't you, |
| 1:21.8 | Richard? Yes, I was indeed. I was covering the event in my capacity as chief sports writer for |
| 1:26.9 | the Guardian newspaper. And I think the |
| 1:29.2 | fact that we were both in Sao Paulo working at the race in different roles will allow us to re-examine |
| 1:34.8 | and reappraise Brazil 2008, the most remarkable of sporting contests from two perspectives. |
| 1:41.8 | I hope so. McLaren's Lewis Hamilton versus Ferraris Felipe Massa for the World Championship. |
| 1:48.1 | It was a race for which the cliche, it ain't over till it's over, could have been made. |
| 1:53.2 | Most people listening to us will no doubt know that Hamilton was ultimately crowned champion ahead of Massa, |
... |
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