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The Pre Race for Round 18 of the 2008 F1 season at Sao Paulo.

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00:00When it comes to Formula One, two of the most passionate nations on Earth lie an ocean apart.
00:30The intensely loyal British and the fiercely emotional Brazilians.
00:34But each nation has gone without a homegrown world champion for more than a decade.
00:39Damon Hill last raised the Union Jack in triumph in 1996, while Ayrton Senna claimed his third and final crown in 91.
00:47Today, one country or the other will see their drought come to an end as Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Felipe Massa of Brazil go toe to toe in the final race of the 2008 season.
01:00And so after untold man hours of work, millions of dollars of investment and thousands of miles of testing and racing, two drivers representing the sport's dominant teams will decide the Formula One World Championship in a single race.
01:14Welcome to the Acura Pre-Race Show for Speed's exclusive live coverage of the final round of the 2008 Formula One season, the Brazilian Grand Prix from Sao Paulo.
01:25Hello again, everyone. I'm Bob Varsha with David Hobbs, Steve Matchett and Peter Windsor.
01:29As you can see, we have a packed house of some 80,000 pro Massa Brazilian fans.
01:35The wind is blowing. There is a strong threat of rain.
01:37But at the moment, the sun is peeking through and we have a great race in store.
01:42Let's get right to the central story of the day with our morning warm up, David.
01:47Well, the seven point deficit going into this race, Felipe Massa has an enormous pressure on his shoulder.
01:51He doesn't look like it there.
01:52Plus, he's got 80,000 fans here, crazed fans who want him to win this championship.
01:56Really? He's got to win this race to win the championship.
02:00And after practicing qualifying, he certainly looks like he should be able to achieve that goal.
02:04Massa, Hamilton and Kubica have been the class of the field this year.
02:07Massa's low point was five spins at Silverstone, but he had absolutely sublime drives in Bahrain, Turkey and especially Valencia.
02:15And he would certainly be a deserving championship.
02:17And so those 80,000 people think so.
02:19No question about that.
02:21Here's what it comes down to.
02:22Massa must finish first or second.
02:24If he wins, Lewis Hamilton must finish sixth or worse.
02:28If Massa finishes second, Hamilton must be eighth or out of the points entirely.
02:33Simply put, Massa must finish first or second to have a chance, Steve.
02:37Well, conversely, Hamilton does not need to win this race to become world champion.
02:42Consequently, he can afford to let both Ferraris sail off into the sunset to score a one two finish for the Scuderia.
02:49Hamilton's prime concern, therefore, must be the reliability of his McLaren MP4-23.
02:56He must drive conservatively, stay calm, stay on track.
03:00He must protect engine, chassis and transmission.
03:03If he's patient, protects his tires and most of all, he must bring the car home.
03:10Simply put, a top five finish for Hamilton means he is the world champion no matter where Felipe Massa finishes.
03:17But if Hamilton, for some reason, finishes sixth or worse and Massa can pull out a victory or a second place finish,
03:23the game will be on to the final lap of this race.
03:27If Massa finishes third or off the podium, even if he does not finish the race, Lewis Hamilton will be world champion.
03:35And you can be sure that men like that, Flavio Briatore, who heads up the Renault team,
03:39have been thinking about all the championship permutations in the two weeks since the last round of the championship in China.
03:46We talked there about all the points both Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa have left on the table this year.
03:52Well, right now, seven points is all that separates them.
03:55To Peter Windsor.
03:59Bob, down here on the grid, it's all about number one, the man on the pole, Felipe Massa.
04:03It's been 17 long years, as you said, since we've had a Brazilian world champion in Formula One.
04:08And guess what?
04:09He happens to drive for the biggest name in the sport, and that is Ferrari.
04:13And here in Brazil, where they know what Formula One is all about, they know what world champions are all about.
04:18The atmosphere is indescribable.
04:21Felipe Massa today on the pole for his home Grand Prix.
04:24He was only born 100 meters away from the racetrack here.
04:27That's how much it will mean for him to win today.
04:30The crowd here, everybody is behind Felipe.
04:33It is just an amazing scene.
04:35Back to you.
04:36All right.
04:36Thank you, Peter.
04:37Massa is a great story.
04:38Here is David Coulthard, pulls out of the pit lane in his specially liveried Red Bull for his final race of his career.
04:45Felipe Massa began his career on the karting track.
04:47That's a part of this complex.
04:49Now he's here as a candidate for the world championship.
04:52We'll be back.
04:55Speed's coverage of the Brazilian Grand Prix Pre-Race Show is brought to you by Acura, Acura Advance.
05:02Welcome back live to the Brazilian circuit named for Jose Carlos Pache, who won the 1975 Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix here and was tragically killed in an aircraft accident two years later.
05:16Right now, it is Felipe Massa's racetrack.
05:19And there is the man, one of two title contenders, pole sitter for this final race of the 08 season and the darling of his countrymen.
05:26Listen to his reception as we go to Peter Windsor down on the grid.
05:32Thanks very much, Bob.
05:33Everybody waiting here.
05:34The crowd have all been rehearsed by about 27 different TV crews to cheer as Felipe gets out of his car.
05:39But I don't think they need much encouragement.
05:42The atmosphere pretty tense, as you can see, as we look around the grid area for Felipe.
05:46The mechanics, as ever, looking pretty strained.
05:48Felipe quite late coming onto the grid, you've got to say.
05:50Kimi Räikkönen, let's go and have a look over here while we're waiting, Jean-Michel, at Kimi.
05:54He's looking very cool just under his umbrella here.
05:56You know what, Kimi Räikkönen is still in this race.
05:59And one of the things I like about Kimi this weekend is how much he has played the team role for Ferrari.
06:04And he's right there where he needs to be behind Felipe on the grid.
06:08So Jean-Michel, let's just get back to Jean-Michel, to Felipe.
06:11Here we are, we're honed in on Felipe Massa as he's pulled in to his pole position.
06:16An amazing feat for this driver under such enormous pressure going into the championship.
06:20Six poles, five wins this year for Felipe Massa.
06:24And I think the greatest achievement of all is that he's actually outperformed his teammate, Kimi Räikkönen, this year in the same car.
06:31That is what a real test of a driver is all about.
06:34And for Felipe Massa, that is what he had to do this year in order to be in contention at this last race.
06:40Is Isabel Conner from ING.
06:42What a fantastic atmosphere here.
06:44I know you're with the Renault team, but isn't this a brilliant day for everybody in Formula 1?
06:48It's wild.
06:49We've gone through cold.
06:50We've gone through heat.
06:51The fans are fabulous.
06:54And you know what? Even if we're with the Renault team, we're going to win.
06:57You absolutely are.
06:58And now, Felipe, going over towards the crowd.
07:01I think I'll leave this one to Jean-Michel and you guys take it back when you need to, because this is Felipe Massa.
07:09The country that have brought him to the position where he can now fight Lewis Hamilton for the World Championship.
07:14Ferrari versus McLaren, Felipe Massa versus Lewis Hamilton.
07:18This is one of the classic old grandstands at Interlagos.
07:21It's been here ever since Felipe would have raced here in touring cars right at the beginning of his career.
07:26There are much bigger grandstands packed 10, 12, 15, 20 deep around the circuit.
07:30But this is one of these great grandstands where the crowd is so close to the crowd.
07:34Felipe Massa, very cool.
07:35Going off now for what we shall call a bathroom break.
07:38And Bob, a good moment to switch back to you.
07:40All right, Peter.
07:41And from those camera shots with Peter down on the grid, you could see just how close to the racetrack those grandstands are.
07:48Felipe Massa could literally reach across the fence and shake hands with a small portion of the multitude of his countrymen who have come here to see him try to raise Ferrari to yet another championship.
08:01It's going to be a great battle.
08:03We'll be right back live to Brazil.
08:07Starting grid at what was once known as the Interlagos circuit in Brazil.
08:11Rocky Roklin on the right, race engineer with David Coulthard, shaking his share of hands as he prepares for his final Formula One start.
08:20Flavio Briatore and his wife, Elisabetta.
08:24One of the great stories of qualifying was Toyota's Jarno Trulli, and he is standing by with Peter Windsor.
08:31Jarno, congratulations.
08:32First front row start for Toyota in 55 races.
08:35But the first question is, how are you feeling?
08:37You had a fever on Thursday, Wednesday, Thursday going into this weekend.
08:39I'm still recovering, but obviously much better than I was on Thursday.
08:43So it should be a fine race.
08:45Thanks to the Toyota doctor.
08:46Anyway, the car seems also pretty competitive on this track.
08:50So this has helped me to do so far a good weekend.
08:53Jarno, what is the attitude of the drivers not in contention for the championship here?
08:56We heard rumors that you're saying you're going to let Felipe go into the first corner.
09:00What is reality?
09:01The reality is that they had 18 races to contend this championship, so they cannot rely on only one race.
09:07I will do my race and I will look after myself.
09:10Jarno, very best of luck.
09:12Great result coming, we hope.
09:14All right, thanks, Peter.
09:15There's Bernie Ecclestone, who runs Formula One in its business affairs.
09:20He's been huddling with Canadian officials this weekend.
09:23The Canadians desperate to get Montreal back on the 2008 schedule.
09:28I was speaking with Rob D'Amico at Speed Radio earlier this week.
09:31He said, well, we understand that the man who founded the Cirque du Soleil and a Montreal resident,
09:37Guy Laliberté, might be interested in supporting the race.
09:40And he said, well, aren't there enough clowns involved in running Formula One right now?
09:44Which I thought was a great line.
09:45Check out Speed Radio at speedtv.com.
09:47It's pretty cool.
09:49There's Nelson Piquet, one of three Brazilian world champions.
09:52Emerson Fittipaldi here as well.
09:55The tomb of Ayrton Senna is just on the other side of town.
09:58Let's rejoin Peter Windsor with Sebastian Bordet.
10:02Sebastian, another good qualifying session.
10:04We're just getting so used to it now with Toro Rosso Ferrari.
10:07What do you think of the atmosphere here today?
10:09Tell us what it was like on the parade lap for the drivers earlier this morning.
10:12Well, obviously, it's quite exceptional for Massa.
10:15I think, you know, to feel that you have all the population behind you must feel quite nice.
10:20But, you know, it doesn't really have pressure.
10:23All he needs to do is the best result he can.
10:25And then obviously it's Hamilton's to lose.
10:27So we'll see what happens.
10:29Your aspirations for today?
10:30Well, we'd just like to get some points.
10:32You know, we've been, we should have got some.
10:34Then we've been quite close.
10:35And now it's, you know, it'd be time to finish on some.
10:39You've driven very well this year.
10:40Congratulations.
10:41And let's hope you get some points today.
10:42Thanks.
10:44It's been quite a rookie year in Formula One for the four time American open wheel champion, Sebastian Bordet.
10:52Good luck to him and his 19 colleagues as the clock ticks down to the start of the final Formula One race of 2008.
11:00We'll be back.
11:01Formula One news.
11:02The Williams team has signed young British Formula Three driver David Coulthard.
11:06Young Scottish driver David Coulthard takes his place for the Grand Prix team for Williams for the Spanish Grand Prix.
11:1216 months into his Formula One career, David Coulthard picks up his first career victory.
11:17What a great drive for this young Scottish gentleman.
11:21Victory for the second straight year to home favourite David Coulthard.
11:27Grand Prix racer David Coulthard miraculously survived this plane crash that took the lives of both pilots.
11:32As the Scotsman, after all he has been through this last week, Coulthard comes home in second place.
11:40What?
11:41Oh, come on.
11:43That's a little much.
11:44This time David is going to get up the inside.
11:46Surely.
11:47Yes, he is.
11:48And now he's got a track position.
11:49He'll run.
11:50He'll run Michael out.
11:51That was super stuff from Coulthard.
11:53Well, I have to apologise for my hand gestures.
11:56That's not at all in keeping with the sport.
11:59This is for the lead.
12:00Coulthard going to try the inside traffic ahead.
12:02He's got it.
12:03Oh, and he uses the traffic to pin Schumacher outside.
12:06But here he comes.
12:07The Ferrari drops to second.
12:09Wow.
12:10But that was a fast.
12:12David Coulthard comes around the last turn.
12:14He's going to go across the start finish line and get the chequered flag.
12:18And he has the victory in Australia.
12:20There is David Coulthard.
12:23A lot of validation for the senior driver in Formula 1.
12:35Welcome back to the Acura pre-race show.
12:37I'm with another man at the moment.
12:38And that's David Coulthard.
12:39I don't know if you want to hear this or not, David.
12:41This is your last Grand Prix start.
12:42It is indeed.
12:43No, I didn't really want to hear it.
12:44But I've had a great journey.
12:45I've had a lot of Grand Prix.
12:46So I can't complain.
12:47This may sound condescending.
12:48But thanks for all the great interviews, the great times.
12:50You always spent time with the press.
12:52You like us to understand what you're doing.
12:54Your thoughts going into this race.
12:56What is the moment that stands out in your career that you'd like us to
12:59remember most?
13:00I think winning Monaco the second time.
13:02Because, you know, you might win Monaco once by good fortune.
13:05But I was able to go for a three-year period there.
13:08I won it one year.
13:09I was in Paul the next year.
13:11And I won it the third year.
13:13So I think that's a good thing.
13:16I won't forget it either.
13:17Thanks, David, for all the good times.
13:19Good luck today.
13:20Good luck indeed to David Coulthard who's racing a special
13:23livery this weekend with the permission of all of the teams.
13:27Honoring Wings for Life.
13:29Raising money for that charity which supports research into
13:32spinal cord injuries.
13:33We wish them the best.
13:34We have heard from the top contenders in the championship,
13:37Hamilton and Massa.
13:38We know what each man needs to do to win the title.
13:41But what do they think about their chances and about the
13:44Here's Peter Windsor with more on that.
13:47And so after 17 races, a long season,
13:50it comes down to Lewis Hamilton versus Felipe Massa.
13:53To Vodafone McLaren Mercedes versus Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro.
13:57Two drivers, two teams that couldn't be more different or in
14:00some ways more similar.
14:02I spoke to Lewis and to Felipe before the race,
14:05put to them exactly the same questions and then finished by
14:08asking an altogether different one.
14:10Best moment of the year so far.
14:12Best moment of the year.
14:16Monaco.
14:17With the help of brilliant strategy and a perfect race
14:20drive, Lewis Hamilton will win in Monaco.
14:23The best moment was the victories.
14:26It was maybe the victory in Turkey,
14:30which was the third in a row.
14:32Bahrain was very special as well.
14:34Valencia, first time there was a lot of fun.
14:37You know, the next worst moment of the year so far.
14:40Worst moment of the year.
14:45The worst moment, I would say.
14:51Hungary and Singapore, but maybe more Singapore, you know,
14:55because, you know, everything was going perfectly.
14:58Hungary was more frustrating.
15:00I would say.
15:01I would say.
15:02Oh, Masa, the last leader.
15:04He lost the engine in the Ferrari.
15:06Oh, with three laps to go.
15:08Unbelievable.
15:09What do you think about Felipe Massa?
15:11What's he like?
15:12Felipe is a cool guy.
15:14He's very competitive.
15:16He's close to his family, so we have a lot of similarities.
15:20He's got a great personality.
15:22He's a great driver.
15:23He's a great driver.
15:24He's a great driver.
15:25He's a great driver.
15:26He's a great driver.
15:27He's a great driver.
15:28He's a great driver.
15:29He's a great driver.
15:31He's got a great car, and he's obviously, this year,
15:34just really been able to exploit all of it
15:36and come back from a couple of bad races at the beginning
15:39to being very consistent.
15:41He's going to be a hard guy to beat,
15:43but we're in a great position to do so.
15:45Your thoughts on Lewis as a person?
15:47Well, I think he's, first of all, a fantastic driver,
15:51you know, very talented, great spirit.
15:57And, you know, he's here because he's sure
15:59that he has the potential, you know,
16:01and I think he's a good guy, you know, has a good family,
16:04and I think that's always important for a sportsman, you know.
16:07It's not because I'm fighting with him
16:09that I don't see him as a good driver and as a good person.
16:13You're both very spiritual, both you and Lewis,
16:16and you're not afraid to talk about that.
16:18I wonder what the man upstairs is thinking about this weekend.
16:21I don't know.
16:22For sure, you know, I always...
16:24Talking to him, you know, I always pray every night,
16:28every day I'm in the car.
16:31The only thing I do is pray to thanks for everything I have
16:35and pray for protection, you know.
16:37That's the most important thing. After that, he knows what to do.
16:40I've always been very close to my faith,
16:42and I think I already said this year
16:45I've already got a lot closer than I was,
16:49and that just means trying to show more appreciation
16:52for the fantastic life and family that I have.
16:55So, you know, he's the one that overpowers everything
16:59and sees me through all the weekends.
17:02Well, two great rivals, as you watch Jarno truly preparing.
17:06Interesting that Lewis Hamilton landed in the sport with a splash,
17:10had success immediately,
17:12while Felipe Massa kind of struggled into the sport,
17:15raced with the Sauber team,
17:16stepped away from race driving for a year
17:18to be a test driver for Ferrari
17:20and learn at the knee of Michael Schumacher.
17:22They remain close friends
17:24as Massa comes into his home Grand Prix
17:26to do battle with Batman, Lewis Hamilton.
17:29This will be one of the epic fights in Formula 1 history, I think,
17:32but we're all about to find out. Stay with us.
17:37Speed's coverage of the Brazilian Grand Prix Pre-Race Show
17:40is brought to you by Acura.
17:42Acura. Advance.
17:45Advance.
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