Season 2008 Conclusion, End of the Season

The 2008 Formula One season was the 59th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It began on 16 March and ended on 2 November after eighteen Grands Prix. Lewis Hamilton became the Drivers' World Champion while Scuderia Ferrari won the Constructors' title. In winning the title, Hamilton became the youngest driver ever to win the title and the first black driver to do so. He was also the first British champion since Damon Hill in 1996.

There were a total of seven teams signed up to compete in the championship through an agreement with Formula One Management, with the other four major manufacturers in the Grand Prix Manufacturers’ Association (GPMA) having signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the 2006 Spanish Grand Prix. All teams in both groups have two spots each on the 2008 grid. One for each of their drivers determined through Qualifying on the Saturday of the race weekend (Sunday hosting the Grand Prix). The season sees the banning of traction control after it was re-introduced in 2001. 2008 also introduced two new street circuits. The Valencia Street Circuit and Marina Bay Street Circuit hosted the European GP and the new Singapore GP respectively. The Singapore GP was also the first Formula One event held at night.

On 14 February 2006 the FIA President Max Mosley announced that all teams interested in competing in the 2008 World Championship would have a seven-day window during which they would have to submit an application to compete. All eleven current teams applied, as well as several others. On April 28, 2006 the FIA announced that all of the current teams' applications for the 2008 season were granted, along with a new team Prodrive, fronted by the ex-BAR and Benetton principal David Richards. There were 21 applications (including the current teams and Prodrive), of which the following were notable: European Minardi F1 Team Ltd, Jordan Grand Prix, Direxiv and Carlin Motorsport. However despite the Prodrive application being accepted Richards later announced that the team would not race in 2008 due to a dispute over the legality of customer cars.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Formula_One_season


I would like to take the opportunity to welcome two new members of this blog!

I hope that they will share their thoughts with us as much as possible. I am sure they are both a great asset to this blog, and I cant wait to see their posts :)

Christopher: Introducing a new Team Member
Matej: Introducing a new Team Member

Good luck guys!!