A DRAMATIC final lap in the final race provided a thrilling ending to a Formula One season overshadowed by uncertain economic times and an embarrassing sex scandal involving the president of motor racing's governing body.
Lewis Hamilton became the sport's youngest and first black champion with an overtaking move around the final corner of the last lap at the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix.
The 23-year-old McLaren driver finished in the absolute last spot he could - fifth - to deny Ferrari's Felipe Massa the overall title by one point after the Brazilian driver had won his home race.
Credit crunch
Still, only a month after that incredible finale, the sport was reeling from the global credit crunch as Honda's surprise pullout showed F1's inflated costs were jeopardising the series' future.
"To win the season on a high and to win the championship, you kind of forget about all the other things and you move on," said Hamilton, who overcame the disappointment of losing the title at Interlagos last year to capture what could be the first of many titles.
Hamilton, the first British champion since Damon Hill 12 years ago, opened the season with a win at the Australian GP but only really kickstarted his campaign at the Monaco GP, where a masterful performance in the rain - after he clipped his rear tyre off the wall - saw him take the F1 classic.
There were notable victories at a rainy Silverstone, Hockenheim and finally in China, in the penultimate race, to pad his narrow lead moving into Interlagos.
"It's amazing how many different things happen in a year, but all we particularly think about is how we can continue in the sport and continue to put on a good show and how we can move forward and continue to win as a team," Hamilton said.
Different championships
In 2008, seven different drivers and five different teams won races for the first time since 2003. Four different drivers led the cham-pionship, while six took pole position and 15 led races.
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who returned to Renault after a tumultuous season at McLaren, scored more points than anyone else over the past six races, with victories in Japan and F1's inaugural night race in Singapore. The Spaniard was named driver of the year.
Three drivers stood at the top of the winner's podium for the first time: Sebastian Vettel of Toro Rosso won the Italian GP to become the youngest ever race winner at 21; BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica won the Canadian GP a year after a spectacular crash at the same circuit; and Heikki Kovalainen won the Hungarian GP for McLaren.
Off the track, F1's glamorous image took a seedy twist.
Max Mosley, the head of governing body FIA, was embroiled in scandal after a British tabloid exposed his involvement in a sadomasochistic sex session with five prostitutes. Video of the incident was there for all to see on the tabloid's website in March.
Still, the 68-year-old Briton won a vote of confidence in June to see out his fourth mandate until October 2009, and has been able to push through cost-cutting measures following Honda's exit.