Lewis Hamilton carves his name into Formula One history to become world champion in Brazil It was one on the most nail-biting finishes in Grand Prix history and even Lewis Hamilton could hardly believe he had done it. “I need to sit down,” he said as he clambered out of his car after becoming the youngest driver to clinch the F1 world championship. He wasn’t the only one. Millions of fans were emotionally shredded after his astonishing last-lap comeback. Greeted with a huge hug from his proud girlfriend, Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, Lewis, 23, seemed to have trouble taking it all in. “It was amazing... so close... I need to sit down… I just get my breath back,” he gasped. A short time earlier, the whizkid had been just seconds from heartbreak. With title rival Felipe Massa in the lead, he desperately needed to finish fifth or better. But he was an agonising sixth with just two corners remaining until, in an unbelievable final lap, he passed German driver Timo Glock to secure the title by a single point. The final stages of the race were chaotic – with Brazilian Massa’s Ferrari teammates celebrating his victory before breaking down in tears as they realised Lewis had pipped them. Hamilton punched the air on his victory lap in front of 70,000 fans at Interlagos, near Sao Paulo, Brazil. Over the McLaren team radio, an emotional Lewis said: “I’m speechless, that was so pretty close. You guys have done an amazing job. This is for you and my family.” He said later: “It’s pretty much impossible to put into words. It’s so special, my family are here, my dad’s here… the sacrifices that we made.” He added: “It was one of the toughest races of my life. I was over the line and thinking, ‘Do I have it? Do I have it?’ I was ecstatic.” Lewis’s dad Anthony Hamilton, who scrimped and saved to give his son his start in motor racing, said: “I really can’t find the words. It’s great – just brilliant.” He added: “It was the probably best – and absolutely the worst – few minutes of my life.” He said he was not sure if Lewis had won when he crossed the finish line. “I had to go by what everyone else did. They were jumping up and down so I assumed we must have got something. To be honest, I thought it was over. “For many laps I had to turn away, I just couldn’t bear to watch.” He added: “We came from nowhere, had a dream, worked hard, dedicated ourselves and here we are on top of the world.” Girlfriend Nicole, who had been watching the race with Lewis’s brother Nicholas, said: “He is a fantastic driver. He’s got a God-given talent but he’s also a hard worker.” Lewis becomes Britain’s ninth world champion after Mike Hawthorn, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, John Surtees, Sir Jackie Stewart, James Hunt, Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill. Three times champion Sir Jackie said: “He’s a very young man with enormous talent. There’s no reason he can’t win a lot more.” Prime Minister Gordon Brown also sent congratulations. He said: “I think the whole country is thrilled.” Lewis is set to become the richest sportsman in history with experts predicting he will be a billionaire. He is already on a £75million five year contract with McLaren and has a £10million three year sponsorship deal with Reebok. But extra sponsorship deals could see him on £1billion next year. Lewis has had a meteoric rise since McLaren signed the 10-year-old from Stevenage, Herts, to their young driver scheme. Some feared he launched himself into Formula 1 too early when he made his debut last year. But he proved them wrong, finishing his first nine races on the podium and taking his maiden victory in Canada last June. He came within a hair’s breadth of becoming the first rookie to win the world title. An unnamed fan saw his potential, placing a bet 10 years ago that he would win the title. Yesterday he collected £125,000 in Peterborough. Harry Redknapp's Tottenham reign beats 'horrible' time under Juande Ramos, says Darren Bent Darren Bent blasted his former Tottenham boss Juande Ramos, claiming his team had no "backbone" and the atmosphere at training was "horrible". Striker Bent hailed new manager Harry Redknapp as a "miracle worker" after Spurs' 2-1 win over Liverpool hauled them off the foot of the Premier League. Redknapp's swag of seven points from his first week in charge is outrageously lucky, following Tottenham's 4-4 thrashing at Arsenal and Saturday evening's stupendous robbery at White Hart Lane. But it has also exposed Spurs' breathtaking under-achievement under Ramos, whose multiple failings included a baffling reluctance to pair £30million forwards Bent and Roman Pavlyuchenko. Matchmaker Redknapp's decision to supplement lone striker Bent with Pavlyuchenko's firepower at half-time against Liverpool provided Spurs with just enough rocket fuel for the Russian to poach an undeserved injury-time winner. Bent said: "At the start of the season we weren't showing any backbone and we were getting beaten too easily, but Harry seems able to work these miracles and he's got the players believing they can win games again. "There have been comments about me and Roman not being able to play together, but it's silly to say that when they've bought him when I'm already at the club." Redknapp said: "You pay £16.5 million for Bent, then £14m for Pavlyuchenko, before you realise they can't play together. But they'll have to play together because, apart from Fraizer Campbell, they are the only strikers I've got, so we'll have to make it work." Radcliffe wins New York City Marathon Paula Radcliffe made a triumphant return to marathon racing and Martin Lel reprised his thrilling London victory to win at Sunday's New York City Marathon. Britain's world record holder Radcliffe, running her first marathon in two years after taking a maternity break and recuperating from injury, beat Gete Wami after a race-long duel with a time of two hours, 23 minutes, nine seconds. "I love this. I really enjoyed being back, full stop, and racing marathons," said Radcliffe, who gave birth to her first child, daughter Isla, in January. Radcliffe and Wami, rivals for 15 years on the track, in cross-country and on the roads, waged a two-woman race from the second mile on as they left the other elite runners behind. Wami ran behind Radcliffe, nudging past for less than 10 seconds in the final stages before the Briton surged head in the final few hundred metres in Central Park. There was some consolation for Ethiopian Wami, whose runner-up finish clinched her a $500,000 prize for winning the women's World Marathon Majors title based on points accumulated in top marathons over the last two years. In contrast to Radcliffe, Wami was running her second marathon in 35 days following her win in Berlin in order to stay ahead of twice-defending New York champion Jelena Prokopcuka in the World Marathon Majors standings. "Running a marathon in 35 days and coming in second, I feel was quite an achievement for me," Wami, who finished 23 seconds behind Radcliffe, said through an interpreter. "When Paula made the move, I found it difficult to catch up to her. I was feeling some stomach ache." Prokopcuka, trying to become the first woman to win three in a row in New York since nine-times winner Grete Waitz in 1986, finished third in 2:26:13. The Latvian needed to finish ahead of Wami and in at least third place to overtake the Ethiopian in the standings. In the men's race, Lel of Kenya pulled away from Moroccan Abderrahim Goumri in the last few hundred metres heading into Central Park for victory in 2:09:04. Lel, the 2003 New York winner who outsprinted Goumri to win by three seconds in London earlier this year, was 12 ahead of the Moroccan on Sunday. "There are many ways of killing a rat," Lel said about his tactics. "I can say that (Hendrick) Ramaala and Goumri really gave me a hard time." Goumri was shoulder to shoulder with the Kenyan as they headed for the Central Park finish but could not match his final kick. Ramaala of South Africa, the 2004 champion, finished third in 2:11:25. Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya, who won the Boston Marathon twice in addition to the 2006 Chicago race during this two-year period, had already wrapped up the first men's World Marathon Majors crown to claim the $500,000 (239, 367 pounds) jackpot. Rose wins order of merit and Volvo Masters SOTOGRANDE, Spain (Reuters) - Justin Rose rubber-stamped his European money list victory by winning a three-way playoff for the Volvo Masters title on Sunday. Rose claimed the 2007 order of merit by making the playoff against compatriot Simon Dyson and Dane Soren Kjeldsen, which he then won with a birdie at the second extra hole. Alonso out at McLaren Lewis Hamilton could be teamed up with big pal Nico Rosberg after Fernando Alonso was kicked out of McLaren yesterday. The hunt for the remarkable 22-year-old's team-mate started yesterday after the double world champion's sour 12-month relationship with his team ended on a typically poor note after news of his departure leaked out in Spain a day early. But McLaren kept their part of the bargain as the official statements yesterday confirmed the best, and the most vitriolic, pairing in Grand Prix racing was over. After handing over the email evidence in August that led to McLaren's £50million fine in the Ferrari-gate saga, it was always a case of when Alonso would leave, not if. In time-honoured Grand Prix fashion, the parting was sealed with conciliatory words neither had the time for during the mid-season mud-slinging match. But the split is the best thing that has happened to the two sides since Alonso's surprise signing a year ago. "Since I was a boy I had always wanted to drive for McLaren but sometimes in life things do not work out," said Alonso. "I continue to believe that McLaren are a great team. "Yes, we have had our ups and downs during the season, which has made it extra challenging for all of us, and it is not a secret that I never really felt at home. "I know there have been suggestions of favouritism within the team and people say a lot of things in the heat of battle but in the end I was always provided with an equal opportunity to win. Today's decision allows all of us to focus on 2008." McLaren boss Ron Dennis echoed that, saying: "He is a great driver but for some reason the combination has not really worked out and in the end we reached a stage where none of us could find a way to move forward." Now McLaren face several thorny issues. Their desire to get rid of Alonso is only matched by a determination not to have him racing against them in a competitive car. But who is prepared to take on Hamilton in his own team? And who can afford the troublesome Spaniard? Alonso wants a one-season deal as he is already being lined up by Ferrari for 2009. His most likely destination remains Renault, where he won world titles in 2005 and 2006. His current jockeying is a bid to push his asking price higher than the £12m on the table. Dennis is said to be proposing a direct swap, with Alonso trading places with Rosberg, 22, the German-born son of 1982 world champion Keke. It is an option that appeals to Hamilton, who has known Rosberg since they were team-mates in karting. The pair holidayed in Koh Samui in March. Jenson Button is an option for an all-British super team but he is in a longterm Honda deal.