Last-gasp Lewis on top of the world

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The McLaren driver, 23, triumphed after a nail-biting Brazilian Grand Prix in which he wrested the title away from his nearest rival in the closing metres.

He was trailing in sixth after being overtaken by German driver Sebastian Vettel, but managed to clinch the fifth place needed to win the championship after sweeping past another German, Timo Glock, on the final bend.

Hamilton is the first Briton to win the Formula One crown since Damon Hill in 1996, and he is now on course to become one of the world's biggest sports stars alongside the likes of golfer Tiger Woods, tennis player Roger Federer and footballer David Beckham.

Former driving greats have predicted he will go on to win more championships, earning himself hundreds of millions of pounds in wages and sponsorship deals in the process.

Hamilton said: "It was just one of the toughest races of my life. The last corner I managed to get past Glock - and I can only thank God." He said he still did not know if he had won the title when he passed the finish line at Sao Paolo's Interlagos circuit.

Hamilton - who was watched trackside in Brazil by his family and pop star girlfriend, Pussycat Dolls' singer Nicole Scherzinger - went into the race with a seven point lead over his nearest rival, Ferrari's Felipe Massa. The Brazilian driver had the support of his home crowd and Hamilton was booed when he pushed Massa into second place by only one point.

Hamilton's father Anthony described the crowd's reaction as "a shame" and said they should have been "fair sportsmen".

Last year it was Hamilton who lost by one point, to Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen.

Hamilton joins an illustrious list of racing greats, including British drivers Nigel Mansell, James Hunt, Sir Jackie Stewart, Graham and Damon Hill, Jim Clark, John Surtees and Mike Hawthorn.