» Alonso, Hamilton concede title hopes are over

Eight races into the 2011 Formula 1 World Championship, and two of Sebastian Vettel’s main championship rivals have all but given up hope of taking the championship fight to runaway title leader Sebastian Vettel.

After winning the European Grand Prix yesterday, the Red Bull driver has extended his championship lead to an astounding 77 points over joint-second placed Jenson Button and Mark Webber.

Fourth in the title fight – albeit it 89 points adrift – is Lewis Hamilton, who told reporters after finishing a distant fourth on the streets of Valencia that he had no hopes of challenging for a second championship crown.

“It’s finished really, in the sense of the championship it’s almost over already,” the McLaren driver told reporters.

Also conceding defeat is Fernando Alonso, who has slipped to 99 points behind Vettel despite finishing an impressive second to the German yesterday.

“The championship is not in our calculations,” he admitted. “If anyone thinks we can win the championship being eight tenths behind (Red Bull), they don’t understand Formula One.”

[Image via LAT]