Jenson Button claimed victory at the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix in Interlagos as Sebastian Vettel took his third successive Formula 1 world title after finishing sixth. The title fight almost slipped away from the German driver’s hands when he collided with Bruno Senna on lap 1 and suffered damage to his side pod and floor. Fernando Alonso drove 71 superb laps and took second place in the race and also the driver’s championship. Felipe Massa finished third after letting his teammate pass in final attempt to take the championship.
Vettel’s teammate Mark Webber took fourth ahead of the Force India of Nico Hulkenberg. The ‘Hulk’ was the race leader for a significant period and looked set to finish on the podium but spun his car on lap 49. He also collided with Lewis Hamilton during an overtaking maneuverer on lap 55 taking the Briton out from second place and earning himself a drive-through penalty.
It would have been a double points finish for Indo-British team had Paul di Resta not crashed out of ninth place on the final corner of the penultimate lap and brought out the safety car. Vettel finished sixth ahead of Micheal Schumacher who made his way up the field from 13th place. This was the final race for the seven-time world champion who had announced his retirement earlier this year.
Jean Eric Vergne in the Torro Rosso took eighth ahead of Japanese driver Kamuyi Kobayashi and Kimi Raikonnen. It had been a miserable weekend for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix winner as his race went from bad to worse due to multiple spins. Narain Karthikeyan brought his HRT home in 18th place behind team mate Pedro de la Rosa.
Retirement included Sergio Perez who was involved the lap 2 incident and Pastor Maldonado.In the constructors championship, Ferrari have beat McLaren Mercedes to second place with 400 points. Down the field Caterham claimed 10th place after finishing higher than Marussia in the race.
Going into the race it was all about the numbers game for championship contenders Vettel and Alonso with the latter having more to lose. The F1 pandits worked out multiple point scenarios, the last of which was that even if Alonso managed to finish third, Vettel would need to finish below 10th position and this was something he has not done in almost two years. Ultimately, Alonso finished in second place and Vettel in sixth allowing the German driver to seal the deal.
The weather which has always been a consistent factor in making the Brazilian race exciting played its role perfectly today. The clouds opened up on lap 35 forcing everyone to alter their strategies. Many drivers lost control at various sections of the track due to the rain.The oddest of this lot was Kimi Raikonnen who after spinning out drove for around 300 meters onto an older and disused section of the track and ultimately had to drive onto the grass to get back on track.
The Brazilian Grand Prix was also the final chapter in the 21-year-long F1 career of Michael Schumacher. The 43- year-old German had decided to hang up his helmet and boots after losing his Mercedes Benz seat to Lewis Hamilton. Despite having an inconsistent performance over the last three years, the German team has acknowledged his efforts and contributions in helping them build themselves.
The 2012 season had eight different winners in seven races and made a highly successful return to North America, we hope that the 2013 season will be just as exciting. Join us for full coverage of the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in March 2013.
Image courtesy: F1 Fanatic
