Sebastian Vettel sealed the F1 championship at the last race in Brazil - with more drama than expected along the way. A first lap spin and a tactical mistake in intermittent rain twice sent him back down the running order. He recovered to finish sixth on the day, just enough to preserve his lead over main title rival Fernando Alonso. Vettel is now the youngest triple-champion in F1 history.
Vettel finished second on the track at the German Grand Prix in Hockenheim. He was demoted to fifth, however, for a breach of the rules. Vettel left the confines of the track while making an overtake late on, meaning he was given a time penalty after the race. Vettel has never won an F1 race on home soil. At this mid-point in the season, rival Fernando Alonso looked best poised to win it all.
Many, especially beyond Germany's borders, will tout runner-up Fernando Alonso as the "driver of the season." In a Ferrari that usually appeared the third-fastest car on the grid - or worse - the 2005 and 2006 champ was frequently able to make lemonade with his lemons. In Malaysia, for instance, Alonso kept cool on a soaked track to secure a win his Ferrari could never have claimed in the dry.
He may be the son of "the Flying Finn," Keke Rosberg, but Nico Rosberg added to the list of German Grand Prix winners in China early in the season. After over 100 F1 races, the son of the 1982 champion finally opened his account from pole position in Shanghai. It was a rare high-point for Mercedes GP, which started strongly and then sank to rank mediocrity in a disappointing season.
The start of the season showed how close 2012 competition would be, with seven different drivers winning the first seven races - an unprecedented F1 occurence. One of them was Pastor Maldonado in Barcelona, bagging the first victory in almost eight years for his Williams team. It was an overdue return for the Oxfordshire outfit that dominated the mid-90's, often thwarting Michael Schumacher.
Vettel was only the fourth of seven to win a race, and the victory finally came at a venue he might not have chosen. Vettel dominated the Bahrain Grand Prix, reasserting his bid to defend his title after a slow start to the season. Yet the world was more focused on a series of public protests against Bahrain's government. As with the South African Grand Prix during Apartheid, the F1 show went on.
Kimi Raikkonen's return to F1 after a two-year hiatus was a roaring success - the kind a certain Schumacher might have wished for. The Finnish 2007 champion finished third in the title hunt - he was also the only driver to complete every racing lap and score points in every Grand Prix. Raikkonen's consistency finally paid off in Abu Dhabi, where he was able to celebrate a comeback victory.
Michael Schumacher announced his retirement from F1 at Suzuka in Japan. The 43-year-old enjoyed arguably the best season of his three-year comeback but was often the victim of pit-lane blunders by his Mercedes crew. Just as in 2006, people asked "did he jump, or was he pushed?" Schumacher only confirmed he was quitting after Mercedes signed Lewis Hamilton, leaving no room at the inn for Schumi.
Vettel tasted a disproportionate amount of podium champagne in the last third of the season; it was the key to his title. Prior to round 14 of the season in Singapore, nobody had managed to win back-to-back races. But Vettel won in Singapore, then Japan, then in Korea, and in India after that. These 100 quickfire points in four races turned the title tide in Vettel's favor - he didn't let it go.
Sebastian Vettel's 2012 Formula One world title was not as easily won as the previous year's. Competition was tight, more drivers and cars displayed race-winning pace than usual, many tasting the podium champagne.
Sebastian Vettel's 2012 Formula One world title was not as easily won as the previous year's. Competition was tight, more drivers and cars displayed race-winning pace than usual, many tasting the podium champagne.
