MOSCOW, November 25 (R-Sport) - Sebastian Vettel’s triumph in the rain in Brazil on Sunday ended one of the most exciting seasons in Formula One’s history, one in which records were smashed and legends of the sport battled emerging talents.
Of the record six former champions on the grid, it was the youngest who triumphed, doing just enough at the final-race showdown to edge out Fernando Alonso, who lost the title at the last race for the third time.
The pervasive tension, thrilling overtakes and hazardous wet conditions made it a fitting finale to a season widely hailed as one of the greatest in the sport’s history.
The first seven races produced seven winners in a first for the sport, and lesser-known drivers found themselves able to challenge the sport’s biggest names.
Vettel’s charge to glory
Sebastian Vettel again had the fastest car in the field, but his reduced advantage compared to the last two seasons allowed him to finally lay to rest some long-running criticism of his overtaking abilities.
The Red Bull only pulled clear of the field on pace towards the end of the season, and the German was forced to battle with other cars in a way he avoided last year, when he simply sped away from the rest.
Vettel came into his own on Asia’s newest circuits, winning the Singaporean, Korean and Indian Grands Prix during a four-win run that meant he entered the shootout in Brazil with a 13-point lead over Alonso.
Ferrari had seen their hopes of a title challenge dismissed by many before the season even began, with the new F2012’s sluggish performance in practice leaving the Italian giants far behind the rest on pace.
As he has done throughout his career, Alonso transcended the car’s abilities to earn consistently strong results, opening up a gulf to his struggling teammate Felipe Massa in the process.
Alonso won just three rounds, in Malaysia, Valencia and Germany, but was a constant presence near the front of the field, using his experience to dodge many of the crashes and holdups that waylaid many of his rivals.
In Brazil, he took the risk of sacrificing qualifying speed to set his car up for the wet weather he was relying on for an unlikely charge to the championship.
Alonso needed a podium finish in the rain and he achieved it despite starting seventh on the grid, but Vettel’s consistency ensured the German clung on to the lead.
Comebacks vindicated
Brazil was the last race for seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, who finally called time on his career after the largely disappointing comeback he started with Mercedes in 2010. Schumacher salvaged some pride in Valencia in May with his first top-three finish since returning to the sport, and the 43-year-old became the oldest man to finish on the podium since 1970.
Mercedes’ decision to return to the sport in 2010 was vindicated too when Nico Rosberg’s first place in China gave the German outfit its first win since quitting the sport in tragic circumstances 57 years before. Mercedes have hired Lewis Hamilton to replace Schumacher for 2013, promising an exciting future for the team.
Ex-champion Kimi Raikkonen returned with Lotus after three seasons in rallying, and finished the season third in the championship. It was testament to the Finn’s sticking power that he remained in the title race until November 4, when he won for the first time since 2009 in Abu Dhabi, but saw his mathematical title chances vanish.
On the commercial side, F1 made another attempt to return to the world’s biggest market, the United States, where all previous ventures have foundered. The race at the brand-new Circuit of the Americas in Texas was widely hailed as a triumph in front of a sellout crowd and could herald a resurgence for the sport in the U.S.
Future promise
Some stars of the future took notable steps, with Pastor Maldonado’s win in Barcelona a surprise triumph for a man who had been better known for his repeated run-ins with other drivers.
One of Maldonado’s biggest rivals, Sergio Perez, drove to three podium finishes, although a debut victory eluded him. His form saw him linked with Massa’s seat at Ferrari before McLaren swooped to sign him as Hamilton’s replacement, which will make Perez the first Mexican to drive for a leading team for over 40 years.
Raikkonen’s Lotus teammate Romain Grosjean was one of the most spectacular figures of the year, ricocheting from impressive points finishes to spectacular first-corner crashes, and being publically labeled a “nutcase” by Mark Webber of Red Bull.
Despite Grosjean’s proven pace, especially in qualifying, Lotus have yet to confirm he will stay for 2013.
Two giants of the sport
After the checkered flag in Brazil, Vettel posed for pictures with Schumacher - the only two drivers alive to have won three consecutive titles.
Schumacher bows out holding almost all of the sport’s records, but Vettel is known for his obsession with the sport’s statistics.
At the age of 25 and with the sport’s top designer Andrian Newey at Red Bull, Vettel has plenty of time to knock Schumacher off the top of some of those tables.
