Formula One 2012

[maninblack]

They're going to have the safety car lead them all to the finish line, aren't they?

Cheers, Vettel on another WDC!

Congratulations to Button for winning the Sao Paulo GP!

Edited November 25, 2012 by maninblack

[MJB]

Petrov gets Caterham above Marussia, and still probably loses his seat for next year.

[Adam]

And an era comes to an end...again! The end of Michael Schumacher's career.

Congratulations to Vettel and Red Bull, another year and another double victory in the championship.

[Katsuya]

Caterham did it. Poor Marussia (even if Pic probably would have pulled over knowing who he was going to)

[Starvinho]

Get in there Button! Unlucky for Hamilton again, just been one of those seasons for him.

Well done Vettel and Red Bull too.

[maninblack]

Alonso looks like he could kill a man.

[Adam]

Got to say also that Alonso has driven so, so well this year. You can say he was a bit unfortunate because he dragged that Ferrari all the way to the wire when it was never really as fast as the Red Bull.

[Chris2K]

A lot of people (mainly Ferrari fans) pointing out the Vettel yellow flag incident. Some more unbiased observers pointing out who the FIA president who can penalise/disqualify Vettel is...

[Gazz]

Alonso was the best driver this year. If he had a RB8 the title race would be over by the British GP.

[Summers]

Damn you all.

[Lineker]

Holy shit what a race!

[Katsuya]

The "yellow flag" was apparently an orange and red striped one that everyone has complained about saying it's not clear enough.

Also, in fairness to Vettel, even if it were a yellow flag, Kobayashi had lost most of his front wing by that point, they could have argued that passing him would have been the safer option.

[Chris2K]

The "yellow flag" was apparently an orange and red striped one that everyone has complained about saying it's not clear enough.

The main difference when they're on those LED track-side signs is that the Yellow flag is represented by a flashing image, the Red/Yellow flag just remains still. It's more important that the drivers know that (which Vettel obviously did) than the Ferrari nut-jobs calling the whole thing a conspiracy.

[Lineker]

Sebastian Vettel hung on to win his third Formula 1 world title by finishing sixth in an astounding Brazilian Grand Prix won by Jenson Button.

Vettel's title rival Fernando Alonso battled to second in the wet/dry event, which was led for a long time by Nico Hulkenberg until the Force India clashed with Lewis Hamilton.

Despite Vettel getting involved in a first-lap crash and suffering a pit delay, he still managed to recover sufficiently to ensure that even Alonso's runner-up finish could not deny the Red Bull driver the title at the end of an epic season. Alonso's Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa took third.

Vettel's afternoon had immediately become more complicated as a tentative start and first corner in drizzly conditions dropped him to seventh, while Alonso swept around the outside to move up to fifth.

Then as the pack jostled into the Descida do Lago, Vettel made heavy contact with Bruno Senna, spinning the Red Bull and also collecting Sergio Perez.

While the Sauber and Williams were both out, Vettel was amazingly able to continue despite several wounds to his Red Bull. He then tore through the field and was up to seventh place from 22nd by lap eight.

Meanwhile Alonso charged into a potentially title-clinching third by diving past Felipe Massa and Mark Webber in a single move as they battled into the Senna S.

But an error at the same point two laps later meant Alonso lost a place to Hulkenberg, who had quickly dismissed Webber and Massa in a blistering early charge.

The McLarens still led at this stage, with Button all over Hamilton as the rain steadily increased.

The worsening conditions prompted everyone bar Button and Hulkenberg to dive to the pits for intermediates.

That initially put Alonso and Vettel down to 12th and 17th respectively, although they were both back in the top five within five laps via a mix of bold passes and others pitting.

Up front, Force India's incredible performance continued as Hulkenberg edged up behind Button before passing down the outside into the Senna S on lap 19.

By that time the pair were in a class of their own. They had been left 45s clear once the rest of the field went for intermediates, and with the shower passing, their rivals were all now having to stop.

Hulkenberg began to pull away, but debris was littering various corners from earlier incidents, and when Nico Rosberg's Mercedes picked up a puncture the decision was taken to call out the safety car.

At the restart on lap 29, Hulkenberg led Button, Hamilton, Alonso, Vettel, Kobayashi and Webber. Kobayashi and Webber immediately pounced on Vettel, although Webber ran out of space at the Senna S and shot over the run-off.

Kobayashi's charge soon took him past Alonso to fourth, although the Ferrari did not take long to regain the place, whereas Vettel had no answer to the Sauber.

Massa, who lost a lot of ground by staying on slicks too long and going to intermediates far too late, completed a recovery charge by passing both Vettel and Kobayashi to slot into fifth behind team-mate Alonso, who could not stay with the top three.

Hamilton overtook Button for second shortly after the restart, but Hulkenberg appeared comfortable in the lead until lap 49, when a half-spin at the Bico do Pato let the McLaren through.

Hulkenberg did not let the McLaren escape, and as they jostled through traffic on lap 54, the Force India slipped ahead into the Senna S, only to slide into a spin and hit Hamilton.

Despite bouncing onto two wheels, Hulkenberg was able to continue in second behind Button, although he did pick up a drive-through penalty for causing the clash. Hamilton had to retire from his McLaren farewell.

The return of the rain was a factor in the incident, and as the track became slippery again, everyone opted for intermediates. Vettel was among the first to pit, but Red Bull was not ready, leading to a long delay.

He was rapidly able to get back up to sixth, which was sufficient even with Alonso getting up to second thanks to the Hulkenberg/Hamilton tangle and some assistance from Massa, whose well-timed intermediate switch had got him ahead of his team-mate.

The race then came to a slightly underwhelming conclusion as Paul di Resta crashed heavily on the pits straight kink and brought out the safety car with a lap to go.

That clinched the win for Button, and meant that despite Ferrari's double podium finish, Vettel's sixth place gave him championship number three by a three-point margin.

Webber recovered from a variety of adventures, including an early clash with Kobayashi, to take fourth ahead of Hulkenberg and Vettel.

Michael Schumacher claimed seventh in the final race of his F1 career, despite a late brush of wheels with Kobayashi, who consequently spun to ninth behind Jean-Eric Vergne.

Superb underdog performances in the treacherous early laps led to Caterhams, Marussias and HRTs all appearing in the top 10, with Heikki Kovalainen and Timo Glock as high as sixth and seventh.

The battle ultimately came down to Charles Pic versus Vitaly Petrov for 12th place, with the Russian battling past the Frenchman to give Caterham 10th in the championship in what became 11th place when di Resta crashed.

But for that incident, Daniel Ricciardo was set to pass both Pic and Petrov, which would have given Marussia 10th place back again.

Raikkonen had a wild afternoon, starting when he nearly wiped out Vettel moments before the Senna tangle, and also including a long excursion at Juncao where the Lotus driver tried to use an access road to rejoin only to encounter a closed gate. He finished 10th.

Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado's eventful years came to messy ends with both crashing in the opening laps.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS


The Brazilian Grand Prix

Interlagos, Brazil;

71 laps; 305.909km;

Weather: Mixed conditions.


Classified:


Pos  Driver        Team                       Time

 1.  Button        McLaren-Mercedes           1h45:22.656

 2.  Alonso        Ferrari                    +     2.754

 3.  Massa         Ferrari                    +     3.615

 4.  Webber        Red Bull-Renault           +     4.936

 5.  Hulkenberg    Force India-Mercedes       +     5.708

 6.  Vettel        Red Bull-Renault           +     9.453

 7.  Schumacher    Mercedes                   +    11.900

 8.  Vergne        Toro Rosso-Ferrari         +    28.600

 9.  Kobayashi     Sauber-Ferrari             +    31.200

10.  Raikkonen     Lotus-Renault              +     1 lap

11.  Petrov        Caterham-Renault           +     1 lap

12.  Pic           Marussia-Cosworth          +     1 lap

13.  Ricciardo     Toro Rosso-Ferrari         +     1 lap

14.  Kovalainen    Caterham-Renault           +     1 lap

15.  Rosberg       Mercedes                   +     1 lap

16.  Glock         Marussia-Cosworth          +    2 laps

17.  De la Rosa    HRT-Cosworth               +    2 laps

18.  Karthikeyan   HRT-Cosworth               +    2 laps

19.  Di Resta      Force India-Mercedes       +    3 laps


Fastest lap: Hamilton, 1:18.069


Not classified/retirements:


Driver        Team                         On lap

Hamilton      McLaren-Mercedes             55

Grosjean      Lotus-Renault                6

Maldonado     Williams-Renault             2

Senna         Williams-Renault             1

Perez         Sauber-Ferrari               1


World Championship standings, round 20:                


Drivers:                    Constructors:             

 1.  Vettel       281        1.  Red Bull-Renault          460

 2.  Alonso       278        2.  Ferrari                   400

 3.  Raikkonen    207        3.  McLaren-Mercedes          378

 4.  Hamilton     190        4.  Lotus-Renault             303

 5.  Button       188        5.  Mercedes                  142

 6.  Webber       179        6.  Sauber-Ferrari            126

 7.  Massa        122        7.  Force India-Mercedes      109

 8.  Grosjean      96        8.  Williams-Renault           76

 9.  Rosberg       93        9.  Toro Rosso-Ferrari         26

10.  Perez         66       

11.  Hulkenberg    63       

12.  Kobayashi     60       

13.  Schumacher    49       

14.  Di Resta      46       

15.  Maldonado     45       

16.  Senna         31       

17.  Vergne        16       

18.  Ricciardo     10       


All timing unofficial[/code]


Sebastian Vettel believes the race that made him a three-time Formula 1 world champion was the toughest he has ever had.


The Red Bull driver dropped from fourth to seventh at the first corner, then fell to last after a collision with Bruno Senna that left him with a damaged car.


Vettel rapidly charged back to seventh place, but would bounce up and down the order for the rest of the race as the conditions ebbed and flowed from wet to dry.


He was also delayed with a slow final pitstop, before recovering to sixth - which was enough to clinch the title despite his rival Fernando Alonso finishing second.


"It was an incredible race. They tried everything to make it difficult for us today," said Vettel.


"Inside the car when you get turned around in Turn 4 for no reason, it's not the most comfortable feeling. I was quite lucky that nobody hit me from that point onwards."


Vettel believes he and Red Bull showed great fortitude after the clash.


"I think it was the toughest [race we had], but we kept believing and remained ourselves," he said.


"A lot of people tried to use dirty tricks, certain things that from our point of view that were beyond the limit and we never got irritated or distracted by that. We gave a big push to the end."


Vettel also reckons he proved a point with his surge back up the order in the tricky weather.


"This weekend, people tried to push us in a certain direction by saying when it rains it will be difficult for us," he said.


"I think we have proven today that we like wet conditions as much as dry conditions, in that case today it even helped us a little. After 10 or 20 laps I was back in fourth or fifth, right behind Fernando."


When the track dried up, Vettel said the damage to his car began to show.


"Fortunately the front wing was intact, but in the dry conditions there was no pace," he said.


"Really difficult. How do you try and keep calm? You just push and push and make a comeback."


[center][/center]

Sebastian Vettel celebrated his third consecutive world championship in the pitlane with his team, then on the start/finish straight with the fans at Interlagos.


The German eventually made his way to face the world's media in his own press conference, which was hastily-arranged as he was not one of the top three finishers.


AUTOSPORT was there to hear Vettel's thoughts on winning another world championship.


[b]Q. Has your achievement sunk in yet?


Sebastian Vettel:[/b] No. I haven't had any time for myself really yet, it is very difficult to find the right words especially after the race today - what could go wrong went wrong. But we always kept believing, instead of getting angry or frustrated, imagine you are the wrong way around at Turn 4; it looked like I had a lot of cars coming then I went off brake as everyone went in my direction so to join them I tried to go down hill and avoid cars going backwards.


We kept car damage to the limit, we saw in dry conditions the pace was not there and we were slow down straight which made it easy for others to pass us and difficult for us to pass someone. Then we then lost the radio, did a pit stop at the wrong time, got dry tyres then it rained, then the inters were not ready as I didn't have radio, then we got caught up in the wet conditions.


Fortunately the pace was there - you could make up for the loss of car pace by driving different lines and doing something different to others, then to limp home under safety car – obviously at that moment I didn't know if it was enough. I was told a couple of laps before it was fine then I saw the crash of Nico [Hulkenberg]/[Lewis] Hamilton and I knew Fernando was ahead and I know they were ahead of him so I didn't know, then to get told was unbelievable but the guys couldn't hear my answer as the radio was broken.


I am still full of adrenaline, it was an incredible race today, harder for us, not just the others, the circumstances with the damage on the car, losing radio in these conditions when communications is so crucial, stopping early, not having tyres ready. You guys had your show and we had to really fight until the end.


[b]Q. What does it mean to be the youngest triple world champion?


SV:[/b] It is difficult to find the right words. I think there are two guys who have done that before, obviously you need be in the right place at the right time, but I also believe that you can create your own luck and work for what is coming up. I think one of the great things about F1 is that you can compare your time, your era to 10/20/30/40 years ago.


Times have changed but they will keep changing because that is what we do, if you look around world there are lots of things that have changes around the world, in everyday life...I don't know what to say.


We are in Sao Paulo here, where Ayrton Senna was born and came from and the place where he was buried and to come here and win for the third time the championship I don't really know what to say.


I have to say a big thanks to everyone in the team - for you this sounds like a standard phrase and sometimes we get criticised for bringing out standard phrases, I feel like one of the guys at the team. I don't feel more important or less important and I drive the car. What we achieved today was what we have been working for since I joined the team; it is a massive amount of work getting done through the whole year.


Tomorrow the season is over and the guys are flat out on the RB9 and next year. You cannot afford to lift and obviously I think I am in a very, very fortunate position compared to many guys in the team but you don't do this job – there might be some, but all the guys in the garage and I know in the factory – you don't do this job because you care what is written on cheque at the end of the month, you do this job because you love motorsport, F1.


I said to the guys yesterday, am I nervous? I said yes, otherwise what I am doing here. If not why I am here? I am nervous every time so we are in groove, when lights go off we are sharp and we are there. Today we had many occasions where you need to be present otherwise it goes wrong.


We were present all the time, we remained ourselves through the whole year – even if people did some things that we would never consider to do – it is not in our hands to write and comment so much – we have to make sure we do our own homework.


I said many times, sometimes people scream for Alonso, Rosberg, Schumacher - that is not the point, you are one of them and it is a privilege to race in front of a huge crowd. And having the chance we have had today makes it more enjoyable, many times in these kind of situations, it is so easy to lose focus.


We have won 2010, 2011 and we had a very smart guy who was telling me the hardest thing was winning after winning, you get the attention and you get the pressure, you focus on how to win again rather than small steps. That is why I try to remember myself, it is another day and another race, make sure we enjoy and it is fine.


[b]Q. What happened with the accident on the first lap?


SV:[/b] The start was quite good, I was quite happy then a bit early on the KERS and didn't get it until Turn 1, side by side with Mark and he squeezed me so angle gets worse and worse. If you are stubborn and aim for the apex, everyone turns in and you could lose your front wing.


I had to back off, down to first gear and everyone around the outside used momentum and I lost those positions. I got hit in Turn 4 for no reasons, I think someone, Bruno, was probably fighting someone, it was drizzling since the start of formation lap, it was slippery and maybe he forgot. It was the same thing as I said on Turn 1, the angle gets narrower and I was car he used to stop himself, it didn't help us.


[b]Q. Was this your hardest title, and does that make it more rewarding?


SV:[/b] I think it is always difficult because in the end you compare to something that happened in the past and it is not as present in our heads as this one. Nevertheless it was a very tough season for us, on track, off track. A season with ups and downs for everyone, but as I mentioned before we remained ourselves and kept doing it our way and that made the difference.


I think for us and me, it is being happy with what you see in the mirror and you are happy with yourself, why try and fake being someone else, being someone else you know if you're cheating and cheating yourself.


It was tough as people tried everything inside the lines, outside the lines to beat us, the amount of questions we had to deal with, stuff we had to deal with during the season – the key was to remain ourselves and that made the difference.


I am not holy, I have made mistakes like everyone else but the way I was brought up was to be honest if you do something wrong. In Q3 I was pushing too hard and overstepped the mark so that wasn't perfect and I have no problem to admit that. I was brought up that way and I also believe that is the reason why we succeeded in the end.


[b]Q. Is the next challenge winning a title with another team?


SV:[/b] I want to enjoy now. I tried to explain to you that for the whole team the most important thing is the present, I don't want to get carried away with next year or next years, I want to have a good time tonight and let's see how long… Sometimes at some stage you have to charge your batteries, come back in shape next season.


I am with the team, I have a contract until the end of 2014, I am very happy with what we have achieved so far and this story isn't over yet. I am very happy and extremely committed to give everything I have in the next years and at the moment I don't see any point about seeing another team or something else.


I am extremely happy in the position I am and it is incredible what we have achieved…Christian came on radio and mentioned names who have achieved similar and he forgot Prost. I didn't have radio so couldn't tell him! He mentioned all of them except Prost, he said they forgot Prost and he had four!


It has been a tough season, seven different winners in seven different races, ups and downs for everyone. Back then I knew every place, every point will matter. In the end it was closer than we hoped for but at some stage people were not mentioning us when they talked about championship.


It was important we kept believing and since the start of season we were fighting with our car, a car that wasn't similar to last year. I couldn't use my tricks or my style to make it work and manipulate it, I didn't have enough rear stability to work with the brakes and get car to corner/apex – we tried everything and I think at some stage we did a step that was big enough and in the right direction that allowed me to do more that I like.


And it came naturally in our direction, we picked up the pace, more competitive and in better position. It was tough some races, not a piece of cake – obviously everyone lost a lot of downforce and stability.


We were always up against it, we focused on every single step, we tried to work on the car, sometimes made steps in wrong direction, we paid the price and maybe learned not to confuse ourselves too much. You make mistakes and you learn from them and cars get better.


[b]Q. Was this the hardest race of your career?[/b]


[b]SV:[/b] I said it on the radio but you didn't hear it – I said for sure it was the toughest race. Not just being in a situation of fighting for the championship means you are not on holiday - look at stuff that went wrong: it's hard enough if you lose radio, any circumstances you need to talk, then we got turned around and car damaged, on lap one we were dead last and we came back, changeable conditions all the time, we did a stop for nothing, which cost us 20-22 seconds and we had to come in when it started to rain a lap after.


Still we finished sixth so it was still a very good result. Some races we would have been happy to have finished sixth, we can be very happy with that and it happened to be last race and championship decider and it went in our favour so there's not much more to say.


[center][/center]

Red Bull boss Christian Horner labelled the Brazilian Grand Prix as the most stressful race he had experienced in his career.


Horner oversaw Sebastian Vettel bounce back from a first lap crash, radio problems and botched pitstops to take the points that he needed to become Formula 1's youngest triple champion.


And with Vettel himself having admitted that it had been the hardest race of his career - Horner was in no doubts that the Interlagos finale would stick in his mind for different reasons.


"I can't think of a more stressful race than that race," he said. "I mean, it had everything going on in it.


"From the first lap, with Seb getting turned around – and thankfully the rest of the field missed him. It did quite a lot of damage to the floor and the exhaust on the left-hand side. But then he got himself going again. His pace in the damp was unbelievable.


"He got himself going, and then came back through the field to get the ultimate position. He was up to about sixth or seventh and just kept pushing and getting himself back in there, and then the rain came, so we went on to inters. Then the rain stopped, so we went back onto the harder tyre.


"I think as the circuit dried out it became more obvious the problems he had were affecting the balance of the car. And then we needed to change tyres because basically there was no way he would have got to the end on that set.


"By this point we lost radio and we couldn't hear him any more. He pitted, went out on the softer tyre at the end, and then the rain started to increase significantly, so we had to get him back in.


"He said he couldn't hear what we were saying and we weren't ready for him. And then it was a question of closing out those final laps."


Horner said that Red Bull approached the race deliberately not focused on just shadowing what Ferrari did, and instead reckoned its best chances were by worrying about itself only.


"We spoke about that before the race and made it quite clear, let's not be sucked into just covering Ferrari because the race wasn't just about Ferrari, it was about getting the best result and let's try and make the right calls at the right time.


"I think by and large we did that today. I think the only thing that got us into a bit of difficulty was because of the degradation after the damage to the car and when the circuit dried out.


"We had to stop, and it was too dry for inters, but in a lap or two, it was too wet for slicks, so we had to stop again. So that was the trickiest moment in the race."


Mark Webber believes his Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel has achieved something "very, very special" by clinching his third consecutive Formula 1 world championship.


Vettel was able to claim the 2012 title with sixth place in a wild race in Brazil, as his championship rival Fernando Alonso finished second.


"He's in a club on his own now," Webber said of Vettel.


"Very, very special to do it three times in a row.


"Last year was a little more straightforward, this year was a bit more difficult, as was 2010.


"Three in a row is going some, for sure. So I congratulate him, it's a great effort."


Webber almost made contact with Vettel at the restart following the mid-race safety car, before diving onto the run-off.


"I was up nice and high and I was trying to get back into it but I was on the white line and I had absolutely no grip," said Webber, who had previously fallen down the order in a collision with Kamui Kobayashi.


"I tried to go wide and stay away from Sebastian."


The Australian eventually finished fourth, and said the Red Bull had been tough to drive in the conditions.


"It was quite a tricky race for Seb and I," Webber said.


"The temperature wasn't super-easy for us to get into the car.


"It didn't disappoint in terms of drama, did it?"


Bruno Senna believes Sebastian Vettel cannot have seen him in their early clash in the Brazilian Grand Prix.


Vettel's world championship chances came under threat after his Red Bull made contact with Senna's Williams at Descida do Lago on the opening lap.


Senna had been battling with Paul di Resta at the time, while Vettel had already fallen to seventh due to a poor start.


"It was a great start and I had a good run on di Resta into Turn 4," said Senna.


"Unfortunately Sebastian was on the outside and dived to the apex, and obviously didn't see me so hit me very hard.


"I spun and was hit by [sergio] Perez. Not the end to the Brazilian Grand Prix I wanted, but sometimes in racing that happens."


The incident spun Vettel to the tail of the field and caused damage to his Red Bull. He was nevertheless able to continue and was running seventh at half-distance.


Fernando Alonso labelled his and Ferrari's 2012 Formula 1 efforts as perfect despite losing out to Sebastian Vettel in the championship battle after a thrilling Brazilian Grand Prix.


The Spaniard went into the season finale 13 points behind Vettel and, during some stages of the race, Alonso was in a situation that would have allowed him to clinch his third title.


In the end, however, Alonso came in second and Vettel was sixth, a result that gave the Red Bull driver his third title by three points.


The Ferrari driver insisted his team had every reason to be extremely proud of its season, and said the title had not been lost in Brazil.


"The championship was not lost here," said Alonso. "The championship was lost when [Romain] Grosjean flew over my head [at Spa] or when Vettel surprisingly only got a reprimand after qualifying in Japan.


"There's been situations during the season that make you think of these three points, but that's the sport. Even though I finished second in the points I have never had such respect and the affection from everybody in the paddock.


"This is the first time that I have got drivers, ex-drivers, teams, fans to say that we have done the best championship. We'll be back as strong in 2013, because it would be harder to be stronger. I have a great feeling after 2012, by far the best year of my career."


Alonso said the Brazilian race was a good example of what his season has been like, with him charging through the field to finish on the podium despite his car having not been as strong as its rivals' in qualifying.


Alonso had started the race from seventh position.


The two-time champion reiterated his belief that it was a miracle he was still in the championship fight until the final laps.


"We tried to do the best as usual. We were starting seventh and we finished on the podium again, like we have been doing all season," he said. "I think we didn't have the quickest car, as it has been obvious in all races, and it was a miracle that we were fighting for the championship here.


"And it was a miracle until the final lap, because thanks to the team's perfect work we have found ourselves in this position. And even though we lost the championship today, we have to be proud to have finished second.


"We are Formula 1 championship runners-up and not everybody can say that. And when you fight with all your heart and all your strength for so many months, without making a single mistake, neither the team or me, we have to be very proud."


Stefano Domenicali believes Fernando Alonso was the driver who deserved the world championship the most, after missing out to Sebastian Vettel in Brazil.


Alonso finished second at Interlagos but Vettel's recovery to sixth from a first lap spin that put him at the back of the field was enough for him to clinch the crown by three points.


Domenicali reckons that the fact Alonso had come so close despite his costly first lap exits in Belgium and Japan was reason to feel huge disappointment about the outcome - but intense satisfaction at the job his driver had done.


"Yes, we are proud of him," he said. "But we are very disappointed because the one who deserved this championship was really him.


"It is a shame because, after such a long season that we really fight in all conditions, we raced 18 races and not 20 - and being second by three points is not a lot. But that is the way it is."


Domenicali suggested that Ferrari was fighting an unstoppable force in Vettel, something which could be judged by the way that the German went from a disastrous opening lap to secure his third crown.


"Sometimes there is a sign of destiny where you really can appreciate what is the direction of the wind," he said.


"After the first lap, after seeing what has happened and what was the outcome of the first lap, you start to think wow! For sure we need to do a better job next year."


Domenicali also said that there was no doubt that Alonso's title was wrecked in Belgium and Japan, and not lost in Brazil.


"Watch the facts," he said. "Zero points in two races so we have done what we have done with 18 races. The others had 20 – and the points were over 20 races. These are facts, not words."


Felipe Massa believes his form in the latter stages of the 2012 season leaves him in good shape for next year, following his podium finish in the Brazilian Grand Prix.


The Brazilian came third at Interlagos, his best finish on home soil since he won the race in 2008 but narrowly missed out on the championship to Lewis Hamilton.


Massa was in tears as he walked onto the podium with race winner Jenson Button and Ferrari team-mate Fernando Alonso, who he will partner again next year.


"I don't know what to say or feel," he said. "It was such an emotion to race here and I think the race was really fantastic.


"The second part of the year was preparation for next year. What happened during the year, everything came together.


"The first part of the season was a disaster but after that it was completely different, doing what I know, performance I know."


Massa added that it was an emotional feeling to stand on the podium in Brazil for the first time since his 2008 championship near-miss.


"So many things happened from the last time I came through that [podium] door," he said.


"It was actually not a great time of my career but I think I learned a lot. It was a life experience.


"The most important thing is to understand and go back to a good direction, which I always believed I could do.


"Coming back was a great feeling. I was competitive all weekend here, even in the race with the problems I had.


"I was always competitive and I think that is really what makes me proud to be here."


Jenson Button described the Brazilian Grand Prix as an extraordinarily tough race after emerging on top of a nailbiting event.


The McLaren driver, starting from second behind team-mate Lewis Hamilton, first fought with his compatriot and then with Force India's Nico Hulkenberg as the weather made the conditions very tricky on track.


Button's path towards victory was cleared when Hulkenberg and Hamilton collided, the Briton retiring and the German getting a penalty.


The win was Button's third of the 2012 season and it means he finished just two points behind Hamilton.


"One of the toughest races I have ever had," said Button. "The conditions were very tricky and at that point many times where you think inters are the right tyre.


"You are locking up the tyres here and there. You just have to push to the limit and wait for the team to give you the info. It is not just about driving the car, you need all the info out there.


"It was a really good race, and things were made difficult with the first safety car. The race was between me and Nico then, so it was made a lot more difficult and when I came in I struggled."


Button admitted he was sorry Hamilton had to retire from the race, as he was enjoying the battle with him.


"It's sad that Lewis isn't here to enjoy his last race with the team but that is racing and these things happen.


"I would like to bid him farewell. We had a good time together that last three years and we proved it in the first 10 laps when we had a good fight."


The McLaren racer also praised Hulkenberg's effort.


"I don't think we expected to see a Force India today," he said. "F1 is closer in terms of regulations. Not having many regulation changes brings the field very close and we will see that next year."


Lewis Hamilton said he was disappointed that Nico Hulkenberg did not apologise for their collision which put him out of the Brazilian Grand Prix.


Hamilton and Hulkenberg were battling each other for the lead when the Force India driver spun and hit the McLaren at Turn 1, forcing Hamilton out of his final race before switching to Mercedes for 2013.


Hulkenberg was given a drive-through penalty for causing a collision, but went on to finish fifth while Jenson Button - who was third at the time of the incident - went on to win.


"It was a little bit unfortunate," said Hamilton. "The dude didn't even say sorry. So that says a lot.


"That's what happens when you race with the less experienced. I feel OK, and I feel happy for the team to get the win."


Hamilton added that he had mixed feelings now that his time racing for McLaren has come to an end.


"I feel a little bit like 2007," he said in reference to the championship he lost to Kimi Raikkonen at the final race. "I feel a little bit numb.


"It's mixed emotions at the moment. We were leading and we didn't get to see through the race. I always like to see through the race.


"Then, I'm also excited for the future. Having a new start next year and then hopefully, at some stage, I'll have a little bit of luck."


Nico Hulkenberg believes he can still be very proud of his Brazilian Grand Prix drive despite clashing with Lewis Hamilton and falling from first to fifth.


The German driver starred during the Interlagos event, overtaking the McLaren drivers to lead the race at various points.


But the Force India driver was given a penalty for crashing with Hamilton when trying to pass the Briton for the lead.


Hamilton was upset, but McLaren said after the race that Hulkenberg had apologised for their clash.


Hulkenberg, who will drive for Sauber next year, believes fifth was still a great leaving present for Force India.


"I'm not too disappointed," he said. "Fifth place is still a good result.


"I think I've learned a lot in this race. My first kilometres leading a race, and fighting with the top guys, so it was pretty eventful and a hell of a race.


"I'm proud of what we've done and my drive. It's not perfect but I'm still happy."


He felt the collision with Hamilton was a simple racing accident.


"It was quite unfortunately obviously," Hulkenberg said.


"We were challenging and we had Timo [Glock] and Heikki [Kovalainen] into Turn 1 as well.


"I think Lewis ran out of space with Heikki and was a bit irritated there. I obviously decided to make a move into Turn 1 and was on the damp side of the track and lost the rear a little bit. Unfortunately we collided.


"Looking at the incident I think it's just one of those things in racing. I think he could've turned away a bit. But the way it worked wasn't good for either of us."


Team-mate Paul di Resta retired from the race when running in eighth position, the Scot crashing out two laps from the end.


"When we went back to the intermediates in the closing stages we were more competitive and I was up in eighth place," he said.


"Unfortunately with a lap to go I aquaplaned in the final corner. It was a big hit with the wall, but I'm OK."


Sergio Perez admitted he was extremely sad to end his final race with Sauber with an opening-lap retirement in Brazil.


The Mexican, who will drive for McLaren next year, was involved the third-corner crash in which Bruno Senna made contact with world champion Sebastian Vettel.


Perez's car was too badly damaged to continue, which meant he has failed to score any points in the six races following the McLaren deal announcement.


"A very sad way to end my career at Sauber," Perez said.


"I was gaining some positions going into the first corner and then suddenly I was on the inside to try and avoid some contact and then everybody came into me - I think Bruno and Sebastian.


"So I had very big damage to the car. A very sad way to end my season."


Team-mate Kamui Kobayashi, still without a drive for next year, finished in ninth position in his last race with the Swiss squad.


The Japanese driver was pleased with his performance, despite a late spin when making contact with Michael Schumacher.


"Overall I think it was a really good race," he said. "I was able to do my own race and fight. I am happy for the team and for myself that we have scored points in this our last race together.


"I want to thank Sauber for the good times we have had and now I will try to find myself a Formula 1 cockpit for next year."


Michael Schumacher was delighted that he was able to recover to seventh place in his final Formula 1 grand prix, despite an early puncture.


In a incident-packed race, Schumacher fell to the back of the field in the opening laps but got up to sixth before being passed by title-bound Sebastian Vettel in late on.


"It's been a pretty big challenge because obviously I had the puncture and was at the back again," said Schumacher.


"It took some memories back to 2006 when the same thing happened to me.


"Luckily I have the nature of not giving up and always trying to find a solution, and it worked out."


He admitted it was poignant to see his friend and compatriot Vettel claim the title on the day he waved goodbye to the sport.


"It's obviously a nice ending if you see the story I'm finishing off here," said Schumacher.


"In a way it does remind me of 2003 when I had a similar struggle and just managed by a point to win the championship.


"I'm proud of him. He's a good friend of mine."


Schumacher's race also included a hard-fought battle with Kimi Raikkonen.


"People are here to see a show, so you might as well put one on," said the Mercedes driver.


"Give it a go and give it the maximum. I was having a go, and at certain moments you need to accept that there isn't the space and admit defeat."


He added that he was incredibly grateful for the support he had received from fans during his ultimately disappointing return with Mercedes.


"It has been a beautiful time," said Schumacher.


"Lots of exciting moments we shared, and lots of tough moments.


"The most incredible thing in a way is that I felt a lot of support in these last three years and they have been the most difficult years for me.


"But the fans have always been behind me."


Ross Brawn believes Michael Schumacher "showed all of his skills" to salvage a points finish in the Brazilian Grand Prix after suffering a puncture early on.


Schumacher was competing in his final race in Formula 1, having announced his retirement from the sport for a second time following Mercedes' decision to sign Lewis Hamilton for 2013.


After suffering a puncture early in the race Schumacher got himself back into the points, and Brawn believes it was a drive which showed the seven-time world champion at his best.


"Michael showed all of the skills that we know he has today to salvage his race; considered overtaking, good decisions on tyre strategy, and he kept the car on the road to bring us some points," said Brawn.


"It was a nice way to finish the season and his career with us."


Brawn added that while Schumacher's F1 comeback was not as successful as both he and Mercedes were hoping when he returned in 2010, the three-year spell was still special.


"In terms of results, Michael's second spell in Formula 1 hasn't been as special but it has been so for all of us who have had the privilege of working with him," he said.


"It has been a real honour for all of the boys and girls at our team, and working alongside Michael gives you an understanding or why he is so special and has achieved seven world championships.


"He will be missed and we all wish him the very best for the future."


Caterham team boss Cyril Abiteboul believes the team deserved the 10th place in the Formula 1 constructors' championship it took from Marussia in the Brazilian Grand Prix.


Vitaly Petrov's 11th place finish moved Caterham ahead of its back-of-the-grid rival Marussia, which had taken 10th in the constructors' standings when Timo Glock finished 12th in Singapore.


Abiteboul said after the season finale that while Caterham had not done a good enough job in 2012, the team still deserved to land 10th in the standings for the third year running.


"On behalf of the whole team I want to say how proud we are of the job we've done today," he said.


"It's been a tough year, one where we have not performed at the level we want to, but today we have very good reason to celebrate.


"On balance, we deserved to regain 10th place. Our results over the whole season were better than our nearest rivals and when it mattered we were able to seize the opportunity that came our way.


"That is the mark of a good team and it means we head into the winter break and next year in a positive frame of mind."


Petrov said it meant a lot to him to land the team the result it needed to overhaul Marussia.


"Seeing what regaining 10th place in the championship meant to everyone when I got back to the garage was really special," said the Russian.


"I think we deserve it after all the hard work we've put in through the whole year.


"Now we can celebrate and everyone has earned it - all the team on track, the factory back in Leafield, our team partners and our technical partners Renault Sport and Red Bull technologies."


Marussia boss John Booth described losing 10th place in the Formula 1 constructors' championship to Caterham in the Brazilian Grand Prix as a huge emotional blow for his team.


Marussia had moved ahead of Caterham after Timo Glock finished 12th in the Singapore GP.


A thrilling Interlagos race gave both teams the chance to get their best result of the year, and Caterham's Vitaly Petrov passed Charles Pic for 12th position near the end of the race.


The result, which turned into 11th after Paul di Resta crashed out, moved Caterham back into the crucial 10th position that will mean a financial boost for the team.


Booth admitted it was a devastating moment for Marussia.


"Today is an emotional day for everyone involved with the Marussia team. Tenth place has eluded us after such a long fight and, naturally, 'disappointed' doesn't even come close," said Booth.


"We made all the right calls and our strategy worked out perfectly, but in the end we lost out due to factors beyond our control. Here's to 2013, the advantage of KERS and some very encouraging signs that things can only get better for us."


The team boss was nonetheless encouraged by the progress made by Marussia during the 2012 season.


"Much has been made of closing the gap to Caterham, but at the same time we have reduced the delta to the midfield and the front of the field," he added.


"For example, in Australia the gap between our own fastest lap and the winner's fastest lap was 4.5 per cent, whilst in the closing stages of the season we have reduced that to 2.5 per cent - again, without KERS. So if we reflect on our big picture, it is even more encouraging than may have been apparent."


Pic, who will move from Marussia to Caterham next year, believes he put on one of his strongest performances of the year.


"Although the outcome is disappointing, I think today was one of my best races for the team," he said. "Our strategy was the right one and I pushed very hard the whole race. The conditions were not easy; it was very slippery but the car was quite well-balanced and we put up the best possible fight.


"In the end, we just lost out unfortunately. My thanks to everyone in the team for a fantastic debut season in F1. We have fought so hard all year and I wish the team the very best next season."


Kimi Raikkonen says he knew where he was going when he tried to drive through a escape road after going off during the Brazilian Grand Prix.


The Finn went off-track on lap 52 and tried to rejoin by using an access road.


A gate in front of him was closed, however, and the Lotus driver had to turn around and drive through the grass in order to find the circuit again.


"I went off at the last corner on lap 52 as I couldn't see well with my visor being dirty and fogged up," said Raikkonen, who finished in 10th position to become the only driver to have finished all races in 2012.


"Where I went off you can get back on the track by going through the support race pitlane, but you have to go through a gate.


"I know this as I did the same thing in 2001 and the gate was open that year. Somebody closed it this time.


"Next year I'll make sure it's open again..."


Team-mate Romain Grosjean crashed out of the race after losing control of his car on lap six.


The Frenchman had a 9.5g impact but was uninjured.


"I'm a little bit shaken but otherwise not too bad," he said.


"Everything was nicely under control at the start of the race then it all ended very suddenly at Turn 11.


"It was a strange one; I could see it was raining a bit more so I was taking it even easier than on the lap before, then suddenly the car just went from underneath me and that was it.


"I've not had much luck this weekend and that's definitely not the way I wanted to end the season, but overall it's been a good year and hopefully there will be many better days to come."

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Japanese car manufacturer Infiniti is to increase its Formula 1 involvement with Red Bull next year after agreeing to become title sponsor of the team.

On the back of a new four-year sponsorship agreement with the triple constructors' champion, Infiniti has taken the naming rights for the outfit. It will officially become known as 'Infiniti Red Bull Racing' from 2013.

There will also be a fresh push to increase technical collaboration between Red Bull and Renault-owned Infiniti so they can work together on a number of engineering projects, including energy recovery systems for 2014.

Red Bull's chief technical officer Adrian Newey said: "Formula 1 presents immense design and engineering challenges on a daily basis.

"Having a committed technical partner like Infiniti gives us a great platform for working together on technical projects, such as the Energy Recovery Systems for the 2014 season."

Renault has ruled out the possibility of rebranding Red Bull's engines as Infiniti in the future, despite the luxury Japanese car brand becoming the outfit's title sponsor.

Infiniti, which is owned by Renault, announced on Sunday that it is expanding its sponsorship involvement with Red Bull and will take on naming rights from next year.

That move prompted speculation that it could go as far as including a rebranding of the team's Renault engines, but the French carmaker has insisted that will not happen.

Asked by AUTOSPORT about that possibility, Renault chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn replied: "No. We don't want any confusion at the level of the alliance between who does what.

"Renault changed and adapted its strategy in 2008 where most of the [manufacturer] teams went out of F1 and Renault stayed.

"Instead of being a one-team player we wanted to be a multi-team player by being at the heart of the competition - which is an engine.

"Having Renault supplying today one third of all the cars running, and being for the third year in a row champion with Red Bull, is a validation of the strategy we have taken."

Ghosn said that with Renault's on-track activities having been a success, it was now vital that the company fully exploited this in terms of marketing and increasing road car sales.

"The only point that is missing now is the link between what Renault is doing in F1 and the cars we are putting on the markets.

"This link will be through three particular points that we want to emphasise and you are going to see through the efforts of Renault marketing cars – technological innovation, fuel efficiency and reliability.

"These are the three points that everyone can see in F1, that we are selling and trying to market in different markets.

"Infiniti, as a premium car producer and marketer, associating its name to Red Bull-Renault, through thorough and sophisticated marketing efforts, brings the awareness of the Infiniti brand higher and reaches a level that we were targeting."

Renault is open to expanding its Formula 1 engine supply deals beyond its current four teams for 2014 - but only as long as it does not hurt its chances of more success with works squad Red Bull.

With the possibility of there being only three engine manufacturers after next year, Renault, Mercedes or Ferrari might have to increase their customer numbers.

Renault CEO and chairman Carlos Ghosn confirmed in Brazil on Sunday that the French car manufacturer would be happy to supply as many teams as necessary.

"Why not?" he said when asked by AUTOSPORT about the chances of more customers for 2014.

"We will provide as many teams as is allowed by the rules because there are some rules and we will follow the rules. But there is no problem. Our technology is not limited to some teams.

"We are ready to offer our technology for more teams. But the condition is not to dilute the attention to the teams who are winning – for us preserving a very strong technological support for Red Bull is a priority.

"We want to make sure that we are always with the team that wins and can compete, but at the same time we are ready to supply the technology to other teams."

F1's rules currently limit manufacturers to supply a maximum of three teams, unless they have been given approval by the FIA for more. Renault supplies Red Bull, Lotus, Williams and Caterham at present.

Ghosn also said that the move to more environmentally-friendly technology from 2014 – with 1.6-litre V6 turbos coming in – was welcomed by Renault.

"Remember in 2008 when we made the change of strategy and said we are going to become an engine provider, the condition was F1 would move towards more environmentally friendly technologies," he said.

"We didn't say we need electric cars. We just said that we'll stay and we will continue to contribute as long as the technology is moving towards being more environmentally friendly. And that is what is taking place."

Mark Gillan, Williams's chief operations engineer, believes that the FIA should consider changing Formula 1 weighbridge procedures following Pastor Maldonado's 10-place grid penalty in Brazil.

Gillan accepted Maldonado's reprimand, which was the Venezuelan's third of the season and automatically triggered the grid penalty.

But despite that, Gillan believes that a repeat of such an error could be avoided if teams were notified of weighbridge calls so they could alert their drivers by radio in advance.

"It's maybe something that we should discuss in the TWG [technical working group] or on the sporting side for the future because it's in no one's interest for that to happen," said Gillan when asked about the mistake by AUTOSPORT.

"It's quite difficult around here, but it's the same for everybody so we take the penalty and move on."

Gillan accepted Maldonado's claim that the red light was difficult to spot having seen the on-car camera footage.

He added that it was unusual for a car to be called in after a first Q2 run, which might have contributed to Maldonado not being vigilant enough.

"Honestly, he didn't see it," said Gillan.

"We reviewed the in-car footage and it is very, very difficult [to see]. The light came on just as he was coming over the brow of the hill.

"He didn't have much time to see it and even from the rollhoop camera, it's difficult.

"But he did go through it, we can't argue that.

"It is unusual in the first run in Q2. I don't remember that happening before."

Gillan accepted that it was unfortunate that a relatively minor incident, for which a reprimand is the standard punishment, triggered the 10-place grid penalty, dropping Maldonado from sixth to 16th.

He cited Maldonado's clean record since he received penalties for a jump-start and then hitting Timo Glock at the Belgian Grand Prix as proof that his driver has improved.

"It's a long time ago and Pastor has had no issues since, so it's disappointing," said Gillan. "He's been quick today."

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Red Bull feared that Sebastian Vettel would be forced out of the Brazilian Grand Prix as the result of his opening lap clash with Bruno Senna.

The German was spun after colliding with Senna on the entry to Turn 4, and he was hit again by the Brazilian when his Red Bull was facing the wrong way.

The contact badly damaged the rear bodywork of Vettel's Red Bull car, and left team chiefs on the pit wall worrying that their title chances were about to be derailed.

When asked if there was concern that the damage was big enough to cause Vettel to retire, team principal Christian Horner said: "Absolutely.

"There was quite a lot of damage to the exhaust and they're sensitive bits of equipment. So for them to receive an impact like that, of course, it was massively concerning."

Red Bull technical chief Adrian Newey believed that the damage to the car was at the absolute limit of what it could take.

"It's probably about as bad as you can possibly have and still finish the race," he told AUTOSPORT.

Newey was seen studying close-up images of Vettel's damaged car on the pit wall in the early stages of the race. He revealed that the team had to react at various stages of the race to ensure that the damage did not get worse.

"We monitor the loads through the pushrods, as I'm sure all teams do, so we could see that we had lost downforce, particularly at the rear," he added.

"At the first stop, we adjusted the front wing slightly.

"But you're carrying that lack of downforce because there's nothing you can do about that.

"Then the other big concern was the crease that we could see in the exhaust system.

"If the exhaust breaks, which there has to be a high probability of with that sort of damage, it would probably catch the bodywork on fire at that point and your race is over.

"So we changed the engine mapping to try and minimise the exhaust temperature. We lost a bit of performance in the process and just tried to get it home."

Despite the damage, Vettel secured a sixth place finish in the Brazilian GP that was good enough for him to secure his third straight title.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner accepts the 'dirty tricks' from rivals that upset Sebastian Vettel so much are simply a consequence of his outfit being so successful.

In the immediate aftermath of Vettel clinching his third straight Formula 1 drivers' title in the Brazilian Grand Prix, the German talked about games that had been played against his outfit over the course of the campaign.

"A lot of people tried to use dirty tricks, certain things that from our point of view that were beyond the limit, and we never got irritated or distracted by that," he said.

He later refused to expand on what he was specifically upset about, but it is believed to relate to both technical rows, issues in the stewards' office in Japan and speculation linking him to a future at Ferrari.

Horner did not wish to get dragged into criticism of his rivals after Red Bull's latest success, but he did concede that such political aspects were to be expected for any outfit consistently winning.

"It's been a tough competition," he said. "Formula 1 is a tough business and you're up against some tough opponents.

"The fastest way to become unpopular is to have repeated success. We've ignored what other teams are doing and have just focused on ourselves."

When asked about the 'dirty tricks' line, Vettel said: "We have to focus on what we have, what is in our hands and not get excited about what others are doing... what's the point?

"It only carries you away and distracts you and you lose your focus.

"You can't focus on achieving your optimum, which is the only way that really helps you as much as you can to be in the position that you want to be after 20 races."

Ferrari also did not wish to get dragged into the matter, even though Alonso had suggested that one of the key moments that cost him the title was the Japanese GP stewards' decision to only hand Vettel a reprimand for impeding him in qualifying.

When asked about Vettel and Alonso's comments, Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali said: "I see things from a different angle.

"I don't want to follow that. For me it is clear we raced 18 races out of 20, and we were second by three points. That is hurting. Other things are not really interesting."

Red Bull believes it can be even stronger in Formula 1 next year as it targets yet more world championship success.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit maintained its domination of the sport with Sebastian Vettel clinching his third consecutive drivers' crown in the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Allied to Red Bull having taken its third straight constructors' title, it means the team is amid a spell of success that no team has enjoyed since Ferrari's domination with Michael Schumacher from 2000 to 2004.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner sees no reason why his outfit cannot build on its areas of weakness this year to achieve even more in 2013.

"We've got such a strong group, we can always learn," he explained.

"We've learned a lot of lessons this year and we'll look to apply them, and that's one of the strengths of this team.

"We are never satisfied. We're always looking inwards, whether that's the drivers, engineers, or technicians.

"It is in all the different departments. It is that spirit and desire that has kept us at the top for three years."

With Red Bull having had to battle back hard from a difficult start to the campaign, Horner has been left in no doubt about the scale of his team's accomplishments this year.

"This is by far our biggest achievement as a team ever," he said. "We were restrained last week [when winning the constructors' championship] as we thought the job was only half done.

"It's been a tough week, but everyone's kept their focus, kept their nerve.

"And what we were faced with here in the rain could not have been more stressful.

"It's not just about today though; it's about the season as whole - all 20 races.

"It's ebbed and flowed and we've fought our way back into it. Sebastian, in particular, has never given up.

"He really wanted this championship. He's driven with great determination and it doesn't ever get any easier."

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali has paid tribute to the efforts of both Fernando Alonso and the Ferrari crew for taking the title fight to the final round of the Formula 1 season.

Despite heading into the campaign fearing the worst due to the F2012 being uncompetitive, Ferrari and Alonso made the most of their opportunities to become eventual champion Sebastian Vettel's main challenger.

Domenicali has no doubts that Alonso delivered the best driving of his career this campaign.

"I think he did the best season, and I said that before this grand prix," he explained.

"He was always at the limit, not only from the technical point of view because you can expect this from a world champion like him, but also the way he was working with the team.

"He was always with the team and this is is a privilege. Unfortunately in the last three years we lost two times [the title] in the last race.

"So we need to make sure at that the start of next year we don't have a last race like here."

Domenicali also felt that the efforts of the staff at the race track deserved praise, because they worked tirelessly to fight at the front despite not having the fastest car.

He believes that the fact Ferrari was able to overhaul McLaren - which had the quickest car at various stages of the season – for second in the constructors' championship was proof of just how good a job his outfit had done.

"This championship, the best car was McLaren at the beginning and maybe at the end," he explained.

"To win the championship, you need to have the best car, the best reliability, the best team, the best strategy and so on. And McLaren are third. So this is something for us to remember.

"We know we have a good basis in other areas and we need to improve what is the weakest point. And that is the approach that we have to have.

"As I said to our guys, in a very difficult emotional moment, let's stay with our heads up, proud for the job we have done.

"It is something we have to remember, that this is sport and it hurts a lot because they [Red Bull] are celebrating.

"I am looking forward for the next moment where I hope it will be the other way around, so they can understand a bit better what is the bitter spirit that we are living now."

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo wants his team to undertake a full analysis of its organisation and practices to ensure it does not repeat the poor start that cost it in the 2012 Formula 1 title race.

Although Fernando Alonso snatched a shock win in round two in Malaysia, his Ferrari was not a consistent threat for victory until the fifth grand prix of the season in Spain, having mostly fought for minor points until then.

Alonso's consistency and determined driving helped him establish a mid-season points lead before he was overcome by Sebastian Vettel's late surge.

But di Montezemolo says it was the cause of the slow start to the campaign that needs to be addressed most urgently.

"What happened this year stems from what happened the previous year," he said.

"On this topic, I will be asking for an in-depth analysis and an improvement in the organisation and work methods, because next year, we want to have a winning car right from the first race, which has not been the case these last two years."

Despite his call for changes to Ferrari's methods, di Montezemolo had plenty of praise for his team's effort, as Alonso came within three points of denying Vettel.

"Certainly not winning the title is the cause for great sorrow and great regret, because we always want to win and we came close," di Montezemolo admitted.

"I am proud of the work done by the team in having produced the most reliable car, for never having got the strategy wrong and for making no mistakes at the pitstops. Right to the end, the team did its duty."

He felt Ferrari's lack of qualifying pace played a big part in its defeat.

"Even if we are the team that scored the most points in the last five races, even if I was pleased to see our two drivers on the podium yesterday, we lacked a car quick enough to get us to the front of the grid and that was the main problem we had all season," he said.

The team president is utterly confident that Alonso will deliver a title if Ferrari provides a suitable car.

"Fernando will react in his way, pushing even harder, aware that he will be unbeatable in a competitive car." di Montezemolo said.

Ferrari is confident that it will be able to provide Fernando Alonso with a car that is capable of winning the Formula 1 championship next year after his near-miss in 2012.

Alonso led the points at various stages this year, but he was unable to overcome a performance deficit with the F2012 that left him playing catch-up to Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull.

Ferrari believes that the strong strategy and operational strengths of its outfit mean that a step forward with its car should deliver better championship prospects in 2013.

Team principal Stefano Domenicali expects that changes in the regulations next year - especially the more limited use of DRS in qualifying – will be a help too.

"We are trying to correct the points that were not the best in terms of our car," he said.

"We need to improve the pace in qualifying, and the situation with DRS is something that should theoretically help.

"That is why I am confident that we should be in a different position at the start of the season next year."

Domenicali believes there are reasons to feel encouraged by Ferrari's performances at the end of the season.

"Don't forget in the last four races we were the team that scored the most points," he said.

"And in racing we were, in my view, the best in terms of managing pitstops, managing strategy, and being best in reliability.

"We didn't have the fastest car at the beginning of the season, and maybe in the second half of the season we were not able to improve the car.

"This is something that we need to work harder on in order to improve it.

"Of course we have ideas as we know where we lacked. We also know we paid a big price in qualifying that hurt our performance in the race."

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh has admitted to feeling some sadness now that Lewis Hamilton has had his last race for the team.

Hamilton hoped to end his McLaren career with victory in the season finale in Brazil, but his chances were dashed following a collision with Nico Hulkenberg.

Although Hamilton remains under contract to McLaren until the end of the year, Whitmarsh says an emotional final race weekend together has highlighted the strong bond between team and driver.

Asked for his feelings on Hamilton, Whitmarsh said: "I'm very sad about it because I've known him personally for over 15 years, and I've seen him through some great, great moments.

"He's a great human being, a great asset for any team, so of course I'm disappointed he is going.

"It's emotional, but we're a tough team and we have to get on.

"We've the makings of a good car for next year and we'll go out there and do our best."

Whitmarsh says McLaren will not waste time worrying about if it could have done more to keep Hamilton, as he is satisfied the team did all it could to persuade the 2008 world champion not to join Mercedes.

"Like Lewis, I don't spend too much time on that," he said. "It is what it is.

"I know the offer we made was higher, in a fiscal sense, than any other driver - apart from himself - is enjoying in Formula 1. I suspect he was given a better one, but that's life.

"He's been a friend and a colleague for a long time. Next year he'll be a competitor and we'll try and beat him.

"I'm sure we'll continue to have a good relationship, we'll compete appropriately and we'll go out there and see how we get on."

Michael Schumacher has hinted that he could retain a role with Mercedes now that he has retired from its Formula 1 team.

The seven-time world champion bowed out of his three-year racing comeback with the squad at the end of Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix, where he finished seventh.

Schumacher has not been drawn so far on his plans for his second retirement from F1. When he last stepped out of the cockpit in 2006, he remained with Ferrari as an advisor and started contesting domestic motorcycle races in Germany.

He suggested that his first priority would be to see if his relationship with Mercedes could continue.

"Obviously I will be in discussions with Mercedes to see what we're going to do together," said Schumacher.

"There are good ideas and good options. I'm pretty sure my calendar will easily be filled up."

Schumacher believes that between his existing commercial partners and a desire to spend more time with his family, he will not need to seek too many new distractions.

"I've certainly been counting down the days to the life I have next to Formula 1, and I look forward to this life," he said.

"I don't have concrete future plans. I obviously have partners I've been working with during the F1 time and I'll keep on working with them in the time after.

"Lots more time will be dedicated to the family, and if there is some time left over afterwards then we'll see."

Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley described the safety car that negated Nico Hulkenberg's early Brazilian Grand Prix lead as "a joke".

Hulkenberg and McLaren rival Jenson Button were 48 seconds clear of the rest of the field by lap 22, having stayed out on slicks in the early rain shower while all rivals pitted for intermediates then had to change back.

But their advantage was reduced when the safety car was summoned so debris could be cleared.

Fernley felt this could have been done under local yellow flags and accused the officials of trying to spice up the race.

"I think the safety car was a joke. I thought we were playing NASCAR," Fernley told AUTOSPORT. "We could've done that debris under double yellow flags.

"We were so far in front with Jenson. When you look at what it takes, from both a driver and a team point of view, to pull it back obviously was a show decision."

Hulkenberg held the lead after the restart and stayed in front until an error on lap 48 allowed Lewis Hamilton through.

The pair then collided six laps later as Hulkenberg slid into a spin while re-passing the McLaren amid heavy traffic at the Senna S.

While Hamilton was out on the spot, Hulkenberg continued but dropped to fifth after receiving a drive-through penalty - which Fernley was also unimpressed with.

"I can't work that one out," he said. "There was a Caterham [Heikki Kovalainen] there that was wobbling down the middle of the track with blue flags everywhere. It boxed Lewis in, Lewis had nowhere to go and Nico saw an opportunity.

"They were both fighting for the lead. If it was a reckless piece of driving I could accept it.

"Equally it could be argued that Nico was quicker and he could have waited a little longer, I could also accept that.

"But you've got a car in the middle of the track that should've just got out of the way in the first place. Then both of the leaders could've got through without any incident."

Valtteri Bottas says he needs to get racing in 2013 if he is to continue his development as a driver.

With the Finn understood to be closing in on a deal to join Pastor Maldonado at Williams next year, he reckons another season just as third driver would be of little use to him.

"I need to get racing and F1 is the place I want to be," Bottas said when asked by AUTOSPORT about whether he felt it essential he raced next year.

"I just need to drive more. This year already, this second half of the season, when there were big gaps between Fridays, it started to feel more and more difficult to find the rhythm quickly, especially when it was a new circuit to learn.

"So really I need to get to drive more because it is not easy to keep up and improve.

"Many times the case was in the second half of the season that just when you got a good rhythm or understood a track, then the tyres were finished."

Bottas, who has little sponsorship backing, is believed to be the favoured option to partner Maldonado in 2013 following his performances on grand prix Fridays this year.

The man himself thinks he did everything he could to prove to Williams that his talent justifies a race seat, and he feels he has the potential to do even better with more mileage under his belt.

"I hope they see that I will do really well, and I know there is much more to come if I can drive more," he said.

"I hope the team can see that there is much more to improve.

"It has not always been about showing quick lap times [on Fridays], because there have been many times when it has been about gathering data and useful information from practice one. "

Bruno Senna, who drove the second Williams in 2012, is understood to be a strong contender to drive at either Caterham or Force India for next season.

Marussia blames Jean-Eric Vergne for costing it 10th in the 2012 Formula 1 constructors' championship.

The Frenchman collided with Marussia's Timo Glock early in the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Although it was Caterham driver Vitaly Petrov's late pass on Marussia's Charles Pic for what became 11th place that technically allowed Caterham to vault its main rival to claim the lucrative 10th spot in the teams' standings, Glock was running strongly before his incident with Vergne.

The Toro Rosso driver made contact with Glock, who was running 12th, as they prepared for the safety car restart on lap 29.

Marussia team principal Graeme Lowdon has no doubt that his squad would have stayed clear of Caterham in the points but for this incident.

"That's what destroyed our race," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.

"He just ran straight into the back of Timo and smashed Timo's car, certainly damaged the aero at the back, and gave him a puncture, but it wasn't obvious enough to come straight in so he had to do a whole lap on it.

"We were a country mile ahead of Caterham at that point.

"Through the first pitstops we got everything right. We got Timo a long way ahead in time before that safety car. That lost Timo the advantage, but he had still had a few cars between him and Petrov.

"And he clearly had the pace, because we were just driving away from them.

"It's not the first time we've been run into by a Toro Rosso, but this time it's ended up being incredibly costly."

Lowdon said the blow to morale was a greater wound than the loss of constructors' prize money.

"It's less financial, it's more the fact that everyone's worked really, really hard and got themselves into that position," he said.

"We're going into an uncertain period - there is no Concorde Agreement, so you want to be as high up as you possibly can as we want to make sure that we're treated the same way all the other teams are treated.

"But for all the people on the team and back at Banbury who've worked so hard, it's frustrating when you can't deliver the result that you think everyone deserves.

"If we'd messed up, got the wrong strategy, if the drivers had made a mistake then you could hold your hands up. But we did absolutely everything that we could.

"It seemed to be totally avoidable. You're not meant to hit another car when you're under safety car conditions. It's as simple as that."

Marussia still looked set to retain its position until Pic was overtaken by Petrov. Lowdon dismissed any suggestion that Caterham-bound Pic had made life easy for his 2013 employer.

"I'm sure he didn't," Lowdon insisted. "Nothing worse for him than going there after being overtaken by one of their drivers. He's got his professional pride to look after."

[Katsuya]

Bottas replaces Senna, in the least surprising move of the season.

[The Sandman]

Great that there's going to be two finnish drivers next year as well, hopefully Kovalainen could get a spot somewhere as well, i read that he's trying to get to Lotus with Kimi, but seems pretty unlikely at this point.

[MJB]

I'm pretty sure that Boullier has already confirmed that Grosjean will stay with Lotus for 2013.

[Lineker]

Ferrari are strongly considering appealing against the lack of punishment for Vettel for his supposedly illegal overtake of Kobayashi.