Button wins unbelievably entertaining Brazilian GP, Vettel crowned Champion

Jenson Button has stormed to his 15th career victory after an absolutely enthralling season finale around Sao Paulo’s Interlagos circuit, where rain as predicted created absolute mayhem throughout the due course of the 71-lap race. Sebastian Vettel managed to finish 6th to clinch his third successive Drivers’ Crown.

Only several minutes before the start of the race and history looked set to repeat itself as rain began trickling down upon the Interlagos circuit, however all the drivers decided to start the race on the dry tyres. At the start, Lewis Hamilton led away at the front from team-mate Jenson Button, as absolute carnage ensued further back as Bruno Senna was left no room by Sebastian Vettel which resulted in a controversial collision between the two. This tipped Vettel into a disastrous spin, as Senna and Perez collided and retired.

Pastor Maldonado joined his team-mate and Sergio Perez in becoming the third retirement of the race, as the Venezuelan driver spun into the barriers at Turn 3. However, the Championship was far from over as Sebastian Vettel instantly set the fastest lap of the race down in 19th position, despite an enormous chunk missing from his side pod. Fernando Alonso ran wide as the rain began to intensify at Turn 1, as he strove for a competitive performance with Vettel way down the order.

By Lap 6, the majority of the pack began to pit for the Cinturato intermediate tyres, with Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher becoming the first two drivers to do so. Romain Grosjean stayed out on the dry tyres, and therefore slammed into the barriers after spinning at Turn 11 after struggling greatly in the adverse weather conditions. Whilst Grosjean’s Lotus was cleared away, Jenson Button began jostling for the lead with team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

As Mark Webber spun in the wet, Jenson Button stormed into the lead of the race after a masterful overtaking maneuver on team-mate Lewis Hamilton. Whilst utter mayhem and confusion ensued throughout the order, Nico Hulkenberg had silently risen up to 3rd position for Force India. As Lewis Hamilton pitted for intermediate tyres, the German driver began to reel in race leader Jenson Button.

On Lap 11, Championship contenders Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel pitted for intermediate tyres, as the leaders remained out on the slick and greasy track. Despite the lack of grip on the track, Hulkenberg and Button began to battle for the lead, a battle which Nico Hulkenberg won as he commandingly stormed into the lead for Force India. After initially pitting for wet tyres, Lewis Hamilton became one of the first drivers to switch back to dry tyres. The Briton was quickly followed by the Ferrari of Alonso and the Sauber of Kobayashi, before the rest of the field followed suit and switched back to the dry tyres.

With several collisions taking place throughout the opening stages of the race, the track was strewn with copious amounts of debris. The severity of the issue became apparent when Nico Rosberg picked up a puncture, as the race stewards finally deployed the safety car to allow the marshals to clear the track. As soon as the safety car was deployed, race leaders Nico Hulkenberg and Jenson Button immediately pitted, with the German retaining the lead from the Briton.

After several laps under safety car conditions, green flag conditions were resumed as Mark Webber made a complete hash of the restart and ran wide at Turn 1 as Kobayashi overtook the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel. Lewis Hamilton immediately set his sights on returning to the lead of the race, and quickly disposed of his team-mate Jenson Button for 2nd. Kamui Kobayashi continued scything through the field, as the Japanese driver rose to 4th after overtaking Championship contender Fernando Alonso. However, the Spaniard immediately retook the position during the next lap as Kimi Raikkonen ran wide at Turn 1.

Felipe Massa then began his surge through the order on Lap 34, as the local hero carried out an important overtaking maneuver on Sebastian Vettel for 6th. Paul di Resta made a slight error through Turn 12, as the drizzle began to ease and the track began to dry at Interlagos. However, the race was far from over as more rain loomed on the horizon and eventually began to fall upon the circuit, as both Mark Webber and Vitaly Petrov made minor mistakes in the once again worsening conditions.

Lewis Hamilton continued his surge through the order as the rain returned, as the 2008 World Champion stormed into the lead after overtaking the Force India of Nico Hulkenberg. Nico Rosberg was the first driver to switch back to the intermediate tyres, as the intensity of the rain increased as the race entered its closing stages. Sebastian Vettel’s race was greatly compromised as the German driver’s car radio stopped working, and the German driver mistakingly pitted on Lap 53. The Red Bull mechanics fitted the dry tyre to his Red Bull, forcing him to pit once again for the intermediate tyres several laps later.

On Lap 55 another twist in the race occurred as Lewis Hamilton and Nico Hulkenberg collided, which resulted in Hamilton retiring from his final race with McLaren. Nico Hulkenberg tried to overtake the Briton for the lead of the race, however he lost traction and spun into the side of Hamilton. The German driver was luckily able to continue, despite incurring a drive-thru penalty for causing the collision.

Despite pitting once again for intermediate tyres, Sebastian Vettel once again began to steadily improve through the order. Due to Hamilton’s retirement and Hulkenberg’s penalty, Fernando Alonso had risen to 3rd place behind race leader Jenson Button and Felipe Massa. The Brazilian driver understandably allowed his team-mate through, however Sebastian Vettel was also rising through order. With Alonso in 2nd, Vettel was still in a Championship-winning position in 6th.

Try as Fernando Alonso might to catch and overtake Jenson Button for the lead and the Championship crown, the Spaniard was frustratingly unable to do so as he remained in 2nd position as the safety car was once again deployed on the final lap as Paul di Resta crashed heavily out of the race at Turn 14. This saw the Scotsman retire from the race, and also saw the race end under safety car conditions. This therefore crowned Sebastian Vettel was the 2012 Formula 1 World Champion, as Jenson Button took victory for McLaren.

The 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix was unarguably the best race for many years, which saw weather intervention and complete mayhem up and down the order. Caterham were able to clinch 10th in the Constructors’ Championship, amid a tense battle down the order. The F1 fraternity now enters the winter break period, before pre-season testing begins in earnest early next year.

Follow me on Twitter - @AndyYoungF1