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This article was first published 11 years ago

Brazilian Grand Prix: Team by team analysis

Last updated on: November 26, 2012 16:24 IST

Image: Red Bull Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel celebrates winning the world championship with his team after the Brazilian F1 Grand Prix on Sunday
Photographs: Paulo Whitaker / Reuters

Team by team analysis of Sunday's season-ending Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix (listed in championship order):

RED BULL (Mark Webber 4, Sebastian Vettel 6)

Vettel became the youngest triple champion at the age of 25, and the first to take his first three titles consecutively. He started fourth, went to the back of the field after a first lap spin, but came back strongly. Webber had started third. Red Bull had already taken the constructors' title for the third year.

Alonso took his 13th podium finish

Image: Ferrari's Fernando Alonso
Photographs: Paulo Whitaker/Reuters

FERRARI (Fernando Alonso 2, Felipe Massa 3)

The team's biggest points haul of the season. Alonso took his 13th podium finish of the campaign but fell three points short of the title. Massa's podium was his second of the season, and fourth in Brazil.

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Hamilton retired after crash on Lap 55

Image: McLaren's Lewis Hamilton
Photographs: Paulo Whitaker/Reuters

MCLAREN (Jenson Button 1, Lewis Hamilton retired)

Button ended the season as he started it, as a winner. It was the 15th of his career and third of the season. Hamilton started his final race for McLaren on pole, set the fastest lap of the race and led until Force India's Hulkenberg ran into him on lap 55. The car was too damaged to continue. He now moves to Mercedes.

Raikkonen finished third overall

Image: Kimi Raikkonen
Photographs: Paul Gilham/Getty Images

LOTUS (Kimi Raikkonen 10, Romain Grosjean retired)

Raikkonen ended his comeback year in third place overall and took his points scoring run to 17 races. He had problems with a dirty visor and went down a support race pitlane after running wide, only to find a gate blocking it off. He was also lapped. Grosjean spun out on lap six in a heavy impact at turn 11.

Schumi's first scoring finish in seven races

Image: Micheal Schumacher
Photographs: Ricardo Moraes / Reuters

MERCEDES (Michael Schumacher 7, Nico Rosberg 15)

Schumacher said goodbye to Formula One for the second time with his first scoring finish in seven races. He made four pitstops and had a puncture early on. Rosberg also had a puncture and damaged the floor of his car.

Last race at Sauber for Kobayashi and Perez

Image: Kamui Kobayashi
Photographs: Vivek Prakash / Reuters

SAUBER (Kamui Kobayashi 9, Sergio Perez retired)

Both drivers said their farewells to the team. Kobayashi faces an uncertain future while Perez, who retired after a first lap accident, moves to McLaren. Kobayashi started in 14th place, made contact with Webber but was fourth at one point and was the last unlapped driver.

Hulkenburg received drive-through penalty for the accident with Hamilton

Image: Nico Hulkenburg

FORCE INDIA (Nico Hulkenberg 5, Paul Di Resta 19)

Hulkenberg led for 30 laps after starting in sixth place and staying out on slicks while others pitted. He was handed a drive-through penalty for the accident with Hamilton, who had got past after he made a mistake. Di Resta aquaplaned while eighth and crashed into the wall on the penultimate lap, but was classified, bringing out the safety car for the second time.

Both Senna and teammate Maldonado retired early

Image: Williams Formula One driver Bruno Senna
Photographs: Sebastien Pirlet / Reuters

WILLIAMS (Bruno Senna and Pastor Maldonado retired)

Both drivers retired early on: Senna after tangling with Vettel at turn four. Maldonado spun off on a wet kerb at turn three on the second lap while in eighth place after starting 16th.

Vergne managed to pick points for Toro Rosso

Image: Jean-Eric Vergne
Photographs: Peter Fox/Getty Images

TORO ROSSO (Jean-Eric Vergne 8, Daniel Ricciardo 13)

Vergne made a bad tyre choice, collided with Glock at the re-start after the first safety car but still grabbed some points. Ricciardo made five pitstops.

Petrov's helped Caterham leapfrog Marussia to finish in 10th place

Image: Vitaly Petrov
Photographs: Getty Images

CATERHAM (Vitaly Petrov 11, Heikki Kovalainen 14)

Petrov's 11th place finish allowed Caterham to leapfrog Marussia at the last to reclaim their precious 10th place in the championship for the third year in a row with the extra money that entails. Kovalainen lost a lot of time on his first pitstop with a right rear wheel problem.

Pic put a great effort in last race for Marussia

Image: Marussia's Charles Pic
Photographs: Wolfgang Rattay / Reuters

MARUSSIA (Charles Pic 12, Timo Glock 16)

Pic had a strong last race for Marussia before joining Caterham. Glock went to the back of the field after the collision with Vergne.

Future is grim for HRT

Image: HRT Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan
Photographs: Vivek Prakash / Reuters

HRT (Pedro De la Rosa 17, Narain Karthikeyan 18)

HRT completed their third season in Formula One with uncertainty about their future and fears that the race may have been their last.
Source: REUTERS
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