We are behind quite possibly the most exciting year of the Formula 1 World Championship . The first seven races and seven different winners, the battles on and off the track and finally the drama almost to the last corner of the last grand prix. Such was the year 2012 .
Vettel and the others
Definitely the most discussed driver of this year's championship was Sebastian Vettel . There were many questions about whether he can overtake, whether he is only good because of the Red Bull single-seater or whether he can keep his nerves in check… There is a simple answer to the second question. The Red Bull RB8 from the brilliant designer Adrian Newey was exactly the single-seater that every pilot would want on the starting field. Except for the problem with the alternator, it worked reliably and most importantly – it was fast. What he lost on the straights, he made up twice as much in the corners.
And that's exactly what Sebastian Vettel benefited from throughout the season, although he only climbed to the top step in Bahrain. His streak between the GPs of Singapore and India was particularly phenomenal, when he was able to get the maximum number of 100 points . Thanks to this, he was able to withdraw Fernando Alonso, who chose his bad luck in the second half of the championship. In addition, Vettel proved that he can overtake. After all, in Abu Dhabi he was able to finish third from the pits, and in Brazil , due to his own mistake, he turned right at the start of the race, but he still managed to finish in sixth place. However, it would be fair to point out that he was lucky with safety car exits as well as a brilliantly planned strategy.
Yet there is something tainted about his title. In Brazil, he fought for a good position so fiercely that he controversially overtook his opponent several times. Probably the biggest moment to think about was the situation when he overtook Jean-Eric Vergne on the straight after Senna's aces while the yellow flags were flashing. At the request of Ferrari, the FIA investigated the whole situation and came to the conclusion that nothing happened and the marshal was still waving the green flag before the yellow flag, which in this case is superior to the yellow flashing…
The second major transgression came right at the beginning of the season, when in Malaysia, Vettel's own mistake punctured his tire against the front wing of the slower HRT. After the race, however, he reacted very irritated and vulgarly insulted the Indian Karthikeyan , who played a significant role in that incident… The world champion should not allow that.
Alonso fought but it wasn't enough
According to many, the best pilot in the starting field. Fernando Alonso and Ferrari returned to the limelight of the queen of motorsport, only to fall from it again after the last race. No, Alonso didn't lead the championship until the end, but he still managed to keep the flame high. The latter was so high thanks to the art of Alonso and in the last grand prix also thanks to Massa .
But he lost the title game long before the last race. In Belgium, Romain Grosjean crashed him badly, and in Japan he did not agree with Kimi Raikkonen . Both races marked the only withdrawals in the season, but nevertheless very noticeable in terms of points. Until Belgium , Alonso always had a comfortable lead over the second Vettel. But then came a string of wins in the German's guard and bad luck in the form of Alonso dropping out, and Vettel's lead was gone.
Nevertheless, for many, Alonso is the moral winner of the entire championship. After all, he had a slower single-seater at his disposal than Red Bull. In the first races, the loss was up to 2 seconds per lap! Nevertheless, by squeezing out more than 120% of the car's potential, Alonso was able to push Ferrari uphill. His victory at the European Championship in his home city of Valencia was especially emotional. Thousands of people applauded him enthusiastically and Alonso really enjoyed it. The Spaniard was able to benefit mainly from excellent starts, because his performances in the qualifications were not completely dazzling.
Still, it wasn't enough to win, even though he tried and did his best in the last race with the generous contribution of Felipe Massa.
Kimi the entertainer, Schumacher's departure
An even more watched moment than the battle for the title was at one point the return of the legendary Iceman , i.e. Kimi Raikkonen , to Formula 1. Before the start of the season, he had a stint with Lotus and his return was really successful. Raikkonen managed to score points in 19 out of 20 races and in Abu Dhabi he drove for his desired victory . In addition to precise and professorially precise driving, he was also able to entertain in other ways during the races. The one when he received instructions on the team radio in Abu Dhabi about what to do and the response was: "Leave me alone, I know what I'm doing." In Malaysia he entertained journalists by passing out popsicles and in Brazil he sat on a plastic chair after an accident in free practice next to the track and watched the other pilots together with the marshals. This is also why this Finn enjoys enormous popularity and everyone wished him the title more than the above-mentioned fighters. In the end, it was third place, which is still a great success.
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But as successful as one comeback was, the other wasn't so famous. Michael Schumacher has decided that he will no longer be an active pilot after the season. The record holder in perhaps all statistics hung up his helmet after a three-year comeback with Mercedes . Despite all the problems this year, this season could be called his best. After all, he was able to win the qualification and even get on the podium. But again, all in the shadow of various denigrations or unpleasant comments. Plus, the MGP W03 single-seater wasn't very good. In Australia he had to retire from fourth place, and in China the mechanics messed up his stop when he was driving for a podium position. The legendary Schumi simply did not deserve this…
McLaren trouble
After the first race, a clear contender for the title, after the middle of the season too, after the end of the season only eyes for tears. McLaren simply did not have a bed of roses. Jenson Button was able to win the opening race in Australia, Lewis Hamilton was able to finish third three times at the beginning of the season. But then something broke and mistakes in the pits or problems with the single-seater began to multiply.
Moreover, Button 's form went down and the same can be said about Hamilton , who nevertheless managed to win in Canada . But then came only one second place and one win from four races for McLaren and the team was happy to have a summer break. After that, McLaren came back in great form – Button managed to win in Belgium, Hamilton in Italy and it looked like both drivers could threaten the leading duo. Hamilton in particular got into shape and led for a long time in Singapore .
But then there was a breakdown and first place fell into Vettel's lap. In addition, after the race there was a statement about Hamilton leaving for Mercedes. I don't know what it is, but Hamilton has had even more bad luck since then. In Japan , a small fault that did not allow him to drive the way he needed, in Korea it was a botched pit stop, in Abu Dhabi a technical failure and bad luck only managed to break through in Austin , where Hamilton won. In Brazil, he wanted to say goodbye as best he could, but in the end Nico Hulkenberg ruined it after a skid. But Hamilton was definitely one of the drivers who, with less luck, would have had a chance at the title.
His colleague Jenson Button had perhaps an even worse season. Apart from the technical problems, he often struggled with his car and could not squeeze it out as much as Hamilton. In the end, he got one more win in the final GP in Brazil.
An asterisk for Sauber, an asterisk for Maldonado and a hole named Mercedes
And who else surprised this season? Pleasantly Sauber , rather pleasantly Maldonado and unpleasantly Mercedes . Sauber managed to finish on the podium several times this year, thanks mainly to Sergio Pérez . Not for nothing, next year this Mexican will defend the colors of McLaren. Pérez was able to finish second in Malaysia and Italy and third in Canada. His colleague Kobayasahi scored third place on home soil in Suzuka. However, Sauber's performances were rather on the swing anyway. Once on the steps, the second time outside the points. Still, if Peter Sauber can stabilize the team's form, Sauber can become the dark horse of the championship, especially with the talented Nico Hulkenberg driving for them next year.
The second surprise and a rather pleasant one was Pastor Maldonado . Someone could object to the Venezuelan pilot that he had countless incidents during the season and I would have to agree with him, but it was Maldonado who brought Williams back to the top step this year. He thus became the first pilot in quite a few years to do so. Moreover, on the exact weekend that Frank Williams celebrated his birthday. The VC of Spain will thus forever be written in golden letters in the history of this pilot. On the other hand, what did not go very well were frequent collisions, unforced errors or inattention, which cost Maldonada several times a better position on the starting grid. And it was the qualifications that were Maldonado's biggest weapon this season. He was able to advance to the TOP 10 several times and completely overshadowed Bruno Senna .
The last but really bad surprise this season was Mercedes . An ambitious stable with a lot of money and a pair of riders who would surely challenge for the title elsewhere. This way, there is only one victory in three years, the departure of Michael Schumacher and quite a lot of trouble. At the same time, the beginning of the season was not the worst for Mercedes in the context of events. After all, the qualifying performances were good, and above all, Schumacher confirmed at the beginning of the season why he has 7 world championship titles. In addition, Rosberg won in China… However, the number of technical failures, eliminations and similar ailments was simply beyond the limit. By the end of the season, since the Chinese victory, Mercedes managed to gain visibility with just a few punctures, a third place in Valencia and one qualifying win. Both performed by Schumacher. However, the team only got 6 points from Japan and that's just not enough. Lewis Hamilton has to return the team to a winning streak. Will he succeed?
That's how this year's Formula 1 World Championship season was in a nutshell. As you can see, there were battles on the track, pleasant and unpleasant surprises, controversies, fights behind the scenes and funny moments. What will the next season be like? We will find out in less than 120 days at the start of the Australian Grand Prix .
Photo: Worldcarfans
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