The 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix decided the Drivers' Championship in Vettel's favour and marked Michael Schumacher's final Formula One race.
Key Facts
- Race winner
- Jenson Button (McLaren)
- Championship winner
- Sebastian Vettel (3rd consecutive title)
- Race round
- 20th and final round of 2012 season
- Schumacher's final race
- 306th and last Formula One start
- Button career wins
- 15th and final Formula One victory
- Vettel championship margin
- 3 points over Fernando Alonso
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The 2012 Formula One season reached its final round at Interlagos with Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso separated by only a small points margin, leaving the Drivers' Championship unresolved. Both drivers required a strong finish, and Vettel in particular had to navigate a mid-race collision that temporarily dropped him down the order before he fought back through the field.
Held on 25 November 2012 at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, the race was won by Jenson Button for McLaren. Sebastian Vettel finished sixth, earning enough points to claim the Drivers' Championship by three points over Fernando Alonso, who finished second. Michael Schumacher completed his 306th and final grand prix, scoring his last career points in seventh place.
Vettel secured his third consecutive Drivers' Championship, cementing his status among the sport's elite. McLaren recorded what would prove to be their last grand prix victory until 2021. Schumacher's retirement brought a definitive close to a career spanning two decades and seven world titles, while Alonso narrowly missed what would have been a third championship.