GP: Brazilian Grand Prix
Date: 25 November 2012
Winner: Jenson Button - McLaren Mercedes
A memorable GP for two reasons. Sebastian Vettel clinched his third world championship crown despite dropping to the back of the field after an incident on the opening laps.
Miraculously, his Red Bull was still in working order despite the impact sustained.
For Alonso and Ferrari it was yet another broken dream. Fernando finished second, hoping that Seb would do no better than eighth. But it was a vain hope as Vettel finished sixth to take the title yet again, this time by a mere three points.
One place behind came his fellow countryman, Michael Schumacher finishing seventh for Mercedes.
It was his 308th and final Grand Prix victory, the end of an astonishing career with seven Drivers' world championship titles, 91 wins, 68 pole positions, 116 front-row starts and 77 fastest race laps.
He was a one-off, a leader, a champion who was at the epicentre of Ferrari's last golden age for Ferrari fans, taking five consecutive world championships at the start of this century, following on from two titles with Benetton in 1994 and '95.
Remembering Schumi, his will to win, his strength, his extraordinary determination, is also cause for great sadness, because one's thoughts inevitably turn to December 29, 2013 and that skiing accident in Méribel, France, which changed his life forever.
An absurd twist of fate, leading to an inconsolable sadness.
In 2025 Pirelli will hit the 500 F1® Grands Prix mark during the season.
Legacy of Speed series looks back at the fifty most significant Grands Prix from Pirelli's time on the F1 World Championship trail.
