Brazil

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Where are the people, we should be celebrating!!! Come on guys, celebrate the success of our youngest triple champion!,

HEIL HEIL, THE 3 TIMES TRIPLE CHAMPION GERMAN WUNDERKIND,

[BradSpeedMan 6]

This was always going to be a difficult one (3times consecutive championship), the fourth one next year won't be. Believe me folks...

[freaky2 1]

That sounded like an official press release George

I guess this race was the tie-breaker of the season for me. Alonso couldn't really shine in the latter half and Ferrari's (necessary but non-appealing) shenanigans made me reconsider Vettel. After watching him this race (a really tough one for him and he did nothing wrong) I think he definitely deserved the title. And, as for Alonso, his car was a dog like so many times lately. Vettel didn't gain enough positions to cement the championship, but Alonso couldn't gain a single one either (except for Massa + retirements). So there we go, I hope next year there's better opposition

[The Shadow 0]

One hell of a roller coaster...

Finished with some symmetry, Button won in the first and last rounds. The race was one roller coaster of emotions, a fitting summary of the season. Congratulations Sebastian Vettel, 2012 Champion. Congratulations Fernando Alonso. He proved his pedigree and won over many detractors this season.

The sense of depression will creep in come the new season, realising that it's going to be a tough year to beat when we start again mid March 2013.

Epic, just epic!

[HandyNZL 1]

Wow, I expected more posts here (you know, a forum war ).

All that I cay is congratulations to Sebastian Vettel, he's a good guy and he drove a fantastic season. Commiserations Fernando Alonso, he's a good guy and he drove a fantastic season.

Alright then, I'll start a war.....(hehe)

War I: Going back up the page and pre-race, Steve and Brad were discussing Vettel's "effort" as it were....well, for Mr Schumacher Fanboy Extraordinaire to say that Vettel wasn't really trying, benefited from the best car, blah de blah blah, what does that say about Schumacher? Afterall, all he ever did was control a race from the front because he had the best car.

War II: Vettel has performed yet again when needed. For all those saying he was Sh#t in the wet, the boy was doing the fastest laps of the race, throughout the race, albeit punctuated by Hamilton and Hulkenberg now and again (and I think Button too)...I think the fact that he came from 24th and still got to where he needed to be, and with only one-way radio, he drove a very mature race, managed Kamui, and got the points. And well done to him for playing the percentages, a-la Prost in a way. I'm still tipping him for a 4th in a row next year. Whilst Alonso did very well this year, Vettel did better, and as such, to me, surpasses Alonso as the best on the grid today. Discuss....(hehe)

I think, as I did three years ago, that Nico Hulkenberg can (and will) challenge for the WDC one day (within three years I would guess). Hopefully with Sauber he will be further up the grid on average than he was with Force India and as such can convert these in to points. Then, get the 2nd seat with Red Bull in 2014 after Webber's retirement.

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Even his teammate who didnt want to help him is singing his praises...http://www.totalf1.com/full_story/view/437257/Webber_Vettels_third_title_very_special/

[HandyNZL 1]

Alonso might now enter the record books as being the guy with the most opportunities for a world title and not converting them....there was that year in a McLaren, then that year at Ferrari, and now this year too...he's two from five...

(boil, boil, toil, and trouble...)

[Massa 0]

What a great, great race. So much strategy and drama. Hülkenberg and Hamilton going for the lead like that and giving Alonso just something of a chance...that start from Massa and the subsequent Vettel spin followed by an incredible effort to get back into the points...that battle of Räikkönen and Schumacher...Red Bull biting first on fresh slicks only to need inters...Hamilton and Button exchanging the lead...Webber not really playing too nice with his teammate...Alonso down the inside of Massa and Webber...just so much.

I'm very glad for Vettel and Red Bull. They made an amazing comeback against some rules interpretations that had set them back a bit.

It was nice to see him and Schumacher at the end there celebrating. I wonder if one day Vettel will be in that position, retiring as the statistical greatest of all time. If not that, he is already a legend, and like Schumacher, he's cemented his team's status with his own.

Alonso and Ferrari fought, and the progress the latter made, though never enough, is still evident in how far Massa has come from the beginning in Melbourne; undoubtedly, this car would have more aptly been named F-150 than the last. Alonso loses with grace. No what ifs. Just the end result, a reverse of 2006 but the same in a way, when you wished to award the title to both drivers.

A new era for Hamilton and for McLaren. Button wouldn't answer Piquet's question, but I suspect he's thought about it. I don't count him out of 2013.

On a final note, it was the last Grand Prix to be aired on SPEED, the home of Formula One in the U.S. since I started watching and years before that. Bob Varsha, David Hobbs, and Steve Matchett were joined by the original SpeedVision commentator (and former Formula 5000 racer, as well as an authority on model trains) Sam Posey, who has narrated the intros of Grands Prix as a way to stay connected to the sport he loves despite his unfortunate health problems. It was nice to hear from Sam. Pit reporter Will Buxton didn't hold back the tears; Varsha barely managed. It's going to be hard to watch F1 without this team together. It's hard to describe just how much of an experience watching Grand Prix racing in America is, at all sorts of hours, with three guys who you almost think of as your friends in coverage, as Bob Varsha would say, "that's always subject to blackout, much like David Hobbs."

They showed a montage at the very end of F1 on SPEED and SpeedVision, which was great, and emotional once it caught up to the time I started watching. Lots of great moments; I think we're all so lucky to be part of this era of F1. It's just so exciting, and incredible how a silly little sport becomes so much more. Sam Posey ended with a question, "it's been a fun ride, wouldn't you say?"

Yes, definitely, this year included. Six constructors winning a race? Awesome. You could call Brazil, Abu Dhabi, Valencia, Montréal, Silverstone, Malaysia, and others modern classics. An improbable fight from Ferrari and a deserving victor. What more do you need?

I look forward to 2013, when the start of the footage NBC will include in its montage when that time comes happens live...

[Massa 0]

Alonso might now enter the record books as being the guy with the most opportunities for a world title and not converting them....there was that year in a McLaren, then that year at Ferrari, and now this year too...he's two from five...

(boil, boil, toil, and trouble...)

They actually mentioned on our broadcast that Alonso has lost more championships in the final race than any other driver.

Another guy two from five?

Jenson Button, in winning Grands Prix ended behind safety cars.

[HandyNZL 1]

What a great, great race. So much strategy and drama. Hülkenberg and Hamilton going for the lead like that and giving Alonso just something of a chance...that start from Massa and the subsequent Vettel spin followed by an incredible effort to get back into the points...that battle of Räikkönen and Schumacher...Red Bull biting first on fresh slicks only to need inters...Hamilton and Button exchanging the lead...Webber not really playing too nice with his teammate...Alonso down the inside of Massa and Webber...just so much.

I'm very glad for Vettel and Red Bull. They made an amazing comeback against some rules interpretations that had set them back a bit.

It was nice to see him and Schumacher at the end there celebrating. I wonder if one day Vettel will be in that position, retiring as the statistical greatest of all time. If not that, he is already a legend, and like Schumacher, he's cemented his team's status with his own.

Alonso and Ferrari fought, and the progress the latter made, though never enough, is still evident in how far Massa has come from the beginning in Melbourne; undoubtedly, this car would have more aptly been named F-150 than the last. Alonso loses with grace. No what ifs. Just the end result, a reverse of 2006 but the same in a way, when you wished to award the title to both drivers.

A new era for Hamilton and for McLaren. Button wouldn't answer Piquet's question, but I suspect he's thought about it. I don't count him out of 2013.

On a final note, it was the last Grand Prix to be aired on SPEED, the home of Formula One in the U.S. since I started watching and years before that. Bob Varsha, David Hobbs, and Steve Matchett were joined by the original SpeedVision commentator (and former Formula 5000 racer, as well as an authority on model trains) Sam Posey, who has narrated the intros of Grands Prix as a way to stay connected to the sport he loves despite his unfortunate health problems. It was nice to hear from Sam. Pit reporter Will Buxton didn't hold back the tears; Varsha barely managed. It's going to be hard to watch F1 without this team together. It's hard to describe just how much of an experience watching Grand Prix racing in America is, at all sorts of hours, with three guys who you almost think of as your friends in coverage, as Bob Varsha would say, "that's always subject to blackout, much like David Hobbs."

They showed a montage at the very end of F1 on SPEED and SpeedVision, which was great, and emotional once it caught up to the time I started watching. Lots of great moments; I think we're all so lucky to be part of this era of F1. It's just so exciting, and incredible how a silly little sport becomes so much more. Sam Posey ended with a question, "it's been a fun ride, wouldn't you say?"

Yes, definitely, this year included. Six constructors winning a race? Awesome. You could call Brazil, Abu Dhabi, Valencia, Montréal, Silverstone, Malaysia, and others modern classics. An improbable fight from Ferrari and a deserving victor. What more do you need?

I look forward to 2013, when the start of the footage NBC will include in its montage when that time comes happens live...

Well said, Eric. It has been a great season, with arguably the two best drivers out there racing for the championship to the final flag. Alonso has handled the whole year with grace, and I think even matured even more than he was two years back when he was whining into the radio every second race.

What was Piquet saying to Button? I couldn't work out the question, and I think neither could Button, so he just said what he wanted to say. Button is a consummate professional, and gave the team a little fillip there. Good on him.

[Massa 0]

Piquet asked if Button was glad Hamilton was out of the way. If he understood, I knew he wouldn't touch it. I think McLaren can move forward pretty well next year, personally.

[BradSpeedMan 6]

jajajajajajaja Great end of the season and great race, now I am going to spend the rest of the day watching Alonso's fan pictures(at the pictures of you thread) and imagining how their faces are at this moment, I guess they are just the same as Alonso's jajajajajajaja.

Good to see u again....let's celebrate in Alonso misfortune hehehehehehehehehehe

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Piquet asked if Button was glad Hamilton was out of the way. If he understood, I knew he wouldn't touch it. I think McLaren can move forward pretty well next year, personally.

I very much doubt it Eric, Mclaren have to come up with a bullet for Button to win it

[freaky2 1]

Bullets for the contenders, or...?

[Ikyrotz 0]

I think Vettel showed today why he deserved this WDC. Almost everything was going against him, and he still managed to take the position needed. The race itself, while entertaining and keeping you on the edge of the seat for the entire time, was a bit of a lottery, since no one seemed to know just how the weather would turn out. Take interns a couple of laps too soon and destroy them, or take them a bit too late and loose time with slicks. Of course that's how it often is with races in rain.

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Bullets for the contenders, or...?

Hey, I bet u enjoyed Kimi's off-track shenanigans lol...I was thinking off you when that happened

[Massa 0]

I very much doubt it Eric, Mclaren have to come up with a bullet for Button to win it

Didn't mean they'd win the title; I still favor Vettel there. Just meant I think next year won't be so up and down. I can see a steady second or third in the WDC for Button.

[pabloh20 1]

I guess we shouldn't have expected much else in the final race of this roller coaster season

Good end to a good season.

[BradSpeedMan 6]

To think that the rainy conditions actually helped Vettel, because in the drear conditions he couldn't manage to come up to speed as the damaged to his car actually started to show!

[pabloh20 1]

To think that the rainy conditions actually helped Vettel, because in the drear conditions he couldn't manage to come up to speed as the damaged he incurred started to show!

Yes, I suppose he was a bit fortunate in that sense, on a normal dry track with that damage on his car would have probably cost him the title today.

[freaky2 1]

Hey, I bet u enjoyed Kimi's off-track shenanigans lol...I was thinking off you when that happened

Well, at least it made me remember he was still there. A race to forget for him. Or maybe he had already forgotten it and looked forward to the holidays?

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Yes, I suppose he was a bit fortunate in that sense, on a normal dry track with that damage on his car would have probably cost him the title today.

Yes he was, but I'm actually referring to the fact that Alonso and Alonso enthusiasts was wishing for rain so Seb "would" underperform or drive so bad to finish out of the points...Instead it really helped him...

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Well, at least it made me remember he was still there. A race to forget for him. Or maybe he had already forgotten it and looked forward to the holidays?

Or That his week-long partying just caught up with him lol

[pabloh20 1]

Yes he was, but I'm actually referring to the fact that Alonso and Alonso enthusiasts was wishing for rain so Seb "would" underperform or drive so bad to finish out of the points...Instead it really helped him...

Well, I am not too sure that is what they were expecting in that sense, I would have thought their thinking would be more along the lines of there is more chance of a mistake taking you right out in the wet, or indeed the chances of getting taken out are higher than in the dry. And so it nearly proved today. However, in a dry race, not only was there less chance of Vettel being out of the points, although he could still make a mistake or get taken out, but Alonso would have struggled to get further up the grid in the dry too.

[brambilla 0]

As I saw this Picture on the Beeb, I couldnt help but chuckle at the recollection of how the movie "Inglorious Bastrerds" highlighted the difference between how Germans and Brits hold up three fingers :