Vettel vs Alonso
The Relentless Chase
The Story
The 2012 season produced seven different winners in the first seven races, the most unpredictable start to a season ever. Fernando Alonso, driving a Ferrari that was rarely the fastest car, put together one of the greatest individual campaigns in F1 history, consistently extracting results the car didn't deserve. Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull were faster but inconsistent early on, with retirements in Valencia and elsewhere costing crucial points. The tide turned in the second half as Red Bull found their form, and Vettel reeled Alonso in. At the Brazilian finale, Vettel was hit by Bruno Senna on the opening lap and dropped to last, but recovered to sixth place in a rain-affected race, clinching the title by just three points. Alonso's defeat despite driving perhaps the season's best campaign remains one of F1's great injustices.
Points Progression
| Race | Vettel | Alonso | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian GP | 18 | 10 | Vettel +8 |
| Malaysian GP | 18 | 35 | Alonso +17 |
| Chinese GP | 28 | 37 | Alonso +9 |
| Bahrain GP | 53 | 43 | Vettel +10 |
| Spanish GP | 61 | 61 | Vettel +0 |
Final Standings
| Pos | Driver | Team | Wins | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull | 5 | 281 |
| 2 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 3 | 278 |
| 3 | Kimi Räikkönen | Lotus F1 | 1 | 207 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren | 4 | 190 |
| 5 | Jenson Button | McLaren | 3 | 188 |
| 6 | Mark Webber | Red Bull | 2 | 179 |
| 7 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 0 | 122 |
| 8 | Romain Grosjean | Lotus F1 | 0 | 96 |
| 9 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1 | 93 |
| 10 | Sergio Pérez | Sauber | 0 | 66 |