Vettel in fine fettle with 3rd straight title

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andre penner / the associated press Sebastian Vettel celebrates his sixth-place finish in Brazil, enough to clinch the 2012 F1 title. (CP)

SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Sebastian Vettel overcame a first-lap crash to clinch his third straight Formula One championship title on Sunday, finishing sixth in an incident-filled Brazilian Grand Prix won by Jenson Button under pouring rain.

Vettel looked to be in big trouble after he was bumped into shortly after the lap and spun around, dropping to last place before being able to turn his car around and start a difficult pursuit. But he steadily worked his way up the field and did what he needed to hold off Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, the only other driver contending for the title.

"It's difficult to find the right words," Vettel said. "It's unbelievable, I'm still full of adrenaline, it was an incredible race today."

Alonso had a superb start on a hectic first lap at Interlagos and finished second, but that wasn't enough to erase Vettel's 13-point lead in the standings, as the German became the youngest three-time champion in Formula One at age 25.

Alonso's Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa was third in front of his home crowd, and cried on the podium after finishing a difficult season on a high.

Lewis Hamilton was leading in his final race with McLaren when Nico Hulkenberg crashed into him while trying to make a pass on a slippery track with 17 laps to go. Hamilton received a standing ovation from his McLaren team when returning to the garage.

"Mixed emotions, but I'm happy," he said.

Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, F1's most successful driver, finished seventh in his final race after 19 seasons.

The race was dramatic from the start but had an anticlimactic finish behind the safety car after Paul Di Resta crashed just before the final lap.

"You are the man, you are a triple world champion," a team official told Vettel on the radio after he crossed the line.

Vettel is the first driver with three titles in a row since Schumacher won five straight from 2000-04. The only other driver to win at least three consecutive championships was Juan Manuel Fangio from 1954-57.

He needed to finish fourth or better to clinch the title regardless of where Alonso crossed the line. The Spaniard would only have a chance by finishing on the podium.

It rained on and off throughout the race at Interlagos, making conditions difficult and forcing drivers to come in and out of the pits several times.

"It was more or less what we wanted, mixed conditions," Alonso said. "But it was one of the most difficult races we ever drove. You feel you are with the wrong tire on every lap. It was a risk to crash and have an accident on every lap. Obviously you are not in control of what your rivals do. We were hoping for a little miracle."

The 43-year-old Schumacher is retiring for the second time after struggling in his return with Mercedes. He had ended his career after the 2006 season and managed only one podium finish after retuning in 2010.

-- The Associated Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 26, 2012 C7