The German later refused to be drawn on exactly what he was implying, saying
that it was “not for him to comment” on the subject but, presumably, he
meant the sniping at the legality of Red Bull’s car. Perhaps he was
referring to Ferrari’s decision to break the seal on Felipe Massa’s gearbox
in Austin two weekends ago.
Vettel’s comments will make headlines but nothing could completely overshadow
such an epic finale – there were incredible stories everywhere you looked.
Lewis Hamilton, in his final race for McLaren, missed out agonisingly on what
could have been a hugely emotional victory after Force India’s Nico
Hulkenberg lost control of his car as the pair vied for the lead; Michael
Schumacher, in his final race ever, bowed out with a little reminder of what
a great driver he is, engaging in some fierce but fair wheel-to-wheel action
with Lotus’s Kimi Raikkonen; Button’s win, meanwhile, ensured, among other
things, that he amassed more points than his team-mate Hamilton over their
three seasons together.
Statistics can be twisted any which way – Hamilton beat his team-mate two
seasons to one, for instance, including this year – but, for a man who was
supposed to be walking into the Lions’ den when he joined Hamilton’s team in
2010, Button acquitted himself almost as well as Daniel.
Then there was Alonso. The Spaniard may have been aided by Massa in recent
weeks – the Brazilian played the role of willing accomplice to perfection
here, moving aside, backing up the field as necessary – but Alonso’s
performance this year in a car, which was rarely as quick as those of Red
Bull or McLaren, was extraordinary.
How close he came here. With rain forecast, all eyes had been on the Sao Paulo
skies in the build-up to the race.
And, sure enough, as the cars amassed on the grid a few light drops began to
fall, hinting at the drama in store. No one, though, could have predicted
just how quickly things would descend into chaos.
Within a lap, Vettel had spun – hit side-on by the Williams of Bruno Senna at
Turn Four – and been relegated to the back of the field.
Alonso, meanwhile, got off to a flier, rising from seventh on the grid to
fourth. With the Spaniard needing a podium to stand any chance of claiming
the title, Alonso made full use of his team-mate, passing both the Brazilian
and Red Bull’s Mark Webber as they tangled on lap two. If the race had ended
then, the Spaniard would have been champion.
But the drama was only just beginning. In an almost impossibly
incident-packed race, during which the rain played havoc with tyre
strategies and involved two safety car periods, Vettel rose back up through
the field, making light of problems with his team radio, never quite knowing
whether the damage he had suffered to the rear bodywork during his first lap
collision would prove terminal.
Alonso did everything he could, cajoling race control when he felt a safety
car could prove advantageous, profiting from Massa’s generosity and
Hulkenberg’s lunge on Hamilton with 27 laps remaining. In the end he could
do no more.
The race, somewhat anticlimactically, ended under the constraint of the second
safety car after Force India’s Paul di Resta crashed with one lap remaining
as the rain started to fall more heavily.
As Red Bull celebrated wildly and Ferrari dissolved into tears, Alonso was
dignity personified. “I’m proud of my team,” he said, insisting that the
defeat was not as painful as in 2010 when lost out on the final day in Abu
Dhabi, thanks to a strategic error.
“When you do something with your heart, 100 per cent, you have to be happy.”
Ferrari’s blow was no doubt softened by the extra £10 million they picked up
for beating McLaren in the constructors’ championship. But the last word
went to Vettel.
On the day when Red Bull announced a title sponsorship deal under which they
will be branded Infiniti Red Bull next year, the young German’s capacity for
breaking records is starting to look infinite. Even Schumacher, who moved
over for his young protégé at one point, might in time see his records
tumble.
“It’s very difficult to find the right words today. Everything which could go
wrong did go wrong,” Vettel said, shaking his head.
“Christian [Horner, Red Bull team principal] came on the radio at the end and
began telling me all the names of drivers who have won three world titles.
And he forgot Prost. So I told him, but I didn’t have any radio so he
couldn’t hear me!”
Then, returning to his earlier theme: “For sure, it was the toughest
[championship]. People tried everything – inside the lines, outside the
lines – to beat us. But we stayed true to ourselves.”
A sour note to end on, but a fittingly dramatic conclusion to an extraordinary
season.