Brazil: The Race Seen from the Pits

McLaren

Jenson Button – Winner

Lewis Hamilton – Retirement

Martin Whitmarsh, Team Director: Jenson drove perfectly, he brilliantly managed the changing weather conditions in which he always excels and secured his 15th victory. Lewis was also driving very well before a touch with Nico [Hülkenberg] ended his race. The points we lost are what prevented us from overtaking Ferrari in the constructors’ championship. It would have been fantastic if we could have finished first and second, it was clearly within our reach.

Lewis competed in 110 Grand Prix for McLaren, won 21 races, achieved 49 podiums, 26 poles, 12 fastest laps, and scored 913 points. On behalf of everyone on the team, I wish him the best. Just like for Jenson, today’s winner, I speak on behalf of the whole team when I say how happy we are that he could win here, ending his 2012 season with a magnificent victory after his win in Melbourne. He also won in style at Spa. He has now achieved more podiums in the past 3 seasons at McLaren [25] than in 10 years with other teams [24]. There are many reasons for us to be satisfied. We have won the last two Grand Prix of the season, and that gives us a solid platform to develop our 2013 car over the coming months for the new season.

Finally, congratulations to Sebastian and my thoughts to Fernando. Either one would have made a great champion. But after a Grand Prix full of twists and turns like the Brazilian Grand Prix, it is fair to say that the big winner is Formula 1.

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Ferrari

Fernando Alonso – 2nd

Felipe Massa – 3rd

Luca di Montezemolo, President of Ferrari: « I am proud of my team. We fought until the very end, getting both our drivers onto the podium for the last race of the season. When you miss the title by the smallest of margins, naturally there are some regrets. I want to congratulate Fernando for what he did this year: his season was simply fantastic. Felipe drove very well during the second half of the season and once again showed that he is truly a team player. I also want to thank Stefano Domenicali and all his colleagues for the work they have done, day after day, to produce a car that, in terms of reliability, was perfect and for what they have accomplished in terms of strategies and pit work. Now, we must immediately focus on the next season because, from the start, we need to have a car that is competitive at the highest level. »

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Red Bull

Mark Webber – 4th

Sebastian Vettel – 6th

Christian Horner, Team Director: « An incredible end to what has been a truly fantastic season. We knew this championship was going to be decided at the end and I don’t think anyone could have expected this kind of race today. But, achieving a triple World Championship double [drivers and constructors, ed.] is quite phenomenal. Sebastian has driven better than ever this season and fought his way back into this championship; he never gave up and you could see that in today’s race. After being hit and ending up at the back of the grid with damage, he made his way back up, he never gave up and it was a stressful race today with the rain, the rain stopping, incidents, spins, you name it, it happened – the safety car, the radio not working – but you have to look at this season as a whole.

During the 20 races, the team did an incredible job and Sebastian deserves this world championship. Having fought against a fantastic rival, Fernando Alonso, we must take our hat off to him and the way he drove this season, he made the championship even more appreciated given the competition we had to face.

So, all I can do is thank each team member for everything they’ve done. I would like to thank Dietrich Mateschitz for his commitment, support, and the encouragement he gives us. To all the members of Red Bull who have been with us throughout this journey, and of course to all our partners who have grown and been part of the journey these past three years, a big thank you on behalf of the entire team.

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Sahara Force India

Nico Hülkenberg – 5th

Paul di Resta – 19th

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal: What a race! Certainly one of the most exciting I’ve seen with action at every turn. For a moment it seemed like we were on track for a dream result with Nico leading and showing his skills in tricky conditions. We had a very good car today and the pace to win but it didn’t happen. I’m questioning the deployment of the first safety car, we think yellow flags would have sufficed. We were also surprised by Nico’s penalty and think it could have been investigated after the race because three cars were involved. With Paul, we opted for a different strategy with a quick switch to intermediates like many teams, but when the rain stopped he went on slicks. He was on course to finish in the points until his accident. It was a relief to see him get out of the car unharmed. So we end the season on a positive note and approach the winter with optimism and the goal of starting next year just as well. I would like to say goodbye to Nico and thank him for his contribution to our season. It was a pleasure to have him driving our car.

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Mercedes

Michael Schumacher – 7th

Nico Rosberg – 15th

Ross Brawn, Team Principal: « We saw a truly dramatic race today and a perfect finale to a beautiful Formula 1 season. As for us, the two early punctures put us in a difficult position with both cars. Nico’s car suffered significant damage, making his race very challenging. Michael’s puncture was not as severe, and the team did a good job of recovering, with help from the safety car. Michael showed all the qualities we know he possesses today to save his race: overtaking, good tire strategy decisions, and kept his car on track to bring us some points. It was a good way to end the season and his career with us.

In terms of results, his second career in Formula 1 wasn’t as remarkable, but it was for all of us who had the privilege of working with him. It has been a true honor for everyone in the team, and working alongside Michael gives you a real understanding of why he is so special and why he won seven world championship titles. We will miss him, and we wish him the best for the future.

Congratulations to Sebastian for clinching his third world title today, it’s a truly impressive achievement.

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Toro Rosso

Jean-Eric Vergne – 8th

Daniel Ricciardo – 13th

Franz Tost, Team Principal: Firstly, on behalf of everyone at Scuderia Toro Rosso, I want to congratulate Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing. Three consecutive drivers’ titles is a remarkable achievement. This Brazilian Grand Prix demonstrated how Formula 1 can be a beautiful spectacle, at the end of a season that was highly contested and produced memorable moments. We also had a good day to end this long and exciting season, as Jean-Eric finished 8th for the fourth time, bringing 4 additional points. The conditions were difficult to manage as the rain came and went, making things tricky for the drivers and the people on the pit wall. Both our drivers did very well to stay on track in these circumstances. Jean-Eric’s race was going very well until his contact with Glock after the restart, which cost us some time, but he was able to recover to deliver a strong performance at the finish.

In Daniel’s case, we were a bit out of sync with the tire strategy, as it rained right after we stopped him to put on new slicks. This dropped him out of the points, which is why we took the gamble of fitting wet tires to get him back into the top 10, but the rain wasn’t enough to achieve that. Our improvement in performance at the end of the season wasn’t enough to change our 9th place in the championship, but it’s a nice way to finish, especially because next year’s regulations won’t be very different from what we currently have. Moreover, the lessons learned will help us for 2013, where we hope to be competitive throughout the season.

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Sauber

Kamui Kobayashi – 9th

Sergio Pérez – Retirement

Giampaolo Dall’Ara, Head of Track Engineering: « It was a good start for our two drivers, but then Sergio was pushed off at turn 4. Kamui started on the hard tires and was able to climb up the order. Then, it started to rain, and it was a good decision by our driver to switch to intermediates. He was able to gain some positions, and then the switch to slicks was well-timed too. He managed to set lap times comparable to Ferrari and Red Bull, which was good. Then, it started raining again, and everything went wrong. Kamui came in to switch to intermediates, but before we could change them, he had an off-track excursion. We lost time, and his pit stop didn’t go well either. Then, near the end, Kamui spun while trying to overtake Michael [Schumacher, editor’s note]. So finally, we finished in ninth place. »

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Lotus

Kimi Räikkönen – 10th

Romain Grosjean – Retirement

Eric Boullier, Team Director: Obviously, it was a very painful race to end the season. Not the one we expected or wanted. The championship ends well. Fourth was our goal and we achieved it with a considerable lead. To crown that, we have been fighting with the top teams until the end of the year. Kimi’s third place in the drivers’ championship is a great achievement after two years of absence, and it’s a testament not only to the car we provided him but also to the team. We won our first victory under the Lotus name and reached the podium many times throughout the season. So, overall, it has been a very good year. I want to thank everyone at Enstone and Renault. I am very proud to be part of the joint efforts. Our progress is very promising for next year. With the stability and continuity we enjoy, I am sure we will still be fighting for podiums in 2013.

On a broader level, we must, of course, extend our congratulations to Sebastian Vettel who joins the ranks of the greats as a triple world champion. A special mention goes to another former champion from Enstone for his exceptional efforts, Fernando Alonso, who had a superb season. Finally, we bid a warm farewell to one of the greatest drivers in history, Michael Schumacher. It’s always something remarkable when a multiple champion leaves the stage. Michael achieved great feats over the years, particularly with two world titles under the Enstone banner. We all wish him the greatest success in the future.

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Caterham

Vitaly Petrov – 11th

Heikki Kovalainen – 14th

Cyril Abiteboul, Team Director:

« On behalf of the entire team, I want to express how proud we are of the work accomplished today. It has been a difficult year, during which we have not been at the level we hoped for, but today, we have a good reason to celebrate. Every driver who finishes this race held in treacherous conditions deserves praise, and both our drivers achieved that, so they can be proud of the work done. They kept their cars on the track when many incidents occurred around them, and they managed to make the most of the situations that ended the season’s prospects beautifully for many drivers.

We deserve to reclaim this 10th place. Our results throughout the season have been much better than those of our closest rivals, and when it mattered, we seized the opportunity that presented itself to us. That’s the mark of a good team, and it means we approach the winter break and next season with a positive mindset.

Our shareholders, Tony Fernandes and Kamarudin Meranun, and our partners have given us the support we needed to move up the hierarchy, and today, we have repaid them in a way by doing things right when it mattered. We can appreciate this emotion today, but tomorrow we must return to work, ready to come back in 2013 and make the kind of progress a team in our position must make.

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Marussia

Charles Pic – 12th

Timo Glock – 16th

John Booth, Team Director: « Today has been an emotional day for everyone involved with the Marussia F1 team. The 10th place slipped away after such a long struggle and, naturally, ‘disappointed’ doesn’t come close to what we feel. We made the right decisions and our strategy worked beautifully, but in the end, we lost due to factors beyond our control.

As everyone knows, we had a difficult start to the year and we were not able to run at all during pre-season testing. Despite a challenging start for the MR01, we managed to hold onto 10th place in the constructors’ championship for the first five races, before losing it in Monaco. Mid-season, we embarked on a development strategy and the new parts introduced at Silverstone were the first iteration of components tested in the wind tunnel for the MR01. We never really looked back from that point, and with each race, we made progress – more or less significant.

The majority allowed us to reduce the gap with Caterham, but at the same time, we reduced the difference with the midfield and the best. For example, in Australia, the gap between our fastest lap and the winner’s fastest lap was 4.5%, whereas in the last races of the season, we reduced it to 2.5% – and without KERS. So, if we look back, it’s even more encouraging than it might seem.

I would like to thank the entire team present at the factory and at the Grand Prix, as well as our engine supplier Cosworth, for working tirelessly. The same must be said for our two drivers Timo and Charles; Charles to whom we say goodbye today. Our sincere thanks to our partners, investors, and suppliers for joining us on this season’s journey. Here’s to 2013, the advantage of KERS, and a few encouraging signs can only allow us to become better.

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HRT

Pedro de la Rosa – 17th

Narain Karthikeyan – 18th

Luis Perez-Sala, Team Director:

« What an incredible race! The changing conditions made it quite tricky, and both drivers remained fully focused from start to finish and delivered a fantastic performance. The work of all the mechanics and engineers in the garage was also very good, and both cars were able to see the checkered flag, which is the best way to end this long season. I am very proud of every team member, without whom this season would not have been possible. Thank you also to our sponsors, partners, and our fans for their support. »

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Williams

Pastor Maldonado – Abandonment

Translate: Bruno Senna – Retirement

Mark Gillan, Chief Engineer in charge of operations: « Both our cars got off to excellent starts, placing in the top 10. Unfortunately, Bruno was hit by Vettel, who cut the corner ahead of him at turn 4 in the first lap, stopping his car. Pastor was 8th at the start of the second lap with eight places gained in the first lap, but he hit a wet curb exiting turn 3, which pushed him off track and into the tire barrier, ending his race. »

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