F1 will have its championship finale in Brazil next Sunday, after Sebastian Vettel failed to win the US grand prix. But Red Bull's German further expanded his points lead over his never-say-die title rival Fernando Alonso in Austin, with the gap now 13 points with just the twentieth race of the season in Sao Paulo still lying ahead. "It's looking a bit better after today," said Vettel. "Now we have another step to make in Brazil."
Red Bull secured its third consecutive constructors' championship on Sunday, but the team was not really celebrating after Vettel was beaten to the flag by race winner Lewis Hamilton. Vettel was frustrated to have been passed by McLaren's Hamilton in the DRS zone, after the German was held up in the preceding corners by backmarker Narain Karthikeyan. "That wasn't your fault," team boss Christian Horner told Vettel - who had sounded furious on the radio afterwards. "It's going to be a busy week ahead of us," Horner said on British television Sky.
But the mathematics are very much in Red Bull's favour, because even if Ferrari's Alonso wins at Interlagos next week, Vettel would only have to finish fourth to be champion. With a looming forecast of rain for Brazil, however, Alonso - who climbed from seventh on the grid to third at the chequered flag on Sunday - is not giving up. "You've been brilliant all season," F1 legend Mario Andretti told Alonso on the podium, "and obviously you're fighting to the end."
Reliability could also be a factor, as Vettel's teammate Mark Webber retired on Sunday with yet another failed alternator, even though supplier Renault had debuted a new specification this weekend. "Very much so, it (reliability) is so fragile," Red Bull's Adrian Newey admitted on Sunday. "Renault haven't managed to find a proper solution to that one." (GMM)
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Formula 1 title battle still on for Brazil finale
- Published on 19 Nov 2012 08:41
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- By: Rob Veenstra
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C. Leclerc
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
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Spain
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Bahrain
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Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
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Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
Austria
Red Bull Ring
3 - Jul 5
United Kingdom
Silverstone
17 - Jul 19
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
24 - Jul 26
Hungary
Hungaroring
21 - Aug 23
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Driver profile
- Team Aston Martin
- Points 631
- Podiums 9
- Grand Prix 204
- Country ES
- Date of b. Jul 29 1981 (45)
- Place of b. Oviedo, ES
- Weight 68 kg
- Length 1.71 m
- 188,072 comments on Aston Martin
78 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Fernando Alonso
Team profile
- Team name McLaren
- Base Woking, United Kingdom
- Jenson Button 1
- Lewis Hamilton 1
- Fernando Alonso 1
- Niki Lauda 1
- Stoffel Vandoorne 2
- Lewis Hamilton 2
- Lewis Hamilton 2
- Gerhard Berger 2
- Daniel Ricciardo 3
- Jenson Button 3
- Lewis Hamilton 3
- Kimi Räikkönen 3
- Mika Häkkinen 3
- Lando Norris 4
- Lewis Hamilton 4
- Jenson Button 4
- Kimi Räikkönen 4
- Jenson Button 5
- Sergio Perez 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 6
- Niki Lauda 8
- Alain Prost 8
- Kimi Räikkönen 9
- Fernando Alonso 14
- Kevin Magnussen 20
- Jenson Button 22
- Lewis Hamilton 22
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Stoffel Vandoorne 47
- Carlos Sainz jr 55
- Oscar Piastri 81
- 306,981 comments on McLaren
- 162 members have this team as their favourite
- Tweets about McLaren
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