While Lewis Hamiltons is that Glock? title win of Brazil 2008 will perhaps be considered the single most dramatic moment in the history of F1 world championship deciders, should Brazil 2012 be considered a better title-settling race? Interlagos, November 25, 2012, was the day of Sebastian Vettels spin and champion recovery, Fernando Alonsos thousand-yard stare, and, in the hours after the chequered flag had fallen, the post-race yellow flag controversy. Custom Washington Nationals Jerseys .And that was just the title battle on a day of rich subplots. Beyond the Vettel-Alonso showdown, Brazil 2012 featured Michael Schumachers final grand prix, McLarens last win, and Hamiltons swansong for his boyhood team before his career-defining switch to Mercedes. The 2012 season finale served up F1s ultimate race within a race - and both were nailbiters. Writing in his post-race column, Sky F1s Martin Brundle declared: The first 20 laps of the race were the most exciting I have ever had the privilege to commentate on.So what made Brazil 2012 so special?The lead-up to BrazilWhile Vettel and Alonso emerged as the seasons chief protagonists, their tense duel took its time to take shape.A record seven different winners in the opening seven races (Jenson Button, Alonso, Nico Rosberg, Vettel, Pastor Maldonado, Mark Webber, Hamilton) was remarkable at the time and all the more astounding in retrospect considering just nine drivers have shared the subsequent 89 grands prix.F1 2012: Race-by-race rundownVettel only won once in the opening 13 races and with Alonso, despite a clear car disadvantage, brilliantly wrestling his Ferrari to three wins to hold a 42-point advantage over his Red Bull rival by mid-season. But the Vettel charge began once F1 left Europe as the German reeled off four successive wins to take a 13-point lead with three rounds to go.However, the difference still stood at 13 points two races later with Vettels winning momentum first checked by a disqualification from Abu Dhabi qualifying for a fuel infringement and then defeat to Hamilton at the inaugural US GP in Austin.Onto Brazil...and how Vettel nearly lost on lap oneWith a quicker car and a 13-point lead already in his favour, Vettels title odds shortened at the Interlagos finale when he qualified fourth and Alonso eighth. The German only needed to finish in his grid position even if the Ferrari driver won.Yet the impossible turnaround suddenly seemed eminently possible on the races first lap. With rain beginning to fall, Vettel was facing the wrong way by Turn Four - and with a big hole in the side of his Red Bull. Vettel sees himself going backwards and at the back of the grid after the first lap of the 2012 Brazilian GP A bad start - which Vettel would blame on team-mate Mark Webber, sowing the seeds for the Multi-21 controversy of the following Spring - had already dropped the German behind Alonso and into seventh before double contact with the Williams of Bruno Senna at the end of the long backstraight left him facing the oncoming pack.As the field streamed past his stricken Red Bull, Vettel was lucky not to suffer race-ending damage. But when he eventually got going, he did so from 22nd and last. Alonso, meanwhile, had moved into a championship-winning third place within two laps.Vettel comes back from the brinkTo be perfectly honest after the first lap I thought its probably all over, admitted Red Bulls Adrian Newey after the race. I was pretty surprised to see the car going.But Vettel did keep going, allowing Red Bull engineers to take pictures of the RB8 from pitwall so Newey could assess the damage. We photographed the car going past and saw all the bodywork damage and, more worryingly almost, a huge crease in the exhaust system. Normally [with] that sort of damage the exhaust is going to crack and the bodywork will catch fire and that will be the end of that.A change of engine mapping settings, and the fact the rain worsened, played to Vettels advantage. By lap eight, he was to sixth. Alonso was now only two now places ahead, meaning the title was back in the Red Bull drivers grasp.Hamilton v Button…and HulkenbergAmid the drama of the title race behind, an absorbing battle for the win simultaneously broke out at the front.In their final race as McLaren team-mates, Hamilton and Button raced away into the lead from the front row and changed places three times within the races opening eight laps.The wheel-to-wheel action between Button and Hamilton was thrilling, masterful, respectful, risky, and mesmerising, wrote Brundle. And all watched by Nico Hulkenberg who then impressively made his way to the front of the race. Hulkenberg slides into Hamilton while he was leading the 2012 Brazilian GP ending the McLaren driver’s race Nico Hulkenberg, revelling in the mixed conditions, began pushing the McLarens and, after race leader Button pitted, the German overtook Hamilton for the lead on lap 18. He didnt relinquish it for 30 laps before Hamilton claimed it back.Yet what had been a hitherto display of supreme error-free driving was ended when Hulkenberg plunged down the inside of Hamiltons McLaren at Turn One as the McLaren encountered a backmarker, only to drop it on a damp patch and spin into the Briton. Hamiltons dream of a winning exit from Woking was scuppered, with Hulkenberg slipping to sixth.A grateful Button picked up the pieces. Raikkonen found himself going down a dead end as he tries to return to the race track during the 2012 Brazilian GP A passing of the batonAfter recovering from the biggest of lap-one scares, Vettel was rarely out of a championship-winning position thereafter but his worsening car damage, and the lingering on-off rain, meant the title was never safe until the closing laps. A broken radio also contributed to a late scare when mechanics werent ready for a pit stop.Brazilian GP 2012 resultsWith Alonso running second following the reitrements of Hamilton and Hulkenberg, Vettel needed to finish eighth to be sure of the crown. With ten laps to go he was in seventh, but then rose to the security of sixth when Schumacher, featuring in the final GP of his second career, chose not to put up a fight and let the Red Bull through. Vettels third consecutive title was then finally confirmed when Paul di Resta crashed on the start-finish straight on the penultimate lap to ensure the season finished under the Safety Car.After a breatheless afternoon, Vettel was world champion from Alonso by three points. Cue one of the longest stares in F1 history... The post-race controversyBut the story of Brazil 2012 wasnt finished quite yet and it briefly seemed as if there could be a dramatic final twist in the tale. Footage emerged on the internet which apparently showed Vettel had illegally passed the Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne under a yellow flag on lap four.Such was the commotion on social media that Ferrari wrote to the FIA seeking clarification, but analysis of official footage showed Vettel had passed a marshal waving a green flag before legitimately making the move on Vergne.The FIA replied to Ferrari stating that as the overtaking manoeuvre was not in breach of the regulations, and therefore there was no infringement to investigate, it was not reported to the Stewards by Race Control.The epic story of the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix was finally complete. Can Nico Rosberg clinch the title at Interlagos? Watch the Brazilian GP live on Sky Sports F1 on Sunday, the race begins at 4pm; Watch the whole race weekend with a NOW TV week pass - £10.99, no contract Also See: How Rosberg wins title in Brazil When is the Brazilian GP on Sky? The Formula 1 Gossip Column Get a NOW TV week pass Wilson Ramos Jersey . Any real chance at payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said. Matt Belisle Nationals Jersey . Canada is now down to its 22-player limit, although but players wont be registered until Christmas Day. Changes could still be made as a result of a suspension or injury. http://www.baseballnationalsauthority.com/hats/ . Now, with Game 6 set for Fenway Park and an 8:07 p.m. ET first pitch, the Detroit Tigers face the unenviable task of having to beat the Boston Red Sox twice, on the road, to advance to the World Series. GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Without Eddie Lacy, the Green Bay Packers offense has become the most pass-happy attack in the NFL.With Lacy out following ankle surgery thats sidelined him for the past four games and will keep him out Sunday night at Washington, the Packers sputtering offense has been at its best throwing early and often. Coach Mike McCarthy, however, wants to build a more balanced attack after Aaron Rodgers dropped back 59 times and handed off only 10 times in last weeks blowout loss at Tennessee.I always want to run the ball more, but I also want to throw it 55 times a game, too, McCarthy said Wednesday. Thats the way games are. You have to run the ball. Everything starts with running the football. You cant extend your offensive line and your pass-protection unit the way we have. Running the football is very important for a number of different reasons.To that end, Green Bay was awarded running back Christine Michael on waivers Wednesday. Michael joins a backfield with veteran James Starks, who returned last week after missing four games following knee surgery.Michael was released by the Seahawks on Tuesday despite being the teams leading rusher with 469 yards (4.0 average) and six touchdowns. The hope is he will help deliver the balance the failed trade with Kansas City last month for Knile Davis didnt provide. Davis carried five times for 5 yards in two games before he was released Oct. 31.It allows us to get balanced again, receiver Jordy Nelson said of Starks and before the addition of Michael. I think thats what we were able to do early in the year, just stay balanced. It allowed us to get into the play action. It makes the defense worry about another playmaker out there. I think he brings the screen game into it as well, like he did last week when he scored a touchdown on a screen.When you dont have a running back, its hard to do those things. Weve tried to manage. I think weve done a decent job with the circumstances but, hopefully, we can get some guys healthy and get back to a normal offense.The Packers offense has been anything but normal. They are paassing two-thirds of the time, the highest rate in the league. Washington Nationals T-shirts. Rodgers had a big game in almost upsetting Atlanta in Week 8 and rallied the team from deficits in losses to Indianapolis in Week 9 and Tennessee in Week 10. However, without the threat of a running game, the statistical production hasnt been consistently good. While Rodgers is third with 22 touchdown passes, he ranks 16th with a passer rating of 93.9, 20th with a completion rate of 63.1 percent, and 29th with 6.53 yards per dropback.Redskins cornerback Josh Norman said dont be fooled by those mediocre numbers.Hey, man, lets not get things mistaken over there, said Norman, who called Rodgers and New Englands Tom Brady the best quarterbacks in the NFL.That guy can hit you at any time, any place, anywhere, any given day, any given game, Norman added. I really dont care what the outside noise is. I know who were facing and thats a cerebral quarterback thats the best of the best at what hes doing. Regardless of what others may think of him, I know for a fact that that is the toughest quarterback challenge to face because he has everything in his toolbox, in his arsenal, to make them win.Time is of the essence for Green Bays offense to build an effective identity. With Starks and Michael, can it find balance? With Rodgers, is throwing the football repeatedly the way to go?The Packers have lost three in a row and four of their last five games. At 4-5, their best road to the playoffs is through the beleaguered NFC North, in which neither Minnesota nor Detroit (both 5-4) has seized control.It doesnt matter stats-wise if were running it a bunch of throwing it a bunch, Rodgers said. We just need to find a way to win. If weve got to throw it 60 times to win, weve done that before. Obviously, youd love to have some balance, but, at this point in the season, it comes down to winning football games.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' ' 

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