Sebastian Vettel recalls "emotional rollercoaster" triumph at special Interlagos

São Paulo Grand Prix

Vettel recalls "emotional rollercoaster" triumph at special Interlagos

Vettel overcame first lap damage to win the title in 2012

Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale

Friday 11 November 2022 14:24

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Sebastian Vettel has insisted there is "something special" about Interlagos when remembering his "rollercoaster" 2012 championship triumph.

The Aston Martin driver arrives at the São Paulo Grand Prix weekend for the penultimate race of his F1 career at a venue at which he has been victorious on three occasions.

Of his four world championship triumphs, perhaps the most dramatic was the decider 10 years ago, where Vettel and Fernando Alonso battled it out for the title.

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Vettel held a margin over the Spaniard in what should have been a routine clincher for the then-Red Bull driver.

But in treacherous conditions, Vettel made contact with the Williams of Bruno Senna, triggering a meleé at descida de lago, causing significant damage to his car.

Yet Vettel was able to drag his way back through the field to secure what was his third championship.

"The moment I think about São Paulo there's a lot of stuff coming back," said Vettel.

"I did the free practice here, many, many years ago, but then racing here obviously.

"Maybe to name two, obviously winning the championship in 2012 was an emotional rollercoaster with everything happening in that race.

"But also 2009 was let's say a big memory, it wasn't a highlight. I lost the championship to Jenson and it was a big emotion after the race.

"It seems that here there is something special. I don't remember too many boring races around here."

Vettel recalls crowd during 2008 drama

The Brazilian crowd is one of the most passionate on the grid and a famous example of its commitment to a home driver came when Felipe Massa agonisingly missed out on a title to Lewis Hamilton in 2008.

Vettel had overtaken Hamilton when driving for Toro Rosso in the closing stages, which seemingly handed the title to Massa.

But as rain fell, Timo Glock stayed on dry tyres for Toyota and was overtaken by Hamilton at the final corner, handing the Briton his first title.

"I think 2008 was one of the moments where I heard the crowd," recalled Vettel.

"I didn't know what was going on, because there was a lot of confusion on the last lap, Lewis, Felipe, with Timo [Glock] and myself, but one of the few moments where I actually heard the crowd in the car.

"I think obviously big history, a lot of Brazilian champions and idols.

"So it's a very educated crowd when it comes to our sport. They know Formula 1, they have a long history with Formula 1, and they love the sport."