Vettel had his toughest season in F1

Sebastian Vettel managed to maintain his invincibility at the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix despite a particularly difficult test for the German. The pilot Red Bull was elected Driver of the Year at the Autosport Awards for his third consecutive title won at the end of a much more difficult season than 2011. After a first success at the Bahrain Grand Prix, the German had to wait until in Singapore to return to the top step of the podium and string together successes in the following three events to take the lead in the Championship.

“I think this season was the hardest, it was a very long year of ups and downs”, commented Sebastian Vettel upon receiving his trophy. “I perhaps didn't have the car that suited me at the start of the season, it was competitive in the race but I struggled to increase the pace in qualifying. However, we were more comfortable towards the end of the season, picking up big points and taking the lead. I didn't expect so much to happen when I got up on Sunday morning in Brazil, I think the season was summed up well in this race. Time flies when you look back. I remember my first Friday with BMW Sauber, it’s been five years now. For me, it's a big number but you don't feel it. We evolve, we manage to achieve things behind the wheel, we become a little more experienced and a little more relaxed too. »