Michael Schumacher gave the greatest gift to Sebastian Vettel during his last F1 race, allowing him to become F1 champion once again.
2012 was the era of Red Bull’s dominance, but Ferrari gave them a tough fight in the championship. Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso at that time were vying for the championship.
The battle for the championship went on till the last race of the 2012 season, which was in Brazil. Before the race, the difference between the two drivers was marginal.
But the biggest twist at the start of the race was that the championship leader Vettel got spun in the very first lap of the race. Relegating him to the last position.
On the other hand, Alonso had an impressive performance and secured P2 in the race, granting him whooping 18 points. Which meant that Vettel needed at least six points to secure the championship.
Vettel tried his best to make his recovery up on the grid. Though his troubles were added, when the rain started pouring, making it difficult to get the right balance.
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Michael Schumacher giving his goodbye gift to Sebastian Vettel
Vettel managed to reach P7, after which he needed to overtake the seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, who was appearing in his last race.
His compatriot Schumacher to everyone’s surprise allowed him to overtake him without a fight and waved him. Thus, ensuring that Vettel will take away the championship.
“I think it’s a nice handover to Seb that I feel very happy for him,” said Schumacher after the race. Vettel after the race at Parc Ferme embraced his mentor for his help.
Though, the help from Schumacher was not that important anymore, when Paul Di Resta crashed in the final laps of the race. Vettel because of that got another jump in the positions.
The race ending under the safety car also prevented Alonso to push for the win. So, Alonso had no way out and had to accept his defeat in the season-long championship fight.
#OnThisDay in 2012… a day every Fernando Alonso fan will remember for their entire lives.
A day where Fernando did everything he could, pushed the car to the limit, grabbed his 86th podium finish, and missed out on his third #F1 world championship by just three points. pic.twitter.com/YQOuOeNMZC
— FA Racing Logitech G (@FARacingEsports) November 25, 2019
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