My Top 5 Films Of 2012

2012 was a bumper year for movie-nuts with there being a little of something for everyone; bombastic superhero blockbuster, high tension Cold War dramas, zany coming-of-age tales all feature in my personal Top 5 Films of 2012.

5) Skyfall 

Daniel Craig as 007

James Bond was back in a big way this year; kicking off celebrating 50 years of films by making a surprise cameo at the Olympics, Bond's 23rd screen outing in Skyfall blew everyone away by being, let's face it, pretty damn good.

After a mission in Turkey goes pear-shaped for Bond (Daniel Craig) and Eve (Naomi Harris), Bond is faced with getting himself back in the game and stopping the villianous Silva (Javier Bardem) from killing M (Judi Dench) and destroying MI6.

Skyfall shook away the lingering doubts that surrounded Craig's second outing as Bond (2008's Quantum of Solace) and put himself right back on track with heaps of exciting action, sultry sirens and sleek sports cars.

You can read my original review of Skyfall by clicking on this link: Film Review: Skyfall

4) The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Logan Lerman and Emma Watson in
The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Starring Logan Lerman and Emma Watson, The Perks of Being a Wallflower was a charming and honest look at the sometimes horrible experiences of being an adolescent in high school.

Charlie (Lerman) is a shy and introverted highschool freshman who is taken under the wing of two seniors; Sam (Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller).

Together the trio come to terms with growing up, leaving behind loved ones and moving onto college. Between them, the three leads develop a brilliant on-screen chemistry that makes their friendship look, feel and sound real. A killer soundtrack also enriches the high school and house party atmosphere.

It is however, the raw and tender moments between Charlie and Sam (as well as those that explore Charlie's troubled and damaged past) that sets this otherwise unassuming coming-of-age drama aside from the rest.

3) Looper

Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in
Looper

Put the pyrotechnics down people, Looper is here to show you how science-fiction should be done. Proving that all you need to put together some killer science-fiction is an intelligent script, a clever concept and a stellar cast, 2012 was the year that director Rian Johnson blew us all away with Looper.

Set in 2042, Looper centres on the simple premise of time-travel orientated assassination; a 'looper' is someone who kills targets that are sent from the future to their present, dumping the bodies and eradicating said target entirely.

With Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt all putting in some great performances, Looper impressed on every level; it was well written, it was well-acted and it had some striking visuals when the action ramped up in the final third.

Cast aside your Battleships' and your John Carter's; Looper is how proper science-fiction should be done. Don't miss out.

You can read my original review of Looper by clicking on this link: Film Review: Looper

2) The Avengers

"Take away the suit of armour and what are you?"

Putting together the ultimate super-hero film was no mean feat for Joss Whedon, but somehow he pulled it off; bringing together Iron Man (Robert Downey Jnr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) into the one film for the first time could have ended in disaster.

Instead, the Avengers was a rip-roaring success, the combined forces of Marvel's greatest hitting the bullseye in terms of what we have come to expect from the characters. Interweaving numerous franchises and their subsequent back stories, Whedon gave each member of the team their due.

The real winner here however was the script; The Avengers is not just a contender for biggest action film of the year (the final third of the film tears New York a new one) but also the funniest. The verbal banter between Earth's Mightiest Hero's had me in stitches, the zinging one-liners racing across the screen with ferocious speed. Not just that, but Whedon spent the time focusing on the protagonist's mortality and humanity, not making them seem invincible or unbeatable.

You can read my original review of The Avengers by clicking on this link: Film Review: The Avengers

1) Argo

Bryan Cranston and Ben Affleck in Argo

Set in a Revolutionary 1970's Iran, Argo tells the story of six American's fleeing from certain death at the hands of an Iranian public baying for their blood. Cut off from the outside world, their only hope of escape comes in the form of Ben Affleck's CIA agent and 'Argo'; a zany scheme that sees the CIA team up with Hollywood producers to forge the ultimate cover story. Under the pretence of filming a B-grade science fiction movie in the deserts of Iran, Mendez (Affleck) must outmanoeuvre the police and stay one step ahead if he is going to get the Americans' out of Iran alive. 

Based on a true story, Argo was gripping from start to finish. It managed to maintain finger-nail biting tension throughout, the final third of the film keeping the audience practically gnawing at their knuckles. Each and every member of the film's cast acts their part down to a tee, from Alan Arkin's grouchy movie producer to Bryan Cranston's stressed CIA executive, the cast doesn't miss a beat.

The absurdity and implausibility of such a plan being pulled off however also sees the film veer into some side-splitting introspective satire that sends up the inner-workings of Hollywood, something that perfectly counterbalances the drama with levity.

You can read my original review of Argo by clicking on this link: Film Review: Argo

Honorary Mentions

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Dark Knight Rises, The Hunger Games, The Woman in Black, Brave, The Amazing Spider-man, Rise of the Guardians.

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Film Review: The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey

"I'm going on an adventure"

This review may contain mild spoilers.

Martin Freeman as Bilbo

Peter Jackson returns to Middle-Earth with the first third of his highly anticipated adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic fantasy novel, The Hobbit. Maintaining complete continuity from his earlier works on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Jackson's first Hobbit movie is one that is different in tone but not different in quality.

So put down your pitchforks and your torches. It's okay, just calm down. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is good. Very good in fact, certainly not deserving of many of the mixed reviews circulating around currently.

Whisked away from the comfort of his quaint hobbit hole, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) joins the company of Gandalf (Ian McKellan), Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) and his troupe of a dozen dwarves who are out to reclaim their lost Dwarven homeland of Erebor from Smaug the Dragon (Benedict Cumberbatch).

Much like the source material, the Hobbit is very much set apart from the LOTR trilogy tonally. Not concerned with Dark Lords, Rings of Power and the end of days, the Hobbit plays out more like a children's fairytale complete with wizards, dwarves, dragons and a great adventure.

Ian McKellan reprises his role as Gandalf the Grey

Lighter and more approachable for those not attuned with Tolkien folklore, Bilbo's journey is easily to get on board with given his 'everyman' nature; he values home comforts like his armchair and his pantry. Part of what makes Bilbo such a relatable character is the brilliance of his portrayal by Martin Freeman. Freeman is able to step into the role seemingly with ease and arrives fully formed. It doesn't take long for him to establish himself amongst the world of Middle-Earth, his character firmly rooted and complete. His journey from reluctant accomplice to courageous hero is handled well throughout the first chapter of this trilogy.

His stand-out performance is most evident during film's centrepiece scene when Bilbo stumbles across Smeagol (Andy Serkis) and must outwit him in a game of riddles to save his own life and find his way out of the mountains.

Visually, An Unexpected Journey is, if it's at all possible, even more striking than the original LOTR films. Sweeping landscape shots of snow-laden mountains, rolling plains and rich woodland leap from the screen and leave the audience scrabbling to pick up their jaws from the floor. From the homely hills of the Shire to the fiery finale, the vibrant colours and textures add great authenticity to the world of Middle-Earth.

Jackson has filled out the short source material with additional sub-plots that explore the emergence of the Necromancer, an evil from beyond the world of the living. Whilst it may not appear to fit in directly with Thorin and co.'s quest to reclaim their homeland, Jackson has taken great care in crafting a side-story that will no doubt be unveiled and related back with the coming instalments. Whilst Sylvester McCoy's Radagast the Brown falls a little flat when providing some silly 'comic relief', the scenes that contain the entire White Council (Cate Blanchett's Galadriel, Hugo Weaving's Elrond and Christopher Lee's Saruman) are some the best in the entire film.

One of the my main concerns going in was that it wouldn't feel like there would be enough story to go around  or that the story would drag. On the contrary, the pacing is spot on and the long running time didn't feel at all stretched.

Andy Serkis as Smeagol/Gollum

Unfortunately, with such a large ensemble cast, it is inevitable that some of the characters fade into the background. With Thorin's band of dwarves, it feels as though only Balin (Ken Stott), Dwalin (Graham McTavish), Bofur (James Nesbitt) and Kili (Aidan Turner) feature heavily enough to leave an impression by the time the credits roll. This is inevitable when such a large cast are compressed into a nearly a three hour film; hopefully, some of the others will feature more in coming instalments.

Another thing that An Unexpected Journey did well was the introduction of Azog the Pale Orc as a primary antagonist and rival for Thorin. With Smaug's introduction postponed to the second instalment, the first film needed a strong antagonist to oppose our heroes and Azog fills that void well.

Lastly, the opening prologue in which key narrative devices were introduced such as Erebor, Dale, the Arkenstone and Thranduil was a great way of setting up the saga. The flashbacks to the Dwarven city at it's height was interesting for it was an aspect of Middle-Earth yet to be touched upon in film.

On the whole then, An Unexpected Journey is without a doubt a triumphant return to Middle-Earth for Peter Jackson and everyone involved. It doesn't feel forced or unnecessary. Instead, it feels more fun, light-hearted and witty than LOTR, whilst being equally as striking visually. The bar then is set high for Parts 2 and 3 due December 2013 and July 2014.

I give The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: 9/10 

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My Top Albums of 2012

5) - Jack White - Blunderbuss

Jack White's first solo outing post-White Stripes simultaneously took him back to his roots of being a straight-up, rock n' roll/country artist as well as succeeding in being an album that traversed many different sounds without alienating any of his fans. 

From the gentle tinkling opening to 'Missing Pieces', to the hip-swaying and catchy groove of 'Freedom At 21'  ("Cut the bottoms off my feet, make me walk on salt, take me down to the police, charge me with assault"), White struck out on his own with confidence and vigour.

His over-arching story was one of unquenchable heartbreak however, a theme that made for some truly brilliant ballads like 'Love Interruption', 'Hypocritical Kiss' and 'Take Me With You When You Go'.

4) - The Rubens - The Rubens

A brilliant début record from one of Melbourne's newest indie rock outfits, The Rubens' burst onto the scene in 2012. With some serious rotation on triple J, the Rubens' won me over seriously fast with assured and soulful tracks such as 'Never Be The Same', 'My Gun' and 'I'll Surely Die'. 

Always fantastic to see great promise bursting forth (especially when said promise is so brilliantly laden with catchy and unshakeable melodies), The Rubens' have no doubt got their eyes set squarely on the target of becoming one Australia's biggest indie rock bands alongside The Temper Trap and Tame Impala. 

3) The Vaccines - Come of Age

Another round of the Vaccines doing what the Vaccines do best; solid, catchy, fun, brash and unashamedly simplistic indie pop songs that knock the socks off of anyone listening along. Try listening to 'Teenage Icon' without a the energy and fun causing your feet to tap and head to bob, I dare you. 

However, like I mentioned in my review earlier in the year, the frantic minute-and-a-half ode's to Danish models are absent on record No. 2, instead a host of mid-tempo ballads that introduce some darker and gloomier sounds to the pallet; 'Ghost Town' and 'Weirdo' best show off this slightly new direction for the English quartet. 

2) Richard Hawley - Standing At The Sky's Edge

Richard Hawley's seventh studio album was my first taster of any of his work and I must admit, Standing At The Sky's Edge made a great first impression.

The reverb-laden guitar and vocals on brilliantly psychedelic tracks such as 'She Brings The Sun' and 'Down In The Woods' set this record apart from a lot else that I listened to this year; they stretch on and on, recalling images of a sun-drenched summer's day. In fact, the 50 minute run time is amazingly split across a mere 9 songs, only one track dipping below the 4-minute mark. 

Hawley's latest record also has its quieter moments, 'Seek It' and 'Don't Stare At The Sun' dropping the tempo down to the pace of a gentle swaying hammock.

1) The Maccabees - Given To The Wild

Some albums come along and not only take you by surprise, but fully knock you for six. Given To The Wild is one of these albums.

The Maccabees changed tac entirely here, their third record swapping the trademark sound of indie guitar plucking and jitteryness found on 2007's Colour It In and 2009's Wall of Arms for a new-found sense of serene and calm.

'Feel To Follow' stands out as a particularly strong track, as do the pulsating and shifting 'Go' and 'Unknow'.

From the opening instrumental that feeds into the soaring 'Child' to the closing track 'Grew Up At Midnight', this record is quality from wall to wall and fails to have any one track that stands out as a misstep. Simply, it effortlessly flows from each track to the next, the soaring highs and choir-like vocals punctuated by hushed pauses and deathly stills, some beautifully restrained moments of calm.

For me then, The Maccabees third record is my musical highlight of the year. For more on my year in music, make sure you check out my Ultimate 2012 Spotify Playlist. Thanks for reading and let me know what you thought in the comments section below!

Honourable Mentions

Bloc Party - Four, Two Door Cinema Club - Beacon, The xx - Coexist, Grimes - Visions, Maximo Park - The National Health, Passion Pit - Gossamer, Tame Impala - Lonerism, Jake Bugg - Jake Bugg, Howler - America Give Up, Lana Del Rey - Born To Die, Lucy Rose - Like I Used To

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5 Films for the End of the World

With the Mayan Apocalypse just around the corner (Friday the 21st of December 2012 to be precise), we're taking a look at some of the biggest and best End Of The World Movies. With Hollywood having covered everything from alien obliteration, viral holocaust and earth-shattering cataclysm, there certainty isn't any shortage of destruction on offer with this oddball mixture of despair and (sometimes) laughs. I've listed below five of my favourites; give them a read and let me know what you think in the comments section below!

I Am Legend (2007)

So for starters, we have a film that is a firm favourite of mine when it comes to witnessing the End of the World. I Am Legend follows Dr. Robert Neville (Will Smith) as he attempts to find a solution to a plague that has killed most of humanity and left him alone in New York City, with only those who have been transformed into monsters for company. Oh, and his faithful dog Sam of course. 

The tempo of the movie see-saws between serene and peaceful to tribal and chaotic, the safe and sunny day-time segments punctuated with some pulse-pounding night scenes that reveal the true horror of this post-apocalyptic world. There are also some really elongated silences that reflect the isolation of Neville and the hopelessness of his task. Pretty bleak stuff, making it pretty perfect stuff for viewing if your stuck for ideas this Friday.

Oh, and don't forget the Kleenex; Neville's pooch pal bites the dust half-way through, leaving not a single dry eye in the house. You have been warned. Oops, spoiler alert. Sorry.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

I take it back, the End of the World doesn't have to be all doom and gloom. Whack on a copy of Shaun of the Dead and you'll forget that the world outside is crumbling down around you in mere minutes.

Faced with hordes of zombies rampaging across the leafy suburbs of London, Shaun (Simon Pegg) and Ed (Nick Frost) must arm themselves with the usual zombie killing utensils; a cricket bat, a spade and a box full of old vinyl records in order to fight their towards their local, "the Winchester, have a nice cold pint and wait for all of this to blow over".

Pegg and Frost hit the nail on the head first go with this brilliant zom-rom-com that has inspired so many American counterparts and yet to be surpassed. 

Guaranteed to lighten the mood if your getting any End of the World blues this Friday!

The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

If your not afraid of getting some pretty big chills, chuck on The Day After Tomorrow this Friday night. On completely the other end of the spectrum to Shaun of the Dead, The Day After Tomorrow charts the fates of Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid), a climatologist who must rescue his son who is stranded in New York in the middle of a super-storm that is forever altering the climate of the entire planet, beginning a new global Ice Age. 

It's bleak stuff for anyone who worries for the future of our climate. The super-storm, its size and the consequences may be highly fantasised but the message the film gives off isn't, making it one of the scariest End of the World films out there, just for different reasons than most. (See also: An Inconvenient Truth)

Like most great apocalyptic films however, The Day After Tomorrow works best when it is focused primarily on the humanity of its protagonists; Dennis Quaid gives a good performance and the motivations and perspective of his character is generally what drives the film, not its depressing notions of our future climate.

Independence Day (1996)

The aliens are coming and humanity faces gigantic odds; on the brink of annihilation, what can mankind do to outmanoeuvre and defeat the oncoming behemoth's that loom overhead? 

Alien invasion on a global scale, Independence Day is the second film on this list to feature Will Smith and the second to be directed by Roland Emmerich (let the end of the world conspiracy theorists begin!)

It may cop a lot of flak for being downright ridiculous and something of a cheese-fest at times, but when it comes to End of the World movies, Independence Day is pretty hard to top for sheer destruction. Of course, Roland Emmerich would go on to try and top all of this in his latest apocalyptic epic, 2012, but for me Independence Day is better for sheer fun (primarily because of Will Smith and his razor-witted character Steven Hiller).

If your looking for something to munch popcorn in front of this Friday night, you could do a lot worse than Independence Day. Bring on the cheese!

2012 (2009)

No End of the World movie list would be complete without 2012; not content with unleashing alien mother-ships and climate change upon the world, Roland Emmerich (Yep, definitely a conspiracy afoot) is back again with this ridiculously silly and OTT destruction-fest that sees the entire world torn apart by some geological MacGuffin that only really makes sense after a heavy night of drinking. 

The plot follows Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), who must attempt to save his broken family from the devastation unfolding around him as they travel to a supposed safe haven in the remotest area of China. 

Visually, 2012 is as spectacular as one has come to expect from a Roland Emmerich destruction movie. Whether it is huge waves crashing over the Himalayas, molten lava consuming Pacific islands or gigantic faults that tear Los Angeles apart, the visuals here are pretty stunning.

Whilst I personally detest this film, it is the most apt of this list (that is, it is set in 2012 and it centres around the whole Mayan/2012 phenomenon that will grip the world on Friday), so viewing 2012 on December 21st would simply be for the shiggles. Either that, or the crippling sense of irony that would kill us all if the Mayans turned out to be on the money with this whole End of the World thing. 

Honourable Mentions

Of course, with apocalypse films generally being a genre unto themselves, it is hard to encompass the entire length and breadth of that in five films (one of which is a pretty terrible movie). So here we have some honourable mentions had I have included more than just the five I am considering watching this Friday night.

First off, Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) is probably is greatest omission here and defiantly one that should be seen if you were living out your last days on Earth. The same can be said of the original Planet of the Apes (1968) and The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). Steven Spielberg's The War of the Worlds (2005) is also a fantastic, chilling take on desolation and despair. 

Any of you looking for more bonkers takes on the End of the World, look no further than a batty and twitchy Nic Cage in Knowing (2009) or Zombieland (2009). For those looking for something to warm the heart in dark times, whack on a copy of Wall-E (2008). Who says your Friday night isn't sorted this week?

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Voice of Reason #7: Bonkers Baby Names

"Oh hey, my name's Google"

Jumping on a celebrity bandwagon and imitating something big from Hollywood is nothing new; a big name celebrity gets a new haircut and BAM! overnight, everyone is sporting a Beatle Bowl-cut, a Rachael from Friends do or a ridiculous Skrillex side-shave.

Unfortunately for those of us with any sense, the latest celebrity bandwagon that people appear to leaping onto in droves is that of bonkers baby names. Following in the footsteps of A-listers like the Beckham's, Brangelina and the Geldof's, people are racing to give their newborns the wackiest, the kookiest and the most 'original' name in the playground.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's troupe of tots includes
Knox, Maddox and Zahara. 

There's Gwenyth Paltrow and Chris Martin who have little Apple, Sylvester Stallone who has Sage Moonblood and Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have Sunday Roast. Oh, oops, I mean Sunday Rose. My bad.

Forget traditional or 'boring' names like James, Henry or Jack! Their so stupid and boring it's a wonder they caught on in the first place! Remember everyone, your kids will totally love you forever when christen your them Xenon, Zaniel or Exodus. I mean, I was just telling my best mate's Genesis and Boron the other day, who wouldn't want to meet someone named after a book in the Bible or an element on the periodic table?

Remember, the wackier the better! Don't be afraid to get inventive and experimental. Don't think of it as risky; you never know, you might be something of a pioneer in 20 years time when you can claim to have been the first to call your kid Pepsi, Nutella or Twitter.

The inspiration I got for this little rant came from reading a news story on news.com.au that reported a compiled list of the most unusual baby names to have been registered in 2012, each name having been registered at least twice to show that it isn't some kind of anomaly.

Looking down the list, the names only get more and more bonkers. Things start out pretty tame; things like California (for a girl) and Cobain (for a boy) seem pretty decent, nothing out of the ordinary when you consider names like Brooklyn, Paris or Britney.

Upon closer inspection however, the list reveals some real shockers. I mean, who on earth thought that names like Kix, Rysk, Shimon and Jeevika were a good idea? I'm pretty certain some of those are actually some Klingon characters in the new Star Trek movie.

The same can be said for mad monikers such as Burger, Google, Cello and Mango; seriously, those are not names, they are THINGS. Please people, try and recognise the distinction between the two.

This silliness needs to stop; these poor children have to live with being called something barmy for their entire lives; imagine the sheer amount of mockery poor little Mango and Xenon will endure throughout their long, long school careers.

People need to realise that naming your child Google is not clever, funny or poetic. It's not symbolic, deep or meaningful or trendy, edgy or daring. It's just plain stupid and you both end up looking like a bit of a tit. Give me a Sarah, a Christopher or a David over a Tron , Juju or Thunder any day.

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My 2012 Spotify Playlist

Lists are great. Straight forward, to the point, no messing. Pretty simple this one, just a straight up list of songs that make up my Ultimate 2012 playlist. Any song that I feel made up my soundtrack to 2012 has been added for your listening pleasure. It's a pretty eclectic list, everything from Bloc Party to Mumford and Sons, Jack White, Passion Pit and The xx. You can find the link to the Spotify Playlist by clicking on this link: Ultimate 2012 Playlist 

Make sure to leave me a comment below on what you think! Thanks everyone.

Tracklisting

1. Feel to Follow - The Maccabees
2. Angels - The xx
3. Fiction - The xx
4. Never Be The Same - The Rubens
5. Oblivion - Grimes
6. Truth - Bloc Party
7. Teenage Icon - The Vaccines
8. First Of My Kind - Miles Kane
9. Summertime Sadness - Lana Del Rey
10. Lost - Frank Ocean
11. Freedom at 21 - Jack White
12. I'm Shakin - Jack White
13. Hips and Lips - Maximo Park
14. Elephant - Tame Impala
15. Flaws - Hunting Grounds
16. Down in The Woods - Richard Hawley
17. Burgh Island - Ben Howard
18. Unknow - The Maccabees
19. Panic Station - Muse
20. I Will Wait - Mumford and Sons
21. Holland Road - Mumford and Sons
22. Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men
23. Varuo - Sigur Ros
24. I'll Be Alright - Passion Pit
25. Miss Atomic Bomb - The Killers
26. Day Four - Bloc Party
27. Knee Length Socks - Urthboy
28. San Pedro - Mogwai
29. Moth Wings - Pond
30. Told You Once - Howler
31. Next Year - Two Door Cinema Club
32. Sleep Alone - Two Door Cinema Club
33. No Hope - The Vaccines
34. R U Mine? - Arctic Monkeys
35. Two Fingers - Jake Bugg
36. Trembling Hands - The Temper Trap
37. This Fire - Birds of Tokyo
38. Six Months In A Cast - The Trouble With Templeton 
39. Drums - Oh Mercy
40. Hush - Calexico
41. Not Giving In - Rudimental 
42. Come On, Be a No-One - The Cribs
43. Default - Django Django
44. Wrath of God - Crystal Castles
45. Someone Purer - Mystery Jets
46. Longevity - Yeasayer
47. Gasoline - Alpine
48. Jamaica - Van She
49. Wild Things - San Cisco
50. All I Know - Matrix & Futurebound  

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Formula 1: 2012 Season Review #3

Vettel makes it three from three

What a season 2012 has been; 20 races across 5 continents in 9 months. From Australia and Malaysia to the United States and Brazil, the 2012 season went down to the wire with Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso fighting it out for the ultimate prize. With 8 different winners from 6 different teams, 2012 had variety to go with action, drama, suspense and surprise; this season will no doubt stand-out as a true classic for years to come.

In this third and final part of my Season Review, we take at look at the good, the bad and the ugly of the 2012 season.

Best Race - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Read my Abu Dhabi Race Report here.

There were so many classic races this season, picking one as the 'best' is no easy task. Do we go for Malaysia (Alonso and Perez surprise us all in the rain), Barcelona (Williams' notching up a surprise win), Valencia (Alonso clinching an emotional win on home turf), Abu Dhabi (Raikkonen's first comeback win), Austin (Hamilton beating Vettel in America) or Brazil (a dramatic finale of epic proportions)? 

Abu Dhabi was a true classic

For me, and quite surprisingly, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the one that had it all. Mixing together controversy (Vettel's qualifying DSQ), action (his subsequent fightback), carnage (Rosberg and Karthikeyan), disappointment (Hamilton's undeserved exit), the funny (Raikkonen's team radio 'conversations') and the feel good factor (his subsequent race win), Abu Dhabi overturned its previous reputation and put on a real show for 2012. It served up a true classic that had to be seen to be believed. 

Starting from the pitlane, Sebastian Vettel had it all to do whilst his rival Fernando Alonso tried to make the most of his rivals misfortune. Amazingly, the German was able to emerge from the on-track chaos that saw so many of his rivals falter to come home a remarkable third place, only losing three points to Alonso. It also saw Kimi Raikkonen seal his first win since 2009, a popular and long overdue win in many people's eyes. 

Best Driver - Fernando Alonso

Alonso narrowly lost out to Vettel in 2012

Again, another tricky call given the wide spread of talent and skill on show throughout this F1 season. Vettel, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Webber, Button, Perez; each has had their time to shine this season and have delivered out on track. 

For me however, there is a clear winner for Best Driver of 2012: Fernando Alonso. He may have missed out on the World Championship, but Alonso has driven a legendary season. In a car that was, for the most part, consistently slower than Red Bull and McLaren, Fernando has managed to inch out every drop of performance, time and again dragging the F2012 onto the podium. To only lose out by three points after the string of wins Vettel racked up in the final third of the season is evidence of the Spaniard's inherent ability to always give it the maximum race in race out; how many times this year did Fernando recover from a poor qualifying to finish on the podium? It's this dogged determination gives him the edge on Sebastian and Lewis for Driver of the Year.

Best Team - Red Bull Racing

Wrapping up their third double in as many years, could best team go to anyone other than Red Bull Racing? Not starting out with the top car as they had done in 2011, Red Bull had to out develop and out think their rivals en route to their third Constructors' title. The team also managed to rack up the most wins this year (7 - 5 for Vettel, 2 for Webber). 

Mark Webber wins in Silverstone

With technical mastermind at the helm, Red Bull Racing have proved themselves to be a lot more than just a marketing ploy over the past three years; they are now the clear benchmark, ahead of established manufacturers like Ferrari and McLaren. Several alternator and KERS issues have shown that whilst not being bullet-proof, Red Bull have developed a fantastic ability to bounce back under pressure; at times this year, Vettel's challenge looked to be hanging by a thread (see Monza) only for the tables to be quickly turned (see Singapore through to India)

Whilst their technical innovations are met with suspicion by their rivals and more often push the boundaries of the regulations, Red Bull are just proving to us all that they strive to squeeze out every drop of performance and edge the competition. 

Best Car - Red Bull Racing RB8

Red Bull gives you wings

In the capable hands of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, the Red Bull Racing RB8 has delievered another Drivers' and Constructors' World Championship, 8 pole positions and 7 race wins, making it the best all round car this season.

Whilst the RB8 has suffered with reliability issues (Valencia, Monza, Austin), it compensated in the second half of the season by being blindingly fast, especially after the team added their version of the double DRS.

Best Rookie - Jean-Eric Vergne

Another hard one to pick - out of Pic, Vergne, Grosjean and Ricciardo, which rookie driver had the best season on the whole? If taken on the final points tally, Romain Grosjean is clearly ahead of his fellow rookies; the young Frenchman scored 96 points and finished on the podium in Bahrain and Hungary.

Jean-Eric Vergne is my Rookie of the Year

He did however also land himself in a whole swimming pool of hot water for a string of first lap incidents, eventually leading to a race ban in Monza. He has quickly gained a reputation for being, as Mark Webber puts it, a "first lap nutcase".  For this reason then, he misses out on Rookie of the Year.

Ricciardo and Vergne have had positive début seasons, the latter boasting the greater points tally between the two, whilst Pic has impressed enough to sign for Caterham next year. On the whole, Vergne has done well to outscore the more experienced Ricciardo and is the one to take out the accolade of Rookie of the Year.

Worst Race - Bahrain Grand Prix

Read my Bahrain Race Report here.

Bahrain didn't excite yet again

With all of the political drama surrounding this year's Bahrain Grand Prix, it is a wonder the race even went ahead to start of with. Protesters  petrol bombs and ghostly grandstands are not something this fan wants associated with the sport he loves; it really does baffle this blogger than Formula 1 continues to defend it's cause in the troubled Arab state.

It didn't help in the end that the race turned out to be something of a dead kipper as well. Vettel lead from the outset, was only challenged by Kimi Raikkonen briefly and subsequently cruised home for his first win of the year. 

Biggest Surprise - Hamilton's shock move to Mercedes

One of the biggest talking points all season long was without a doubt, the ongoing speculation surrounding Lewis Hamilton's future. Dragging on throughout the entire summer, the constant debate about whether Lewis was going to stay or go from McLaren see-sawed back and forth. 

Despite being linked with Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes, Lewis' future seemed set on staying at McLaren; wins in Hungary and Italy showed the team had the pace to match Lewis' talent. The Singapore Grand Prix however saw Lewis' McLaren suffer a heartbreaking mechanical failure, dropping him out of the lead as well as losing all momentum they had gained over the summer.

A rapid U-turn followed; in the days following the Singapore GP, news of Lewis' impending departure to Mercedes cascaded across the headlines, simultaneously ending a 13 year long partnership driver and team had had and ending Michael Schumacher's lacklustre comeback.

The news was one that shocked many up and down the pitlane; Mercedes have hardly been a force to be reckoned with in their 3 seasons as manufacturers. It did however set up a hugely exciting prospect for 2013; can Hamilton turn the team's fortune's around? It's going to be great finding out.

Best Overtake - Fernando Alonso on Jenson Button and Felipe Massa in Brazil

Again, with so many contenders for Overtake of the Year, it is hard to pick one singular one. In terms of significance however, Fernando Alonso's brave move down in the inside of both Jenson Button and Felipe Massa into Turn 1 in Interlagos is up there as the best of the year.

Needing to fight his way through the pack, Alonso was in fine form in Brazil, scything his way past numerous cars off the line. A few laps later, he was on the tail of Button and his team-mate, the move promoting him up the field and gaining more vital points on the struggling Vettel. The move may have not won him the title; Vettel's fightback to sixth ensured that, but it was ballsy given the track conditions and the gravity of the situation, once again proving Alonso's high calibre.

Thanks for reading the third and final part of my Formula One 2012 Season Review; you can view Part One here and Part Two here. Let me know in comments section below what you think of the calls made here; who do reckon was the best driver, team and so on? Thanks for reading. 

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Formula 1: 2012 Season Review #2

Nico Hulkenberg in Brazil

What a season 2012 has been; 20 races across 5 continents in 9 months. From Australia and Malaysia to the United States and Brazil, the 2012 season went down to the wire with Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso fighting it out for the ultimate prize. With 8 different winners from 6 different teams, 2012 had variety to go with action, drama, suspense and surprise; this season will no doubt stand-out as a true classic for years to come.

Following on from Part #1 of my 2012 Season Review, I'll be going through and grading each and every team on the grid, assessing who had a season to remember and who had a season to forget. First up, Sauber Ferrari.

Make sure you check back in the next few days for the third and final part of my Season Review.

Sauber Ferrari: B

Drivers' Championship: 10th - Perez, 12th - Kobayashi

Constructors' Championship: 6th

Sergio Perez finds himself off to McLaren next season

When judged as a whole, it can be said that Sauber have had a hugely successful season. Four podiums between Perez (3 - Malaysia, Canada, Italy) and Kobayashi (1 - Japan) have propelled the Swiss outfit ahead of Force India and into 6th overall. At times this season, the C31 seemed to have the measure of many of the top 4 teams; victory was most certainly a possibility in Sepang and the team also had positive results in Germany and Brazil. Sauber also came close to challenging Mercedes GP later on in the season, showing how far the squad has come against some of the sports larger manufacturers. 

Sergio Perez came out on top against Kamui, mostly thanks to those storming podium finishes; other than that, the Sauber duo seemed to be fairly evenly matched, Kamui only finishing six points behind Sergio in the end. In fact, since being signed to McLaren for 2013, Sergio's results dipped severely, the Mexican not scoring a single point from Suzuka onwards. 

Based on results alone, it seems bemusing that Perez and Kobayashi's careers are heading in opposing trajectories. Sergio, touted as a future champion, is heading to McLaren as Lewis Hamilton's replacement whilst Kamui has found himself evicted by Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez. 

Force India Mercedes: C

Drivers' Championship: 11th - Hulkenberg, 14th - Di Resta

Constructors' Championship: 7th

Hulkenberg has shown promise this year

Given the huge noise that Force India were making pre-season, 2012 can be judged as something of a step backward for the Silverstone based outfit. Setting the target as high as fourth, Force India have found themselves slip backwards into the clutches of Sauber and Williams instead of leapfrog Mercedes and Lotus like they had promised. 

Starting out slowly, the first half of the year was pretty ho-hum for Nico Hulkenberg, the returning German taking a while to find his feet. From Belgium onwards however, Nico made some pretty big leaps forwards; he finished the points in three consecutive races from Japan to India, as well as challenging Lewis and Jenson for the lead in Brazil. 

Di Resta on the other hand showed promise and consistency early on but faded later on in the season, only scoring two points in the final five races. He'll stay on next season but he needs to assume and sustain the first driver role across an entire season if he has a bright future in F1; too often in 2012 was Paul overshadowed by Nico. 

Williams Renault: C+

Drivers' Championship: 15th - Maldonado, 16th - Senna

Constructors' Championship: 8th

Maldonado has had an up and down year

Considering that Williams won a race this year and still finished behind Force India and Sauber, many may argue that 2012 has been something of a missed opportunity for the Grove based squad.  Too many times this year have Williams looked promising in qualifying only for things to go astray in the race. 

The blame for this can, for the most part, be laid at the doors of the teams driver line-up. Maldonado has thrown away a fair few points this year with rash mistakes and blunders; starting from fourth in Spa, Pastor jumped the start, picked up a puncture, was penalised for the jump start, restarted in last, took out Timo Glock, broke his front wing and was penalised a second time. He hasn't helped shake his hot-headed crash kid status with incidents such as these.

Given the potential of the car this season, Maldonado should have walked away with a load more points than he did. The same can be said of his team-mate Bruno Senna who, whilst raking in points at a consistent rate, has failed to set the world alight in his first full-season of Formula One. 

For Williams then, 2012 is a step in the right direction. You can only wonder what the team may have been able to achieve had they retained Rubens Barrichello for just one more year. 

Toro Rosso: D

Drivers' Championship: 17th - Vergne, 18th - Ricciardo

Constructors' Championship: 9th

Vergne on his way to finishing eighth in Brazil

After wiping the slate clean after 2011, 2012 has been a year of transition for Toro Rosso; both Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne have had much to learn in the world's top motor racing category. 

Thankfully for both of them, their seasons have been relatively positive given their inexperience. There have been few Maldonado-esque errors to speak of and both drivers have scored points consistently; Ricciardo in particular impressed by finishing in the points in five races from seven starting in Spa. Four eighth places for Vergne were also impressive given that Ricciardo never finished higher than ninth all year.

One can't help noticing that Toro Rosso are stuck in some kind middle zone between the new teams and the mid-field. A full 50 points off of Williams, Toro Rosso have only had themselves for company in the Constructors' tally this season; they will no doubt be hoping to close that gap to Williams next season. 

Caterham Renault: D-

Drivers' Championship: 19th - Petrov, 22nd - Kovalainen

Constructors' Championship: 10th

Another year, another zero points for Caterham. Still the clear leader out of F1's new teams, Caterham are plugging away at closing the gap to the mid-field with middling results. Petrov and Kovalainen have been a stable enough line-up for the team but neither have succeeded in bringing home the all important first point. 

Highlights include Kovalianen's sturdy defence of Jenson Button's in Monaco, Petrov finishing 11th in Brazil and both cars finishing 13th and 14th in Valencia.

Marussia Cosworth: E

Drivers' Championship: 20th - Glock, 21st - Pic

Constructors' Championship: 11th

Marussia have done a great job of taking the fight to Caterham this season, especially in the second half of the year. Glock and Pic have made a decent coupling and the young rookie in particular has impressed by holding his own against the more experienced German. It was a frustrating end to the season for the team however as they had 10th place in the Constructors' snatched from them in the final round. 

With Pic off to Caterham next year, it is likely we will see young Briton Max Chilton fill his seat.

HRT F1 Team: F

Drivers' Championship: 24th - Karthikeyan, 25th - de la Rosa

Constructors' Championship: 12th

Unfortunately for HRT, 2012 has been more a story of survival than success. With the team on the brink of financial oblivion, any on-track happenings have taken something of a back-seat. With their highest placings only being 15th (Karthikeyan) and 17th (de la Rosa), HRT are struggling to find a foothold in the sport and with news breaking this week that they have been excluded from next season's entry list, it is unlikely that we will see them around next season. 

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Formula 1: 2012 Season Review #1

Vettel and Alonso duel for the title

What a season 2012 has been; 20 races across 5 continents in 9 months. From Australia and Malaysia to the United States and Brazil, the 2012 season went down to the wire with Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso fighting it out for the ultimate prize. With 8 different winners from 6 different teams, 2012 had variety to go with action, drama, suspense and surprise; this season will no doubt stand-out as a true classic for years to come.

Much like I did with my Mid-Season Reports back in July, I'll run through the grid on a team by team basis, looking at who impressed, who disappointed and who surprised in 2012. First up, Red Bull Racing.

Red Bull Racing: A+

Drivers' Championship: 1st - Vettel, 6th - Webber

Constructors Championship: 1st

Vettel wins in Bahrain, his first of five wins in 2012

For the third successive year then, Red Bull Racing have taken out both titles, carving out an era not unlike that McLaren enjoyed in the late eighties and Ferrari enjoyed in the early noughties. The benchmark for team and driver alike, Red Bull Racing have fought to the top of one of the most competitive eras the sport has ever experienced. 

Unlike 2011, 2012 hasn't all gone Red Bull's way. They endured some early season wobbles and technical difficulties to rack up 7 race wins, 4 of which were successive from Singapore through to India. Vettel was untouchable for much of these rounds, leading from start to finish for the most part. This blinding pace at this key point of the season was the tipping point for the team as they surged towards both titles. 

For Vettel, he exits the 2012 season as the youngest three time World Champion and with a reputation that is only going upwards. He has weathered the storm at times this year and prevailed on top; whilst the technical excellence of the RB8 has helped, the car has by no means been bullet-proof, two retirements in Valencia and Italy as evidence of this. As a result, Vettel has done brilliantly to stay on track and come through as the overall winner. 

In Webber, Red Bull have the perfect team-mate to compliment their undisputed leader. Mark has the pace, daring and know-how to challenge and push Vettel (as well as beat him on occasion) but no longer disrupt the status quo (as he had begun to in 2010). Mark racked up two great wins in Monaco and Britain but faded in the final third of the season, the reason for which I am unsure. He eventually finished the season 6th, behind both McLarens, Fernando and Kimi, a result he no doubt feels down in the mouth about.

Scuderia Ferrari: B

Drivers' Championship: 2nd - Alonso, 7th - Massa

Constructors' Championship: 2nd

Fernando and Felipe pose in Brazil

Has Ferrari's season really been all that bad? Cast back to Melbourne and the Scuderia's situation looked dire; to go into the final round as contenders for the Drivers' title is no doubt an achievement in itself. 

Their car might not have lived up to the standards of McLaren and Red Bull, but by the end of the season, the limiting nature of the F2012 was being greatly exaggerated. On many an occasion in the middle of the season, Ferrari had a hugely competitive car; think back to Alonso's win in Germany or his third place in Monza, both instances in which the F2012 was punch-for-punch as good as the best. 

There is no doubt in my mind however, surrounding the achievements of Fernando Alonso this season. The guy has proved yet again why he is regarded as the best and most complete driver on the grid by driving like a man possessed all season. Determined, aggressive and assertive, Alonso is the perfect racing driver, melding together both a cool head in defence and a flair for attack. 

His drives in Sepang, Valencia, Italy, New Delhi  Abu Dhabi, Austin and Interlagos are all examples of how he can turn a dire looking situation into one of  greatness; he finished on the podium more often than anyone this season, usually from outside the front three grid rows. Add to this commanding drives under pressure in races such as Germany and it is easy to afford Alonso the praise so many send his way. Had someone been smiling on him on the opening laps in Belgium and Japan, Fernando would now be the youngest triple World Champion instead of Seb. 

As it stands, 2012 is another missed opportunity for both Fernando and Ferrari; the duo have failed to deliver the World Championship they seek for the third successive year. They can however, take heart from 2012; second in the Constructors' is their highest placing since 2008 and Felipe Massa's upward trend in form since mid-season means 2012 hasn't at all been a disaster for Maranello.

McLaren Mercedes: C-

Drivers' Championship: 4th - Hamilton, 5th - Button

Constructors' Championship: 3rd

Hamilton leads Button in Brazil

On the surface, it would appear that McLaren's 2012 campaign is one that is full of positives. However, seven race wins, three of which were successive, flatter McLaren's season, one that has in fact slipped through their fingers. The Woking team started the season with the quickest car in both qualifying and the race, a dominant victory for Jenson Button in Australia was evidence of this. It took however until the Canadian Grand Prix in June for McLaren to win again and by the British Grand Prix in July, McLaren were down in the doldrums, playing catch up as they have done so many times before in recent years. 

Three consecutive wins in Hungary, Belgium and Italy may have put McLaren back in the hunt but disastrous reliability in the following months put a stopper on any Championship challenge mounted by both Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. Mechanical issues in Singapore, Korea and Abu Dhabi cost Lewis Hamilton in excess of 50 championship points and two race wins, whilst Jenson Button was robbed of a second place finish in Monza through another mechanical failure. Too many times in 2012 did McLaren fail to capitalise on opportunities; four front-row lockouts yielded zero one-two finishes. 

In retrospect, Lewis Hamilton deserved to challenge for the title until the very end this season. Every title challenger has had ups and downs this season, but Lewis has indeed has the worst of it, poor luck greeting him at seemingly every turn. When offered a chance at victory, Lewis jumped at it; his brilliant victory in Austin is proof of this. The team will no doubt be weaker now that he has jumped ship for Mercedes GP next season.

Meanwhile, Jenson Button's season has been equally mixed. Wins in Australia, Belgium and Brazil have been counteracted with a mixture of unreliability and a fragile car. Much like Lewis, he deserved better this year.
On the whole, McLaren's season can be seen as something of a missed opportunity.

Lotus F1 Team: B

Drivers' Championship: 3rd - Raikkonen, 8th - Grosjean

Constructors' Championship: 4th 

Crash kid: Romain Grosjean has been in both the
headlines and the barriers too often this year

Finally managing to clinch that all important win in Abu Dhabi, Lotus F1 can go into the winter break and rest easy; their season hasn't been all that bad. Third place for Kimi in the Drivers' Championship and Fourth in Constructors' is a step up from last season and a position from which they can attack 2013. 

Of course, as any F1 team principal will tell you, not all that bad is not good enough. Like McLaren, Lotus let too many opportunities slip through their grasp this season; possible victories in Bahrain, Valencia and Hungary would have put them right in the mix. 

Add to this the ongoing trials of young rookie Romain Grosjean, a driver who has become well acquainted with the stewards office throughout the year; causing the now infamous Belgian Grand Prix first corner incident landed him with a one-race ban. If there was a first lap calamity to be had, you could have bet your life Grosjean was involved and at fault. At the time of writing, it is as yet unknown whether this will have cost him his seat at Lotus in 2013 or not.

On the other side of the garage, Kimi Raikkonen's return has been a fantastic story for Formula 1. The laconic Finn has provided some brilliant drives this year as well as some side-splitting comic moments. All together now; "Just leave me alone, I know what to do"

Mercedes AMG F1 Team: D

Drivers' Championship: 9th - Rosberg, 13th - Schumacher

Constructors' Championship: 5th

Rosberg's sole win of the year came in China

For Mercedes, 2012 has been something of one step forward and two steps backwards. It all started so positively for them, a win in China compounding their early season promise. They were showing every sign of being a team on the up.

Fast forward to the final third of the season and the situation was massively different at Mercedes. Only six points from the final six races (all six scored by Schumacher in Brazil) is hugely disappointing given their early success. 

In their defence, the team's focus had switched to 2013 long before then. The dwindling performance of Schumacher had led Ross Brawn and co. in search of a new team leader for the future. Signing up Lewis Hamilton from McLaren is a huge coup and underlines the team's big ambitions in F1. It does also lumber them with the added pressure to perform; with Schumacher, the team could always point to the German's age as an excuse for poor results. With Lewis on board, Mercedes have nowhere to hide and have forced themselves into the spotlight. 

Rosberg sealed his first career win early (and finished second in Monaco) but the lack of development on the car hurt his chances of scoring anything from Singapore onwards. He has finished up the season seventh every year since 2009 so to slip backwards in 2012 will be frustrating. 

Meanwhile, Schumacher's third comeback season has been more of the same. Highlights include pole position in Monaco (kind of) and third in Valencia but other than that, it's been more mediocrity from an ageing legend. 

As for 2012, Mercedes have suffered something of a difficult chapter that has seen them slip from fourth to fifth overall, even coming under pressure from Sauber late on. Poor form from a team with such a large budget and potential.

Check back for Parts #2 and #3 of my Formula One Season Review in the coming days!

In the meantime, here are each and every Race Report from 2012. Enjoy!

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Formula 1: Brazilian GP Overview

Vettel celebrates making it three from three with
Adrian Newey and Christian Horner

The historic Interlagos circuit is one steeped in history; many titles have come to a thrilling conclusion here since it's début back in the 1970's. Most recently, we have seen current drivers such as Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button all wrap up their respective titles here in dramatic fashion. 

Overnight, in the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel joined shot himself into Formula One's history books. He drove a storming race, that at times looked desperate, to finish 6th and clinch his third successive Drivers World Championship around Interlagos. 

Sebastian Vettel was caught in a tangle with Bruno
Senna on Lap 1.

In a wild race that see-sawed incessantly, Vettel was made to fight from the off. A poor start from the German put him back in the pack and then when he tangled with Williams' Bruno Senna at turn 4, Vettel was left at the back and with it all to do. His car took a heavy knock, the brunt of both Senna and Sergio Perez's Sauber whacking Seb's Red Bull. He was lucky his afternoon did not end on the spot. As it was, he left to work his way up from last.

At the front, a trio of drivers took turns leading the race before a tangle between two of them ended their hopes of victory. Leading from the off, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton looked strong in the damp and changeable conditions but he wasn't left alone by team-mate Jenson Button. Joining them was a Nico Hulkenberg in his Force India Mercedes who like the two McLaren's was revelling in the slippery conditions.

For a vast majority of the race it looked as though the three of them would complete the podium, the ultimate victory going to whoever could keep their car on track through the rivers of rain water. Jenson and Nico kept their slick tyres on during the early rain showers giving them a vast lead as everyone else switched over to intermediate tyres and back again. This lead was eradicated on Lap 23 however when the Safety Car was dispatched to clear copious amounts of debris and carbon fibre that littered the track. On Lap 31, back under racing and dry tyre conditions, Lewis worked his way past Jenson for second before darting past Nico for the lead.

It was all about to unravel for the Briton however; On Lap 54, Hulkenberg attempted a pass on Lewis for the lead of the race, only to lose grip on the back end of his car coming into the first corner and clatter into the side of the McLaren, breaking Hamilton's front suspension and earning himself a drive through penalty. It was a disappointing end to the afternoon for both drivers. Nico had wasted a great opportunity at taking his first career win whilst Lewis was heartbroken not to finish his last race with McLaren; it was an ill-fitting end both Lewis' race and season.

All of this action promoted his team-mate Jenson Button into the lead. From here, Jenson duly lead the rest of the race and won for third time in 2012. The main focus however, was set squarely on the title permutations between Vettel and Alonso.

A weary Fernando Alonso rues another
 missed Drivers' title

Fernando Alonso once again did a fantastic job of salvaging something from the carnage around him. From seventh on the grid, the determined Spaniard worked his way up onto the podium, performing a fantastic double overtake on Mark Webber and Felipe Massa along the way. His afternoon wasn't by any means flawless; too often did he run wide at Turn 1, handing positions to rivals. In the end though, second place was not enough for Fernando. He finished a mere three points adrift of Vettel, who only collected eight points for finishing sixth.

Alonso however can be immensely proud of his achievements this season; he has no doubt driven like a champ all year and, some would say, is more deserving of the final accolade than Seb. He has come immensely close to winning in a car that had consistently been third or fourth fastest, making his attempts near godlike.

For Vettel, he yet again salvaged a good finish from a dire situation early on. Much like he did in Abu Dhabi, he benefited from some others ahead of him tripping over each other, but the end result is the same nonetheless; he came home in 6th, close enough to Alonso to secure his third successive title, making him only the third driver in history to do so after Fangio and Schumacher.

A fittingly chaotic end then to a season that has barely paused for breath since it kicked off in Australia, the Brazilian Grand Prix of 2012 will go down as a classic title showdown, alongside those from '64, '76, '86, '94, '97 and '08. Stay tuned to my blog in the coming two weeks for my multi-parted 2012 Season Review! In the meantime, thanks for reading!

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