They scored 2012

Champion Sebastian Vettel in his runner Fernando Alonso through the unfortunate Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher retired New or surprise Pastor Maldonado, the F1 season that has just ended is heavily pilots exception. Focus on the top eight leaders of the championship in 2012.
Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), world champion with 281 pointsAlthough he enjoyed probably the best car in the tray again this year, but with panache Sebastian Vettel picked up his third consecutive world title. The most difficult of his career, by his own admission. Fernando Alonso pushed to its limits until the end of the last race of the season, and that is only three points that the German has become the equal of Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna, other triple world champions before him. Better yet, join the Red Bull driver in the history of the Michael Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio, only legends have won three in a row. However, always with the exception of the youth, the phenomenon of precocity he became at 19 the youngest F1 driver to get into the points, at 21 the youngest pole sitter and winner of a Grand Prix in 23 years the youngest world champion ... until this triple crown stalled at 25 years 4 months and 22 days. The next season, Alain Prost, quadruple world champion in his time, which could see land at its height ...


Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), vice-champion with 278 pointsFernando Alonso is proud to say that after the Brazilian Grand Prix on the sad end, it may be in effect. If the F2012 will remain a model of reliability, the prancing horse was perhaps not quite worthy of his talent. In his seat, the Asturian nevertheless snatched two pole positions, Silverstone and Hockenheim, also signing 13 podiums and three successes in Malaysia, Valencia and Germany. In the evening of this last victory, or mid-season, the Spaniard has counted 44 lengths lead in the championship, while foreseeing his third world title. As in 2010, the leader of the Scuderia however tilts ahead of Sebastian Vettel. On anything.
Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus), third with 207 pointsGerard Lopez, the owner of the Lotus team, recently confessed: he did not expect that Kimi Räikkönen scores as many points this season, and so many awards roundup! Model of consistency throughout the year, the Finn has hardly been excluded points once, in China, inviting seven times on the podium for a win - his first since 2009 - acquired Abu Dhabi brilliantly. "Iceman" sets a new record from the rest in terms of regularity, who has been the only driver this season to cut each incoming lines - which had not been done since Nick Heidfeld four years ago. From the lights to the checkered flag Australian Brazilian Raikkonen will have covered 1191 laps this year. The previous record was returning to Tiago Monteiro, 1125 credited loops driving his Jordan in 2005.
Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), fourth with 190 pointsChampionship leader after three Grands Prix, Lewis Hamilton has stepped disappointment then to find the final fourth, although with seven podiums and four wins counter. Winner in Canada, Hungary, Italy and the United States, author of seven pole positions - no one did better in 2012, not even the champion - the Briton appeared less nervous in 2011, more than victim culprit in numerous skirmishes that have weighted his career. His decision to leave McLaren Mercedes announced relatively early in the season (six races of the championship) will not yet been easier to manage.
Romain Grosjean (Lotus), eighth with 96 pointsFernando Alonso sees him responsible for his failure in the title race, Romain Grosjean has yet produced a more mixed season it seems. His soaring on the car at the start of the Spanish Grand Prix of Belgium will remain a strong images of this year 2012, and the wrath of Mark Webber to him after hooking Suzuka in our memories. The "crazy first round," as was then named the Australian, nevertheless raised some good points this season's podium in Bahrain, Canada and Hungary in particular. "Overall it was a good year, and I think the best is yet to come," he says today. Lotus should renew its current line-up in 2013. A second chance for the Franco-Swiss.
Sergio Perez (Sauber), tenth with 66 pointsEntered in the points - before being downgraded - at its very first appearance in F1, the 2011 Australian Grand Prix, Sergio Perez was confirmed in 2012, although the entire paddock could think of him. Until the announcement of his future transfer McLaren anyway. Aggressive and daring to hope, the Mexican began his second full season with drums beating, signing the first podium of his career at Sepang, in the second act of the championship, and reiterating twice the performance at the wheel of his Sauber in Canada and Italy. Applied less and a lot more nervous in his control after the formalization of joining McLaren for 2013, replacing Lewis Hamilton, the applicant did not, however, registered a single point in the last six races of the year .
Michael Schumacher (Mercedes), thirteenth with 49 points"It was a good end," Sunday at Interlagos ensured the best track record of F1, seven times world champion and winner of 91 Grands Prix for 308 starts. Michael Schumacher has yet taken its second bow on a very mixed. Ninth with 72 points on the board in 2010 to his return to eighth with 76 units in 2011, the former "Red Baron" was this time not reached fifty, throwing in the towel on eight occasions and leaving empty-handed 12 times in 20 appointments. Remains a podium, only got three years at Mercedes, signed in Valencia, after the European Grand Prix, after starting league catastrophic. The honor of "Kaiser" is safe.
Pastor Maldonado (Williams), fifteenth with 45 pointsThe Williams team owes him much, neither more nor less than its first F1 victory in eight years! Pastor Maldonado had surprised everyone by snatching pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix after the decommissioning of Lewis Hamilton winning the day remain the biggest surprise of the 2012 season. Certainly by the author after an average season, with only bang fifth place at Yas Marina, the first Venezuelan history to have triumphed in Formula 1 was able to demonstrate that it had the character and speed needed to play spoilsport from time to time. Sir Frank Williams should not take long to confirm for the year 2013 .