Grand Prix of Brazil 2012 Results: Reaction, Leaders and Postrace Analysis

Jenson Button won the Grand Prix of Brazil while Sebastian Vettel took home his third consecutive Formula One World Championship on a soggy, emotional day at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace (formerly Interlagos) in São Paulo, Brazil on Sunday.

Button, who won the first race of the season in Melbourne, Australia, held off Fernando Alonso (2.754 seconds behind) and Felipe Massa (3.615) for the checkered flag:

"

What a way to end the season with another stunning win for @thefifthdriver in Brazil. Congratulations to @jensonbutton and to all involved!

— McLaren Automotive (@McLarenAuto) November 25, 2012"

Vettel, who was involved in a first-lap crash and had an extended stay in pit row, was able to recover and finish in sixth place, earning eight points. It was enough to cover the 18 points earned by Alonso in second place and edge him out, 281-278, for the Formula One Championship. In doing so, he becomes F1's youngest three-time champion at age 25.

Lewis Hamilton, the 2008 Formula One champion and member of McLaren's racing team since 2007, had pole position and led the race as late as Lap 54, when Nico Hulkenberg lost control of his car in Turn 1 and crashed into Hamilton, forcing him from the race:

"

Lewis returns to the VMM pit garage and gets a standing ovation from everyone. RESPECT.

"

"— McLaren (@TheFifthDriver) November 25, 2012"

This was Hamilton's final race for McLaren, who will be moving to Mercedes for the 2013 season.

Here are the results of the season finale as well as the Formula One Championship results—bringing an end to an outstanding season of Formula One racing.

2012 Brazil Grand Prix Results

Check out full results here (via ESPN.com)

Position	Driver	Manufacturer	Time Behind (seconds)
1	Jenson Button	Mercedes-Benz
2	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	2.754
3	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	3.615
4	Mark Webber	Renault	4.936
5	Nico Hulkenberg	Cosworth	5.708
6	Sebastian Vettel	Renault	9.453
7	Michael Schumacher	Mercedes-Benz	11.907
8	Jean-Eric Vergne	Ferrari	28.653
9	Kamui Kobayashi	Ferrari	31.25
10	Kimi Raikkonen	Renault	1+ laps

Formula One Championship Standings

Check out full leaderboard here (via Autosport.com)

Position	Driver	Points
1	Sebastian Vettel	281
2	Fernando Alonso	278
3	Kimi Raikkonen	207
4	Lewis Hamilton	190
5	Jensen Button	188
6	Mark Webber	179
7	Felipe Massa	122
8	Romain Grosjean	96
9	Nico Rosberg	93
10	Sergio Perez	66