The early season saw a record seven different drivers win the first seven races. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso emerged as a championship contender after winning the European Grand Prix in June, and he maintained the championship lead for seven races. However, retirements in Belgium and Japan allowed Sebastian Vettel to take the lead. Vettel ultimately secured his third consecutive World Drivers' Championship in the final race in Brazil, finishing sixth while Alonso needed a podium to win. Red Bull Racing secured their third consecutive World Constructors' Championship title.
The 2012 season broke several records, including the calendar of twenty races, surpassing the previous record of nineteen set in 2005. The season also saw six current or former World Drivers' Champions competing: Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Räikkönen, and Michael Schumacher, breaking the 1970 record of five.
Twelve teams and twenty-five drivers competed in the 2012 championship, with all teams using Pirelli tyres. Several teams underwent constructor name changes, including Lotus becoming Caterham, Renault becoming Lotus, and Virgin becoming Marussia. Driver changes included Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean returning to Formula One with Lotus, and Bruno Senna joining Williams. Michael Schumacher announced his second retirement from Formula One after the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Significant rule changes for 2012 included restrictions on exhaust tailpipe positioning, the banning of "reactive ride-height" systems, and the reprofiling of car noses to a lower height. The "joker" gearbox change was abolished, and all cars had to pass more rigorous mandatory FIA crash tests before pre-season testing. The use of helium in air guns during pit stops was banned, as were "trick brake" devices. In-season testing returned, and rules for double-waved yellow flags were amended. Tyre supplier Pirelli revised their compounds to encourage greater use of different strategies. The sporting regulations also introduced a rule allowing lapped traffic to be released under the safety car and imposed a four-hour time limit for races.
The season began with a record seven different winners in the first seven races. Notable races included Sebastian Vettel's dominant performance in India, Lewis Hamilton's win in Canada, and Kimi Räikkönen's victory in Abu Dhabi. The championship battle between Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso went down to the final race in Brazil.
Following the Brazilian Grand Prix, Ferrari lodged a protest regarding Sebastian Vettel's pass on Jean-Éric Vergne under yellow flag conditions. The FIA reviewed the incident and ruled the pass legal, preserving Vettel's championship title.
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