F1 2012 In Pictures

F1 fans have witnessed a stunning 2012 season, and at a click of a button those talented photographers perched around the race tracks have caught those magical and dramatic moments.

Here's the F1 2012 season in pictures. All images in this article are sourced from and copyright to Sky Sports F1 unless specified otherwise.

The F1 2012 season kicked off for me at the Sky Sports F1 press day in early February. I was invited to the Grosvenor House Hotel in London for a round table discussion with their talent and sneak peak at what they had in store for Sky Sports F1 viewers.

The winter testing for the 2012 season kicked off on the 7th of February at the Jerez circuit.Teams worked from sunrise to sunset, testing new parts and getting the first mileage on their 2012 machines.

Barcelona staged the second winter test event, with many teams looking to build on the opening test. Testing parts, making sure reliability was strong and getting the drivers warmed up for the season were the main priorities.

 

The final Barcelona test meant last minute preparations before the season kicked off in Australia. Marussia and HRT failed to make the final test but had their shake downs immediately after.

It was a popular victory at the opening round of the season by Jenson Button. The McLaren driver took the lead off the line, with team mate and pole sitter Lewis Hamilton dropping behind Vettel and ending up third.

Fernando Alonso may not have had the fastest car, but he won the wet Malaysian Grand Prix in style. However Sergio Perez some what upstaged the 2005 and 2006 world champion, claiming his debut podium in impressive style.

Despite looking strong in the first two races, many had already discounted Mercedes as potential race winners. However the team proved the doubters wrong in China, Nico Rosberg taking a dominant win at the Shanghai circuit.

We saw it far too often in 2011, but the Vettel "Number 1" finger returned in Bahrain. The race returned after being cancelled in 2011 due to the unrest in the country. Controversially the 2012 race went ahead and Sebastian retired to his winning ways, just beating Kimi Raikkonen. 

With in-season testing returning to the sport at the Mugello circuit, teams got the added bonus of trying out new parts before the European season kicked off. The circuit provided a stunning back drop of mountains and forests, a photographers dream.

After the Mugello test, Williams sprung up a surprise and returned to their winning ways. Pastor Maldonado started from pole after being promoted by Lewis Hamilton's exclusion from Qualifying. It was a closely fought race between the Venezuelan and Spain's Fernando Alonso, but the Williams driver took an impressive victory. The race was tarnished however by a post-race fire in the Williams garage, thankfully no one was hurt.

Kamui Kobayashi flew in Monaco, literally. He may not have won the race, the victory went to Mark Webber, but it was this viral image of the Sauber that really stood out, after contact with Michael Schumacher. 

Lewis Hamilton made it seven winners in seven races at the Canadian Grand Prix. It was a popular and impressive victory after a late race pit stop meant he had plenty of work to do. He passed Alonso and Vettel in the closing laps to take the win.

The pattern of a different winner in every race was halted by a drive through the field by Fernando Alonso. Valencia played host to the European Grand Prix, and after years of dull, unexciting racing we finally saw a fantastic race.

We don't help our reputation do we? Rain drenched the British Grand Prix weekend, providing some fantastic puddle splashing images. Despite the looming clouds, the race was dry and was won by Mark Webber after a long battle with Fernando Alonso. The home drivers did not have the same luck, Hamilton finishing eighth, Button in 10th and a retirement for Paul Di Resta.

Fernando Alonso clinched his third victory of the 2012 season at the German Grand Prix. Formula 1 returned to Hockenheim circuit. The track may not have been the race through the forests that it used to be, but it still provided an interesting race. Vettel was given a time penalty after the race for overtaking off track, gifting Button second and Raikkonen third.

Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix. It may not have been the most exciting of races but the McLaren driver held off a charging Kimi Raikkonen and his team mate Romain Grosjean.

The Belgian Grand Prix was won by Jenson Button, but his dominant victory was overshadowed by a scary first lap incident that was triggered by a rather erratic Romain Grosjean. He chopped across Lewis Hamilton on the run to La Source, causing a pile up that involved himself, Hamilton, Kamui Kobayashi, Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso. The Frenchman was given a race ban for his actions.

After the drama of Belgium and the disappointment of being taken out on the first lap, Lewis Hamilton came back with a bang. He took a clear victory at the famous Monza circuit, from an impressive Sergio Perez and Alonso. Jenson Button would have finished a certain second had it not been for a mechanical failure.

F1 returned to Asia for the Singapore Grand Prix. Hamilton and Vettel were in a league of their own all weekend, but a retirement for early race leader Hamilton gifted victory to double world champion Vettel. 

He had topped the championship table for much of the season, but Alonso's lead was slashed by a first lap puncture and spin. Sebastian Vettel went on to dominate the Japanese Grand Prix yet again, after taking the win in 2009 and 2010.

Three wins in three races, why not? It was another dominant showing from Sebastian Vettel as he took the championship lead. It was a far from thrilling race at the spectator-less circuit, with Webber finishing second and Alonso crossing the chequered flag in third. McLaren had a poor race, Button being eliminated on the first lap and Hamilton dropping back thanks to failed anti-roll bar.

Four from four, what a showing from Sebastian Vettel as his race winning momentum continued. The second Indian Grand Prix proved to be just as exciting as the first, Fernando Alonso moving through the field to take second and Mark Webber holding off a feisty Lewis Hamilton for third.

Like Valencia, Abu Dhabi was the last race you would expect to be exciting. However it was after championship leader Vettel was sent to the back of the grid, dominant Lewis Hamilton retired from the race and Kimi Raikkonen took a controlled victory. The Finn also created some hilarious moments through his communication with the team over team radio.

The impressive Circuit of the Americas circuit in Austin debuted for the return of the US GP. The stunning photo from turn 1 shows Sebastian Vettel leading in to the tight hairpin, but by the chequered flag it was the McLaren of Hamilton who was out in front.

Like Abu Dhabi and Singapore, a certain victory was taken away from Lewis Hamilton after contact with the impressive Nico Hulkenberg. A wet race shook up the proceedings, with Jenson Button emerging through the spray and chaos to win a thrilling season finale. However all eyes were on the championship and Sebastian Vettel took it, becoming the youngest triple world champion.

The season ended with the official FIA Prize Giving Ceremony hosted in Istanbul, Turkey. Sebastian Vettel and Christian Horner collected the driver and constructors trophies, while Alonso and Raikkonen were also awarded trophies for finishing second and third in the drivers championship.

I will say it yet again, what a season! I hope you have enjoyed reading the article and reminiscing about the stunning races from this year.