How many F1 drivers were in 2012?
The following twelve teams and twenty-five race drivers competed in the 2012 Formula One World Championship. The 2012 Formula One season was the 63rd season of the Formula One World Championship. The season had 20 races, starting in Australia on 18 March and ended in Brazil on 25 November. The 2012 season saw the return of the United States Grand Prix, which was held at the Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas.
Who was the 2012 F1 champion?
After winning the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2010, Vettel became the youngest-ever Formula One World Drivers’ Champion, aged 23. Vettel won his second and third championships in 2011 and 2012, dominating the former and winning the latter amidst a close title battle with Fernando Alonso. Ferrari later announced they would not extend Vettel’s contract beyond the 2020 season. Team principal Mattia Binotto explained there was no specific reason for the decision, though both parties noted it was an amicable agreement. The team would sign Carlos Sainz Jr. Vettel’s replacement.Vettel enjoyed a close relationship with Schumacher during his F1 career with the former Red Bull, Ferrari and Aston Martin, later acting as a mentor to Schumacher’s son Mick, who made 43 F1 starts with the Haas team in 2021/22.
Who was the last driver killed in F1?
Jules Bianchi is the last Formula 1 driver to lose his life after an accident during competition. While numbers like 5 and 14 symbolize the greatness of champions like Vettel and Alonso, the number 17 was retired to honor Jules Bianchi, who tragically passed away after a 2014 accident. This gesture respects his legacy and ensures his memory endures.The number 17 was retired from Formula One in his honour by the FIA, who mandated the halo cockpit protection device in all open-wheel championships from 2018 onwards. As of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Bianchi remains the most recent fatality in the Formula One World Championship.