F1 Brazilian GP: Top 5 title turnarounds at Interlagos

Since moving to the backend of the Formula 1 calendar in 2004, Brazil’s Interlagos circuit has been the host of many title deciders over the years. Some of the most incredible moments in F1 history have occurred at the track in recent times, here are the occasions which have thrilled us all and changed the title race.

5 - 2010, Vettel sets up a 4-way title scrap

The 2010 Brazilian Grand Prix saw five drivers, Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and defending champion Jenson Button entered the race with a shot at that year’s drivers' title. None of the championship contenders sat on pole, though, as Nico Hulkenberg timed his qualifying lap perfectly in wet conditions to claim what is still the only pole of his career.

The rookie couldn’t convert Williams’ first pole since 2005 into a win, though, as Vettel got down the inside into the first corner and Webber followed suit in the sister Red Bull at the end of the back straight. Hulkenberg did his utmost to hold Alonso back, but the German’s efforts were in vain, the Ferrari getting by on Lap 7. Hamilton would also get past into 4th a few tours later, while his teammate Button struggled at the tail end of the points.

Button would later recover to fifth, but this wasn't enough to go to Abu Dhabi with a shot at defending his title. He would've likely finished fourth, but Hamilton had to finish ahead of him for McLaren to have any say in the title scrap.

The top four would finish in the same positions, none of them being able to catch each other in sweltering heat. Vettel would win the title at the next round, the only point in the season where he topped the drivers' standings.

4 - 2006, Alonso seals the championship

Alonso successfully defending his championship in Brazil

After losing their F1 crown in 2005, Michael Schumacher and Ferrari were hell-bent on retaking their titles the following year. Fernando Alonso was the defending champion, and the two had an incredible battle throughout the year to see who would come out on top.

Thanks to Schumacher's engine failure in Japan, Alonso had a 10 point lead going to Brazil, and the German had to win the race to stand any chance of winning an eighth world title. That seemed unlikely after qualifying, though, with Michael qualifying down in tenth and Fernando up in 4th.

Felipe Massa got a perfect start and Alonso held his fourth place, despite Rubens Barrichello's challenge around the outside. Schumacher got a decent start, dodging the two Williams of Nico Rosberg and Mark Webber when they crashed at the end of the back straight before overtaking his brother, Ralf, for seventh.

After the Safety Car went returned to the pits, Schumacher was on a charge, disposing of Barrichello for sixth, but Alonso's teammate, Giancarlo Fisichella, put up a strong fight. Michael tried everything to get past the Italian, and he did so, but clipped the Renault's front wing and developed a puncture in one of his tyres.

Schumacher dropped to the back of the field, and was almost lapped by Massa. It seemed an impossible task, but Michael refused to give up, producing an awesome recovery drive and finishing P4 by the end. Alonso, though, had done enough, becoming a back-to-back world champion by finishing in second.

3 - 2007, The Iceman Cometh

Kimi Raikkonen won his first title in the most unlikely of circumstances

Lewis Hamilton appeared to have the drivers' world title sewn up after winning the Japanese Grand Prix in superb style. However, a rookie error at the Chinese Grand Prix had put Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and his teammate Fernando Alonso in with an outside shot of snatching the title in Brazil. Hamilton had qualified second, good enough for the title, but was sandwiched by the Ferraris of home hero Felipe Massa (1st) and Raikkonen (3rd), Alonso started 4th.

The Ferraris got a much better getaway off the line and led 1-2 into Turn 1, before Alonso compounded Hamilton's misery by getting down the inside of his teammate into the second corner, thanks to Raikkonen blocking the Brit. Lewis then made another poor mistake, out-braking himself at the end of the back-straight and dropping to eighth.

Hamilton had been making ground back up, but he seemed to be out of the race on Lap 7, his car crawling to almost a halt. Lewis' gearbox had almost failed him, but thanks to the pit wall, he rebooted his car and was on his way again. He had a mountain to climb, though, now running down in eighteenth. If the race ended at that moment, Raikkonen would be champion, but Hamilton wasn't going down without a fight.

Hamilton slashed his way through the field and was in the points by Lap 55, but he had to reach fifth by the finish. Ferrari conducted their pre-planned switch, as Raikkonen emerged from the pits ahead of Massa. Hamilton had a fast car but soon found himself a lap down and seventh was as far as he could recover to.

Alonso finished third, almost a minute behind the Ferraris, who excelled in the searingly hot weather. Raikkonen, though, was on could nine, he'd won the championship despite being 17 points behind Hamilton with 20 to play for.

2 - 2012, Vettel’s epic recovery drive

Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel were the title rivals in 2012

The 2012 Formula 1 championship was without a doubt one of, if not the, best in the sport's history. Seven different winners in the first seven races eventually gave way to Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel duking it out in the remainder of the season.

Alonso had driven one of the finest campaigns I've ever seen - not dissimilarly to Lewis Hamilton in 2018 - he barely put a wheel wrong all year in his lacklustre Ferrari car. Meanwhile, Vettel had a revival after a first part of the season full of circumstances. Two double world champions but there could only be one winner.

The track was dry at the start of the race but it wouldn't last, Interlagos is one of F1's least predictable venues. Neither contender qualified particularly well, Vettel in 4th and Alonso all the way down in 8th and to win the title Fernando had to at minimum claim a podium to have any chance.

At the start Alonso, was predictably aggressive, muscling his way to fifth, while Vettel dropped down to seventh. Despite still being in a championship position Vettel wasn't taking any prisoners, cutting in front of Bruno Senna, and his Red Bull spun and was hit. Vettel fell to the back of the field. He had substantial floor damage but still continued.

At the beginning of the next lap, Alonso put a stunning overtake on both his teammate and Mark Webber in the sister Red Bull going into the Senna-S. Alonso was now in championship position and Vettel threw caution to the wind.

Just a few laps later, though, Alonso missed his braking point into Turn 1, ran wide, and allowed Nico Hulkenberg through into third. Rain began to fall and Vettel was slicing through the field like his idol, Michael Schumacher, did at the same track six years earlier.

Alonso, Vettel and many others decided to pit for intermediate tyres but crucially, Button and the Hulk did not. This paid dividends in a few laps, as the rain failed to intensify and the dries were still good enough. That meant another pit stop was required and those drivers lost around 40 seconds to the leading pair. Hulkenberg then did the unthinkable and overtook Button to put his Force India into the lead.

A lifeline was then thrown to those cars that pit earlier, as the Safety Car was called out. Sensationally, Vettel was now directly behind Alonso. After the German spun at the fourth corner, he had overtaken seventeen cars in twenty-two laps. When you factor in that Vettel's Red Bull had damage as well, that's a sensational effort.

At the restart, Vettel began to drop back, Kobayashi and Massa both overtook in quick succession. Alonso was a good distance behind top three, and his title chances were waning, but on lap 54, that all changed. Hulkenberg attempted to overtake Hamilton for the lead but the German crashed into the McLaren and sent the British driver out of the race. This later gave him a drive-through penalty and spoiled what had been a fantastic drive.

The rain fell once more, and Vettel was the first one in for wet weather tyres but his radio wasn't working and his pit crew weren't prepared, this ended up losing him valuable time. The German was down in seventh after the stops, and Alonso had taken second place after Massa let him through (not for first time).

Alonso was now in championship position (something that had seesawed throughout the race), but couldn't really improve as Button was about 30 seconds down the road. Vettel got the sixth place he needed to win the title and who gave it to him? None other than Schumi himself in his final race in the sport.

The rain intensified and Di Resta brought out the safety car when he crashed going up the hill on the pit straight. Those final laps at a set pace must've been the most agonising in his life as Sebastian has won the title.

What a race.

1 - 2008, final corner decider

Lewis Hamilton had a point to prove after last year's race

This race was not only one of the best title deciders in Formula 1 but arguably in sports as a whole. Only Manchester City’s final minute Premier League winner in 2012 springs to mind as a challenger, in my mind.

Lewis Hamilton very much had a point to prove after being so unlucky to miss out on the title the previous year. His only challenger for the title this year was Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who had home advantage for the final race. Massa absorbed the Brazilian crowd's energy to claim pole position at Interlagos on Saturday, Hamilton started in a respectable fourth when he required fifth to win the title.

The track was damp at the start and every driver started on the intermediates, with both title challengers retaining their respective positions on the first lap. Giancarlo Fisichella, in an awful Force India, took a gamble onto dry tyres and it paid off, sending him up so far up the order that he likely got a nose-bleed. When the pit stops had shaken out Massa still lead but Hamilton was down in sixth.

Hamilton eventually got past Fisi and was up to a championship position once again. The status-quo was more or less maintained until Lap 63 when rain began to fall. Everybody had to pit for wet weather tyres, but crucially. Timo Glock took a risk and stayed out as the rain wasn't too intense and he had nothing to lose in an under-performing Toyota.

On Lap 69 of 71, Hamilton was running in fifth but Vettel was all over his heels and would love to hand a title to Maranello. Robert Kubica had a horrible race but now had solid pace and unlapped himself from Vettel and then Hamilton. However, this threw the British driver off-line and Vettel sneaked through to send the crowd into bedlam. If it stayed like this Massa would become the fourth Brazilian world champion and with just a few laps to go it looked like that would happen.

Hamilton tried everything to stay with Vettel but the Toro Rosso driver was showing his class, much like when he won in Italy earlier in the season, and he couldn't keep with him. It was all over, Massa crossed the line on his final lap, the race winner and the 2008 world champion.

Hamilton was miles back, he went into the final lap behind Vettel and about 5 seconds behind Glock with the German still doing competitive times. Lewis entered the final corner and a red and white Toyota was crawling around the last lap, it was Glock. Hamilton dived down the German's inside and was in championship position, Ferrari had celebrated prematurely because Hamilton had become the youngest ever world champion at just twenty-three years old and by a single point.

Massa, though, cemented his legacy as top sportsman, he took that title defeat with dignity and passion. Lewis won the title, but that day Massa won the hearts of millions worldwide.