2012 Japanese Grand Prix

2012 Japanese Grand Prix
2012 Japanese Grand Prix
Race 15 of 20 in the 2012 Formula One World Championship
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Race details
Date	7 October 2012
Official name	2012 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix
Location	Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Mie, Japan
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	5.807 km (3.608 miles)
Distance	53 laps, 307.471 km (191.054 miles)
Weather	Fine and Dry Air Temp 23 °C (73 °F) ; Track Temp 32 °C (90 °F)
Attendance	208,000
Pole position
Driver	Sebastian Vettel;
Time	1:30.839
Fastest lap
Driver	Sebastian Vettel
Time	1:35.774 on lap 52
Podium
First	Sebastian Vettel;
Second	Felipe Massa;
Third	Kamui Kobayashi;
	Lap leaders ;

The 2012 Japanese Grand Prix (formally known as the 2012 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix)^[1] was a Formula One motor race that took place at the Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture, Japan on 7 October 2012 at 15:00 local time.^[4] The race was the fifteenth round of the 2012 season, and marked the 38th running of the Japanese Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel started the race from pole position for the fourth successive year at Suzuka,^[5] eventually leading the race from start to finish,^[6] winning by 20 seconds over Felipe Massa – who achieved his first podium since the 2010 Korean Grand Prix – in second place. Kamui Kobayashi achieved his first and only Formula One podium, the first for a Japanese driver since Takuma Sato in 2004, and the first for a Japanese driver at their home Grand Prix since Aguri Suzuki in 1990. As of 2024, this was the last podium for a Japanese driver. It was also the last podium for Sauber. The race was also Vettel's second career grand slam (leading every single lap from pole position and finishing with the fastest lap of the race). His first was the 2011 Indian Grand Prix.

^ ^a ^b "2012 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix". Formula One. Archived from the original on September 16, 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c "2012 FORMULA 1 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX (Race)". formula1.com. Formula One Administration. 7 October 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2013.^{[dead link]}
^ "Formula 1 Honda Japanese Grand Prix 2022 – Media Kit" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 5 October 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
^ Collantine, Keith (7 December 2011). "United States Grand Prix remains on unchanged 2012 F1 calendar". F1 Fanatic. Keith Collantine. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
^ Beer, Matt (6 October 2012). "Vettel storms to fourth pole in a row at Suzuka". Autosport. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
^ Collantine, Keith (7 October 2012). "2012 Japanese Grand Prix review — Vettel's Suzuka masterclass as Alonso hits trouble". F1 Fanatic. Keith Collantine. Retrieved 11 October 2012.

[formal-1] "2012 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix". Formula One. Archived from the original on September 16, 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.

[weather-2] "2012 FORMULA 1 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX (Race)". formula1.com. Formula One Administration. 7 October 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2013.^{[dead link]}

[3] "Formula 1 Honda Japanese Grand Prix 2022 – Media Kit" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 5 October 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.

[7Dec_calendar-4] Collantine, Keith (7 December 2011). "United States Grand Prix remains on unchanged 2012 F1 calendar". F1 Fanatic. Keith Collantine. Retrieved 23 September 2012.

[VET_p1-5] Beer, Matt (6 October 2012). "Vettel storms to fourth pole in a row at Suzuka". Autosport. Retrieved 6 October 2012.

[race_result-6] Collantine, Keith (7 October 2012). "2012 Japanese Grand Prix review — Vettel's Suzuka masterclass as Alonso hits trouble". F1 Fanatic. Keith Collantine. Retrieved 11 October 2012.

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