Motorsports

Ferrari fails to take F1 driver's title from Vettel on questionable pass

On November 25, Sebastian Vettel took sixth place at the Brazilian Gran Prix, earning him enough points to take the 2012 Formula One Driver's Championship. It wouldn't be an F1 season finale without some drama, though, and this season, it came in the form of allegations by Ferrari that the Red Bull driver made an illegal pass under a yellow light.

Ferrari is looking into on-board footage that may show Vettel passing Toro Rosso driver Jean-Eric Vergne, which would have resulted in a 20-second penalty if discovered during the race. If that had happened, it would have resulted in Vettel falling to eighth place, which would have caused him to lose the Driver's Championship by a single point to Fernando Alonso and the Ferrari team.

Ferrari has asked the FIA to review the footage, but it is reportedly unlikely that the Formula One governing body will penalize Vettel. According to the UK's Telegraph, the FIA has taken the position that it will not apply penalties retroactively, and to do so would reverse that stance.

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