counter-claim of abuse against Brad Hogg, Australias left-arm

While Lewis Hamiltons is that Glock? title win of Brazil 2008 will perhaps be considered the single most dramatic moment in the history of F1 world championship deciders, should Brazil 2012 be considered a better title-settling race? Interlagos, November 25, 2012, was the day of Sebastian Vettels spin and champion recovery, Fernando Alonsos thousand-yard stare, and, in the hours after the chequered flag had fallen, the post-race yellow flag controversy.And that was just the title battle on a day of rich subplots. Beyond the Vettel-Alonso showdown, Brazil 2012 featured Michael Schumachers final grand prix, McLarens last win, and Hamiltons swansong for his boyhood team before his career-defining switch to Mercedes. The 2012 season finale served up F1s ultimate race within a race - and both were nailbiters. Writing in his post-race column, Sky F1s Martin Brundle declared: The first 20 laps of the race were the most exciting I have ever had the privilege to commentate on.So what made Brazil 2012 so special?The lead-up to BrazilWhile Vettel and Alonso emerged as the seasons chief protagonists, their tense duel took its time to take shape.A record seven different winners in the opening seven races (Jenson Button, Alonso, Nico Rosberg, Vettel, Pastor Maldonado, Mark Webber, Hamilton) was remarkable at the time and all the more astounding in retrospect considering just nine drivers have shared the subsequent 89 grands prix.F1 2012: Race-by-race rundownVettel only won once in the opening 13 races and with Alonso, despite a clear car disadvantage, brilliantly wrestling his Ferrari to three wins to hold a 42-point advantage over his Red Bull rival by mid-season. But the Vettel charge began once F1 left Europe as the German reeled off four successive wins to take a 13-point lead with three rounds to go.However, the difference still stood at 13 points two races later with Vettels winning momentum first checked by a disqualification from Abu Dhabi qualifying for a fuel infringement and then defeat to Hamilton at the inaugural US GP in Austin.Onto Brazil...and how Vettel nearly lost on lap oneWith a quicker car and a 13-point lead already in his favour, Vettels title odds shortened at the Interlagos finale when he qualified fourth and Alonso eighth. The German only needed to finish in his grid position even if the Ferrari driver won.Yet the impossible turnaround suddenly seemed eminently possible on the races first lap. With rain beginning to fall, Vettel was facing the wrong way by Turn Four - and with a big hole in the side of his Red Bull. Vettel sees himself going backwards and at the back of the grid after the first lap of the 2012 Brazilian GP A bad start - which Vettel would blame on team-mate Mark Webber, sowing the seeds for the Multi-21 controversy of the following Spring - had already dropped the German behind Alonso and into seventh before double contact with the Williams of Bruno Senna at the end of the long backstraight left him facing the oncoming pack.As the field streamed past his stricken Red Bull, Vettel was lucky not to suffer race-ending damage. But when he eventually got going, he did so from 22nd and last. Alonso, meanwhile, had moved into a championship-winning third place within two laps.Vettel comes back from the brinkTo be perfectly honest after the first lap I thought its probably all over, admitted Red Bulls Adrian Newey after the race. I was pretty surprised to see the car going.But Vettel did keep going, allowing Red Bull engineers to take pictures of the RB8 from pitwall so Newey could assess the damage. We photographed the car going past and saw all the bodywork damage and, more worryingly almost, a huge crease in the exhaust system. Normally [with] that sort of damage the exhaust is going to crack and the bodywork will catch fire and that will be the end of that.A change of engine mapping settings, and the fact the rain worsened, played to Vettels advantage. By lap eight, he was to sixth. Alonso was now only two now places ahead, meaning the title was back in the Red Bull drivers grasp.Hamilton v Button…and HulkenbergAmid the drama of the title race behind, an absorbing battle for the win simultaneously broke out at the front.In their final race as McLaren team-mates, Hamilton and Button raced away into the lead from the front row and changed places three times within the races opening eight laps.The wheel-to-wheel action between Button and Hamilton was thrilling, masterful, respectful, risky, and mesmerising, wrote Brundle. And all watched by Nico Hulkenberg who then impressively made his way to the front of the race. Hulkenberg slides into Hamilton while he was leading the 2012 Brazilian GP ending the McLaren driver’s race Nico Hulkenberg, revelling in the mixed conditions, began pushing the McLarens and, after race leader Button pitted, the German overtook Hamilton for the lead on lap 18. He didnt relinquish it for 30 laps before Hamilton claimed it back.Yet what had been a hitherto display of supreme error-free driving was ended when Hulkenberg plunged down the inside of Hamiltons McLaren at Turn One as the McLaren encountered a backmarker, only to drop it on a damp patch and spin into the Briton. Hamiltons dream of a winning exit from Woking was scuppered, with Hulkenberg slipping to sixth.A grateful Button picked up the pieces. Raikkonen found himself going down a dead end as he tries to return to the race track during the 2012 Brazilian GP A passing of the batonAfter recovering from the biggest of lap-one scares, Vettel was rarely out of a championship-winning position thereafter but his worsening car damage, and the lingering on-off rain, meant the title was never safe until the closing laps. A broken radio also contributed to a late scare when mechanics werent ready for a pit stop.Brazilian GP 2012 resultsWith Alonso running second following the reitrements of Hamilton and Hulkenberg, Vettel needed to finish eighth to be sure of the crown. With ten laps to go he was in seventh, but then rose to the security of sixth when Schumacher, featuring in the final GP of his second career, chose not to put up a fight and let the Red Bull through. Vettels third consecutive title was then finally confirmed when Paul di Resta crashed on the start-finish straight on the penultimate lap to ensure the season finished under the Safety Car.After a breatheless afternoon, Vettel was world champion from Alonso by three points. Cue one of the longest stares in F1 history... The post-race controversyBut the story of Brazil 2012 wasnt finished quite yet and it briefly seemed as if there could be a dramatic final twist in the tale. Footage emerged on the internet which apparently showed Vettel had illegally passed the Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne under a yellow flag on lap four.Such was the commotion on social media that Ferrari wrote to the FIA seeking clarification, but analysis of official footage showed Vettel had passed a marshal waving a green flag before legitimately making the move on Vergne.The FIA replied to Ferrari stating that as the overtaking manoeuvre was not in breach of the regulations, and therefore there was no infringement to investigate, it was not reported to the Stewards by Race Control.The epic story of the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix was finally complete. Can Nico Rosberg clinch the title at Interlagos? Watch the Brazilian GP live on Sky Sports F1 on Sunday, the race begins at 4pm; Watch the whole race weekend with a NOW TV week pass - £10.99, no contract Also See: How Rosberg wins title in Brazil When is the Brazilian GP on Sky? The Formula 1 Gossip Column Get a NOW TV week pass Authentic Ray Ban Sunglasses Wholesale . The All-Pro lineman got the leg bent under him while trying to make a tackle during the first half of a 22-20 overtime loss at Miami on Thursday night. The medical staff initially thought hed torn the ligament, and the test a day later in Cincinnati confirmed it. Ray Ban Sunglasses Sale Cheap . Rinne played two periods in his first game since left hip surgery in early May. Gabriel Bourque scored 3:07 into the second period and Austin Watson tallied 5:15 later for Nashville. http://www.cheapraybanfromchina.com/ . The Dane followed up his first European Tour title last weekend with eight birdies and just a single dropped shot on Thursday for a one-stroke advantage over South Africas Allan Versfeld and Portugals Ricardo Santos. Cheap Ray Ban Sunglasses Outlet . P.A. Parenteau scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best ever start. Ray Ban Sunglasses Cheap . The 31-year-old Spain midfielder hasnt played since Madrid lost in the Copa del Rey final to Atletico Madrid in May due to back and foot injuries. Harbhajan Singh has been found guilty of making a racist comment to Andrew Symonds on the third day of the Sydney Test and slapped with a three-Test ban. Mike Procter, the match referee, ruled at the end of a four-hour hearing that Harbhajan had breached Level 3 of the ICCs Code of Conduct. The Indian team management said it would appeal against the ban.The charge was brought by the on-field umpires after they received a complaint from Ricky Ponting, Australias captain. The incident occurred when Harbhajan was batting with Sachin Tendulkar during Indias first innings on Saturday. It was alleged that Harbhajan had an argument with Symonds, during which time he called Symonds a monkey.Announcing his verdict, Procter said: I am satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that Harbhajan Singh directed that word at Andrew Symonds and also that he meant it to offend on the basis of Symonds race or ethnic origin.The ban takes place immediately and so will rule Harbhajan out of the rest of the Test series. The Indian management have 24 hours to lodge an appeal with the ICC and, if they do so, he will be free to play pending thatt hearing.ddddddddddddIt also emerged that the Indians levelled a counter-claim of abuse against Brad Hogg, Australias left-arm spinner. A report in the Sydney Morning Herald said the Indians accused Hogg of using offensive language during the Test. The report stated that the hearing on Hoggs conduct will, in all likelihood, be held on Monday.MV Sridhar, the assistant manager, who spoke to the media before the decision was announced, said there was no video or audio evidence involving Harbhajan. We felt there was no substantial evidence, he said.The Indian board president, Sharad Pawar has said he was determined to preserve strong ties between the India and Australia. There is an extremely good relationship between the countries, he told the Melbourne-based Age. There has been a conflict on the field and an issue has been reported by some players, but I dont want to react. It is important it should not spoil the relationship between the countries or the teams. That is not our desire. ' ' '