F1: Red Bull take constructors' championship in spectacular race

Next year, the Brazilian Grand Prix will be restored as the season closer. It already has that end of term feeling although there were fewer desperate moves than might be expected. Massa seemed to find more than his fair share of people to run into and corners to run wide at. Kobayashi stayed out of trouble - apparently because his car was handling so badly he could not hold the line in tighter corners.

Button stormed from 11th to 5th, a tyre change working in his favour for once.

The result was, largely, defined by Hulkenberg: too fast to pass easily but sufficiently slow that first Alonso and then Hamilton found it very difficult to pass him. He eventually finished a very creditable 8th.

By the end of the race, the top five were the five who had started as Championship contenders although Button's fifth now puts him out of contention. They were also the five fastest cars as they traded fastest laps.

So, with the final result as Vettel, Webber, Alonso, Hamilton, Button, Alsonso remains in the lead in the Championship. Just.

Barrichelo's Interlagos jinx continued with a burst tyre causing an extra pit stop. Massa had to come back into the pits after one lap because a wheel was loose. Rosberg called for soft tyres on a second stop but his team brought out the primes so after a muddled stop, he went out and came back in next time around for the correct tyres.

Traffic caused more trouble than usual because of the short lap. After a safety car for Liuzzi's car to be removed after a hard impact sent parts flying, the leaders except for Vettel were all mixed up with the mid field and back markers. A rule change to allow lapped cars to go around and join the back of the pack under a safety car would greatly help: they were all involved in their own races and trying both race and pay attention to the leaders coming up behind is a task that, with mirrors that are next to useless, is impossible.

For Red Bull, a first and second position secured their first Constructors' Championship. Although the team has been together since the days of Stewart and Jaguar, it has been in its current form - with the current leadership - for just six years.