Sunday: McLaren finishes 2012 as it started, with a victory

Jenson Button – Winner:

All those who participated in this race deserve respect, it was crazy! The conditions triggered a lot of action because some cars managed to heat up the tires and others didn’t. So for most of the race, you were on tires that weren’t fully working according to the conditions, but the times seemed good compared to the cars with other types of tires. I spent a lot of time talking with my engineer, Dave [Robson], trying to understand what would work and what wouldn’t. I had a lot of fun with Lewis, especially during the first 10 laps. We had a great battle. It’s a shame he wasn’t there at the end, but it was nice to fight like that for our last race as teammates. I would like to add this: ‘It has been a pleasure working with you, Lewis. Over the past few years, we have had some great races together, it has been fabulous.’

Returning to today’s race, the safety car made things a bit complicated for us. We lost the 40-second lead we had, but then the rain came, and the question was to choose the right moment to switch to intermediate tires. Then we had to bring the car to the finish line. There were puddles of water, particularly where Paul [di Resta] had his accident. I had a warning at that spot the previous lap, which was a frightening moment. In the end, congratulations to Sebastian [Vettel]. Winning the world championship three times in a row is an incredible achievement.

Lewis Hamilton – Retired (accident):

Congratulations to Jenson and also to Sebastian. It’s a shame not to have been able to finish second in the constructors’ championship together, but we did our best. Congratulations to Sebastian, his team set everything up, and under pressure, they stayed on course today. Now that the 2012 season is over, I feel a bit numb. It has been a day full of emotions. I’m sad not to have finished the race, but I’m excited about the future. I will miss my friends at McLaren, but I’m optimistic about what’s next. I feel comfortable heading into this winter because I have the feeling that I did a good job this year. I gave everything I had, and I couldn’t have done more.

I don’t remember exactly what happened with Nico [Hülkenberg] but he came to see me after the race which is nice of him. It has been a great experience being part of McLaren over the last six years. I want to thank everyone and sincerely wish them the best for the future. They have been fantastic, and they will continue to do a great job. So thank you all, I will miss you all, each and every one of you.