He was passed by McLaren's Lewis Hamilton on the final lap at Brazil's Interlagos circuit, which promoted Hamilton to fifth, enough for the Englishman to claim the drivers' championship.

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Australia will host the season's opening grand prix in Melbourne on March 18, with Brazil staging 2012's final race at Interlagos on November 25, the week after the new race in Texas.

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Despite the potentially wet conditions, his team's speed around the Interlagos track and its history in Brazil Red Bull has won there in each of the past three seasons makes him a heavy favorite.

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He could make it six in Brazil on Sunday in his final race before retirement but needs to win at Interlagos and hope championship leader Fernando Alonso fails to score a point.

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