Sebastian Vettel was not sure if he should laugh or cry on Sunday after becoming Formula One's youngest triple world champion by finishing a dogged sixth in the rain-lashed Brazilian Grand Prix
He struggled with his emotions and wept on his final lap as his Red Bull chief screamed congratulations at him on the team radio, the 25-year-old German having climbed through the field after a first-lap collision with Bruno Senna's Williams.
After some wild celebrations on the pit wall, and with a mass of his team-mates in the cramped Interlagos garages, he said: "It is difficult to imagine what goes through my head now even for myself. I am full of adrenaline and if you poke me now I wouldn't feel it.
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German Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel (C) celebrates his F-1 World Championship with Red Bull teammates after arriving 6th in the Brazil F-1 GP on November 25, 2012 at the Interlagos racetrack in Sao Paulo, Brazil
"It was such an incredible race. When you get turned around at Turn Four for no reason and it becomes like heading the wrong way down the (British motorway) M25 it is not the most comfortable feeling.
"I was lucky no-one hit me, but the car was damaged and we lost a lot of speed, especially when it dried up. Fortunately it started to rain again and I felt so much happier.
"People try to push us in a certain direction when they talk about how we perform when it rains but I think we have proven across the season we like rain conditions as well as dry."
Asked about the pressures during a post-race interview with BBC Television, he added: "It is unbelievable, but the most important thing is that throughout the season we always kept believing in ourselves.
"A lot of people tried to play dirty tricks but we did not get distracted by that and kept going our way and all the guys gave a big push right to the end.
"We stepped up our game in the second half of the season which allowed us to come back in this championship. I have to thank all the team because there is no-one in our team more important than the next person.
"We are all a group and fighting next to each other and not against each other. I am very proud of that. It is unbelievable."
He showed great emotions again when asked to reflect on joining an elite pantheon of triple champions.
"For all of us in the team and also myself it is unreal. To win that third title here, where one of my greatest idols Ayrton Senna was from...
"It is very difficult to imagine I join him and other great names by winning three successive titles. My radio was not working, I was crying and you didn't hear that and I am very happy about that. I just can't find the right words to describe how I feel right now."
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