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On this day: Vettel wins in India, Hamilton crowned in Mexico

On 28 October, Sebastian Vettel won the 2012 Indian Grand Prix from pole, and Lewis Hamilton clinched his fifth world title in Mexico in 2018.

Lewis Hamilton's silver Mercedes on track at the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton at the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He won his fifth title later that season. Photo: ibrahimferhadli, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Two very different Sundays share today's date, six years apart.

2012: Vettel wins again in India

Sebastian Vettel won the Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit near Delhi, leading from pole position for Red Bull.

Fernando Alonso finished second for Ferrari, with Mark Webber third in the other Red Bull.

India's Narain Karthikeyan started 23rd for HRT and finished 21st, two laps down. It was only the second Indian Grand Prix, and there would be just one more.

2018: Hamilton crowned in Mexico

Lewis Hamilton became a five-time world champion at the Mexican Grand Prix, despite finishing only fourth.

Max Verstappen won the race for Red Bull, with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen completing the podium. Hamilton's points were enough to put the title out of reach with two rounds still to go.

The championship drew him level with Juan Manuel Fangio's record of five titles, which had stood since the 1950s. Hamilton went on to win two more, in 2019 and 2020.

Race it on Late Brake

Neither Buddh nor Mexico City is in Late Brake, but six other real circuits are, from Monza to Interlagos. Pick one, set a lap and race your own ghost, free in your browser.

Sources: 2012 Indian Grand Prix, 2018 Mexican Grand Prix (Wikipedia)