F1 Drivers' Championship Rewind: Mapping Last Race Nailbiters As Abu Dhabi Gets Set For Three-Way Battle
As Lando Norris missed out on pressing home his dominance in the ongoing F1 Drivers Championship, we take a look at previous instances when the competition has stayed alive till the season's end race.
It was the penultimate race of the 2025 Formula 1 season in Qatar, and a win for Lando Norris would have sealed the deal for the British driver. First, he lost his position, following a poor launch, to reigning champion Max Verstappen and then a strategic blunder left Norris reeling in P5 until a small mistake from Kimi Antonelli gave him P4, shrinking his lead in the drivers' championship to just 12 now.
His McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri had an equally disappointing race after he, too, wasn't pitted under the safety car. A Verstappen win in Qatar ensured the championship would go to the finale in Abu Dhabi.
The Dutch star is no second with 396 points, followed by Oscar Piastri (392) in third. Norris is at the top with 408 points. A P2 finish in Abu Dhabi will still get him the title.
How Many Times Has The F1 Drivers' Championship Gone To The Last Race?
On at least 30 occasions in the 75 years of the Formula 1 championship, the drivers' title has gone to the wire.
Mike Hawthorn clinched the first-ever such title back in 1958, when he beat Stirling Moss by just one point.
Six years later, John Surtees won his only title in the last race, leaving behind Graham Hill and Jim Clark.
In 1976, James Hunt bagged the championship by winning the rain-marred Japanese Grand Prix, beating Niki Lauda by one point.
Overcoming Carlos Reutemann in 1981, Nelson Piquet won his first title by a single point in the final race.
In 1986, an infamous tyre failure for Nigel Mansell saw Alain Prost emerge triumphant at Adelaide.
Eight years later, in 1994, Michael Schumacher won controversially following his collision with Damon Hill.
Talking of collision, the 1997 title race saw Jacques Villeneuve clinch his victory at Jerez after Michael Schumacher's car was disqualified.
Beating Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso by just one point in 2007, Kimi Räikkönen finished as the champion at the Brazil Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton won his first F1 title by overtaking Timo Glock at the last race in 2008.
The 2010 and 2012 title-deciding races went to Sebastian Vettel, who surpassed Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber in Abu Dhabi and won in Brazil despite a mid-race collision that almost threw him out of contention.
Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were involved in a title race in the 2016 season. Rosberg beat his British teammate by 5 points.
The much-controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ended with Max Verstappen winning the title.
