It’s beginning to look like the 2025 Drivers’ Championship fight will go right to the final race in Abu Dhabi, where we could see some dramatic events take place. So, while the summer break is still going strong, here is a list of some of the most dramatic title-deciding races in F1 history to keep everyone entertained.
- 1976 Japanese Grand Prix- Lauda vs. Hunt
- Earlier in the 1976 season, Niki Lauda, driving for Ferrari, suffered a horrible crash at the German GP. However, only a few weeks later, Lauda was miraculously back to racing. He was leading the Championship by the final race, the Japanese Grand Prix. The torrential downpour caused the Ferrari driver to withdraw, saying it was too dangerous to race. However, the decision ultimately led to his close title rival, James Hunt, driving to third place and winning the Championship by a single point.
- 1986 Australian Grand Prix- Mansell vs. Prost vs. Piquet
- The 1986 season brought a three-way title fight between the two Williams drivers, Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet, and Alain Prost, who was driving for McLaren. Nigel Mansell was the driver leading the Championship going into the Australian Grand Prix, and was set to start on pole for the race. Once the race began, however, drama started to unfold. Mansell lost out on the lead eventually, dropping down three places. Prost suffered from a tire puncture, and he was seemingly out of contention after a lengthy pit stop. However, Nigel Mansell, who was still in the running, would endure a tire failure when his left-rear exploded. He was forced to retire, and Alain Prost went on to win the race, and the Championship title.
- 1990 Japanese Grand Prix- Senna vs. Prost
- The battles of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost were infamous, and continued on even when Prost left McLaren to drive for Ferrari. One of the most notable, and controversial, battles the pair had was at the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix. Senna was leading Prost in the Championship, and the Brazilian was also starting on pole for the race, even if Senna was angry that the grid position was on the dirty side of the track. When the Grand Prix began, Alain Prost got the better launch, and moved to take the racing line. However, Senna refused to yield, resulting in a collision between the pair. Both drivers ultimately had to retire, but the end result meant Senna had clinched his second World Championship title. However, Senna’s actions were largely debated and the race remained controversial.
- 1997 European Grand Prix- Schumacher vs. Villeneuve
- Michael Schumacher was leading the 1997 Championship by a single point from Jaques Villeneuve going into the European Grand Prix, the final race of the season. Midway through the race, Villeneuve attempted to overtake Schumacher, however, the Ferrari driver turned into him, resulting in the two drivers colliding. Schumacher was forced to retire, after getting beached in the gravel, while Villeneuve was able to continue on, finish in the third place, and win the Championship. The FIA also investigated the crash, and determined Schumacher was at fault for deliberately taking out Villeneuve. Michael was consequently disqualified from the 1997 Drivers’ Championship.
- 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix- Verstappen vs. Hamilton
- And finally, last but definitely not least, is the final race of the 2021 season. Lewis Hamilton was driving for a record eighth Championship, and Max Verstappen was driving for his first. The pair were tied, both with 369.5 points when the drivers lined up on the grid for a winner-takes-all Grand Prix. Hamilton was leading the race ahead of Verstappen when a crash brought the safety car out. Lapped cars were in between the two Championship leaders, and the race director initially stated those cars could not overtake the safety car, before going back on the statement and allowing some to un-lap themselves. This brought Max Verstappen right up to Hamilton’s gearbox, and the Red Bull driver also had the tire advantage. The safety car was brought in for the final lap, and Max was able to a make a move to secure his first ever Championship title. However, the race in Abu Dhabi was incredible controversial due to the confusing rules regarding lapped cars during the safety car.
