Jonas LeoAs the 2025 Formula 1 season approaches its climax with the upcoming Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, three drivers remain in contention for the coveted world title, setting the stage for a potentially dramatic conclusion. McLaren’s Lando Norris currently holds the lead with 408 points, maintaining a 12-point advantage over reigning Red Bull world champion Max Verstappen, and a 16-point gap to his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. While Norris enters the finale as the statistical favourite, historical precedents in Formula 1 have repeatedly demonstrated that the final race of a championship can be inherently unpredictable, often leading to moments of intense controversy, on-track clashes, and contentious decisions by race control. Such instances have not only defined seasons but have also left an indelible mark on the sport’s legacy.
6. 1964 Mexican Grand Prix: Hill vs Bandini – The Shadow of Doubt
The 1964 season finale in Mexico City presented a tense three-way championship battle involving BRM’s Graham Hill, Ferrari’s John Surtees, and Lotus’s Jim Clark. Clark, starting from pole, initially dominated the race, appearing to be on course for the title. However, Ferrari driver John Surtees, despite early injection problems, staged a remarkable recovery. The turning point arrived when Surtees’s teammate, Lorenzo Bandini, engaged in a fierce battle for third position with title contender Graham Hill. The two cars made contact, resulting in Hill’s BRM being significantly damaged and effectively eliminating him from serious contention, though he eventually finished 11th. The precise responsibility for the collision remains debated, with Surtees later noting the ferocity of the battle. The race took another dramatic turn when Clark, leading comfortably, suffered an oil line failure on the penultimate lap. Dan Gurney inherited the lead, but Bandini, in a clear team directive, moved aside for Surtees, allowing him to secure second place. This crucial manoeuvre propelled Surtees to the championship by a single point over Hill, marking a controversial end to a hard-fought season.
5. 1989 Japanese Grand Prix: Prost vs Senna – The Suzuka Collision Part I
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While not the final round of the 1989 season, the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka was pivotal for Ayrton Senna’s championship hopes against his McLaren teammate and bitter rival, Alain Prost. Senna, needing a victory to keep his title aspirations alive for the Adelaide finale, had qualified on pole, a staggering 1.730 seconds faster than Prost. Prost, opting for a lower-downforce setup, made a superior start and established an early lead. Following pit stops, Senna mounted a relentless charge, closing the gap to Prost. On lap 47, with just six laps remaining, Senna attempted a decisive overtake on the inside into the chicane. Prost, however, moved to close the door, leading to an unavoidable collision that saw both McLarens entangled and facing the escape road. Prost, with his car stalled, retired from the race. Senna, after beckoning for a push-start and rejoining by cutting the chicane, pitted for a new front wing and ultimately passed Alessandro Nannini to win the race. However, post-race, Senna was controversially excluded for bypassing the chicane, a decision upheld after McLaren’s appeal failed. This ruling handed Prost the championship, solidifying his move to Ferrari for the following season amidst significant acrimony.
4. 1994 Australian Grand Prix: Schumacher vs Hill – The Adelaide Impact
The 1994 Formula 1 season was already marred by tragedy and controversy, including Ayrton Senna’s death at Imola and Michael Schumacher’s disqualifications and bans. Arriving at the Adelaide finale, Damon Hill had narrowed the championship gap to Schumacher to a single point, setting up a winner-takes-all scenario. Nigel Mansell, partnering Hill at Williams-Renault, secured pole position, narrowly beating Schumacher’s Benetton-Ford. At the start, Schumacher and Hill both surged past Mansell, with Schumacher leading and Hill in close pursuit. On lap 36, Schumacher notably clipped the wall at the East Terrace turn, damaging his Benetton. As Hill attempted to pass the compromised car at the subsequent corner, Schumacher abruptly turned in, resulting in a collision. Schumacher’s car was launched onto two wheels and into the barriers, retiring him from the race. Hill, suffering left-front suspension damage, was forced to retire in the pits shortly after. With both title contenders out, Schumacher was crowned world champion. Mansell, meanwhile, secured victory, ending his Williams career on a high, but the race’s defining moment remained the contentious collision.
3. 1997 European Grand Prix: Schumacher vs Villeneuve – The Jerez Deliberation
Three years after the Adelaide incident, Michael Schumacher, now driving for Ferrari, found himself in another winner-takes-all final race showdown, this time against Williams-Renault’s Jacques Villeneuve at Jerez. The Williams was generally considered the superior car, but Schumacher’s exceptional performances had kept him a point ahead of Villeneuve. The drama began in qualifying, where the top three drivers – Villeneuve, Schumacher, and Heinz-Harald Frentzen – incredibly recorded identical lap times to a thousandth of a second, with Villeneuve taking pole by virtue of setting his time first. Schumacher made a better start, taking the lead, and maintained it through two rounds of pit stops. On lap 48, Villeneuve launched an attack, diving down the inside of Schumacher into the Dry Sack hairpin. In a move reminiscent of 1994, Schumacher turned in on Villeneuve, his front-right wheel making contact with Villeneuve’s left sidepod. The Ferrari spun into the gravel trap, ending Schumacher’s race. Villeneuve’s Williams sustained damage but remained drivable. He continued, eventually ceding the lead on the final lap to the McLarens of Mika Hakkinen (who secured his first GP win) and David Coulthard, finishing third to clinch the championship. The FIA subsequently judged Schumacher’s actions to be deliberate and excluded him from the entire 1997 World Championship standings, a severe and unprecedented penalty.
2. 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Hamilton vs Verstappen – The Race Control Fiasco
The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix delivered one of Formula 1’s most polarising finales, with the championship decided not by driver action alone, but by controversial decisions from race control. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton arrived at Yas Marina tied on points, with Verstappen holding the tie-break advantage due to more race wins. Hamilton, starting second, immediately overtook pole-sitter Verstappen and appeared to be cruising to a record eighth world title, holding a comfortable 12-second lead with six laps remaining. However, a late crash by Williams driver Nicholas Latifi brought out the safety car. Red Bull promptly pitted Verstappen for fresh soft tyres, while Mercedes opted to keep Hamilton out on old hard tyres, believing the race would either finish under safety car conditions or restart with lapped cars between them. In a highly contentious decision, race director Michael Masi initially stated that lapped cars would not be allowed to un-lap themselves. He then reversed this, permitting only the five cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to un-lap themselves, but crucially, not all lapped cars as per regulations. Furthermore, the safety car was brought in with just one lap remaining, setting up a direct, one-lap shootout between Hamilton on worn tyres and Verstappen on fresh softs. Verstappen easily passed Hamilton on the final lap to secure his maiden world championship. The aftermath was exceptionally bitter, with Mercedes protesting the result, although they ultimately withdrew their appeal. The incident led to a comprehensive review of race control procedures and Masi’s subsequent removal from his role, highlighting the profound impact of the race’s handling.
1. 1990 Japanese Grand Prix: Prost vs Senna – The Suzuka Collision Part II
The 1990 Japanese Grand Prix represents the apex of the Senna-Prost rivalry, culminating in a dramatic and definitive championship decider. This time, the roles were reversed from 1989; Senna, driving for McLaren, held the championship advantage, while Prost, now at Ferrari, needed a victory to keep his title hopes alive. Senna secured pole position, but controversially, the grid slot was on the dirtier, inside line. Senna’s request to move pole to the outside racing line was denied by FISA president Jean-Marie Balestre. At the start, Prost capitalised on the cleaner outside line, gaining an immediate advantage. As they approached the first corner, Senna made an aggressive lunge down the inside. His left-front wheel made contact with Prost’s right-rear, sending both cars careering off the track into the gravel trap and out of the race on the opening lap. The collision immediately sealed the championship for Senna. A year later, Senna admitted his intention was to beat Prost into the first turn, even if it meant a collision, stating, "It was not good for me and not good for Formula 1." The incident underscored the intense personal and professional animosity between the two legends, marking one of the most brutal and direct championship conclusions in F1 history.
Controversy Beyond Formula 1’s Pinnacle
The drama of championship deciders is not exclusive to Formula 1, with other motorsport categories witnessing their own share of contentious finales.
In the 1976 BP Formula 3 Championship, the final round at Thruxton saw Bruno Giacomelli needing a win to overtake Rupert Keegan for the title. Starting from pole, Giacomelli was involved in a first-corner collision with Keegan, who aggressively cut across the track. Both title contenders were eliminated, securing the championship for Keegan.
The 1982 RAC Formula Ford 1600 Championship concluded controversially at Snetterton. Julian Bailey, needing only a second-place finish, was punted off by his rival Mauricio Gugelmin, who then won the race and the title. Despite protests, insufficient evidence led to no action against Gugelmin, cementing his championship win.
The 1996 Formula 3000 showdown at Hockenheim saw Kenny Brack and Jörg Müller collide while battling for the lead. Müller was launched out of the race, while Brack continued despite black flags, only to be stripped of his victory. The championship was eventually awarded to Müller after race officials assessed the incident.
The 1992 British Touring Car Championship finale at Silverstone featured a fierce battle between Tim Harvey and John Cleland. Harvey’s teammate, Steve Soper, controversially aided Harvey by blocking Cleland. Soper then deliberately rammed Cleland off the track on the final lap, putting both out. Harvey, benefiting from the chaos, secured fourth place and the championship.
The 1999 German Super Touring series ended in infamy at the Nürburgring. On the final lap, Uwe Alzen’s Opel was damaged in a collision with a lapped car, while his teammate Roland Asch then intentionally rammed Christian Abt’s Audi, sending him off. Alzen initially crossed the line as champion, but Asch’s unsporting conduct led to the final lap being nullified, awarding the title to Abt.
In 1990 DTM at Hockenheim, a young Michael Schumacher, driving for Mercedes, controversially turned into Johnny Cecotto’s BMW on the opening lap, eliminating the leading title contender. This incident paved the way for Audi veteran Hans Stuck to claim the championship.
Even in electric motorsport, the 2016 Formula E London ePrix saw Sebastien Buemi and Lucas di Grassi, tied on points, collide on the opening lap. Both appeared out, but Buemi remarkably rejoined, set the fastest lap (earning crucial points), and clinched the title, despite the initial incident casting a shadow over the proceedings.
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Author Profile
- Jonas Leo is a passionate motorsport journalist and lifelong Formula 1 enthusiast. With a sharp eye for race strategy and driver performance, he brings readers closer to the world of Grand Prix racing through in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive paddock insights. Jonas has covered everything from preseason testing to dramatic title deciders, capturing the emotion and precision that define modern F1. When he’s not tracking lap times or pit stop tactics, he enjoys exploring classic racing archives and writing about the evolution of F1 technology.
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