Towards the end of the season, the F1 drivers’ title battle is decided. The driver who wins the championship has often won the season-long battle. But, there have been occasions in the sport’s 75-year history where the title has come down to the wire and the final race has decided who walks home with the honor of being a driver’s champion. Among the few drivers to find themselves at the center of controversy in their effort to win the championship in these final races are as following:
5. Alain Prost vs. Ayrton Senna – 1989 Japanese F1 Grand Prix
The 1989 Japanese Grand Prix was the second-to-last race of the season. Heading into the weekend, Ayrton Senna had to defeat his McLaren Honda teammate, Alain Prost, to make sure he had a chance for the title at the final race in Australia. Senna qualified for pole, with Prost in second, but the order switched quickly in the race.
Throughout the race, the two had a small gap, but in lap 47, the Brazilian driver made his move. Senna tried to overtake into the chicane by going late on his brakes, but his French teammate defended. The only issue was that he defended too late, causing both cars to tangle with each other.
They both made it onto the escape road, where Prost’s car stalled, bringing about his retirement from the race. While Senna was able to continue, a pit stop to replace his damaged wing made him lose the lead. He was able to regain it and score the victory.
The stewards later determined that he had broken the rules by missing the chicane when he re-joined the track after a battle with his teammate. This caused his disqualification, and Alain Prost was named champion of the 1989 F1 season.
4. Ayrton Senna vs. Alain Prost – 1990 Japanese Grand Prix
A year after their first tangle, at the same location, it was Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost once again battling it out for the Drivers’ Championship. However, there were two differences: Prost now raced for Ferrari, and he was the one who needed to defeat Senna to make sure he had a chance at the championship. Once again, Senna started P1, with the Frenchman in second.
Prost had a better start off the line, and the McLaren driver attempted to overtake him from the inside of Turn 1. Senna’s left front tire made contact with Prost’s right rear, and given the speed they were both going, they spun off into the gravel. This ended both their races.
Even though Prost made it to P3 in the final race in Australia, and Senna DNF’d, the former was still seven points short of the Brazilian driver. Ayrton Senna secured his second championship title that year.
3. Michael Schumacher vs. Damon Hill – 1994 Australian F1 Grand Prix
Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher entered the Australian Grand Prix in 1994 with one point separating them. The honor of pole position went to Hill’s teammate at Williams, 1992 F1 title winner Nigel Mansell. Schumacher started in second, and his rival started in P3. In the opening lap, an error by Mansell had the German driver and the other Williams ahead of him.
On lap 36, Hill was attempting to catch up with Schumacher when the latter driver hit the wall at the East Terrace turn. During the contact, Hill attempted to overtake the Benetton driver. But, Schumacher’s re-entry onto the track had him turning into the Williams car and causing a collision that ended both their races.
While Nigel Mansell went on to win the race, Michael Schumacher was crowned the 1994 champion by one point.
2. Michael Schumacher vs. Jacques Villeneuve – 1997 European Grand Prix
Another tense title battle involved Michael Schumacher, but this time it was Jacques Villeneuve and the stage was the European Grand Prix in 1997. Schumacher drove for Ferrari, and his rival was once again driving a Williams. Coincidently, a single point stood between the two again, in favor of the German. At the race, the Canadian driver scored the pole, with Schumacher behind him. However, they switched places soon, with the latter making a better start off the line. On lap 48, Villeneuve made his move. As he attempted to overtake from the inside, the Ferrari driver turned into him to protect his championship win.
However, by turning into the Williams, Schumacher’s right wheel took damage, and he spun into a gravel trap. This ended his race, with Villeneuve finishing third and scoring the F1 title for the 1997 season. Meanwhile, the German was subject to an FIA disciplinary hearing that ended with his disqualification from the championship.
1. Lewis Hamilton vs. Max Verstappen – 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
One of the most controversial title battles in recent F1 history happened between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Going into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend in 2021, the two drivers had equal points, 369.5. Verstappen started on pole for the event, and the Mercedes driver was behind him.
After the lights went out, Hamilton managed to steal the lead and hold on to it for the majority of the race. By lap 53, the Briton had 13 seconds over his championship rival. But Nicholas Latifi crashed on turn 14, bringing out the safety car and closing the gap between the two. Verstappen pitted for new tires, and the number of lapped cars between him and the British driver was now five, enough to keep Hamilton safe.
However, on lap 57, the five lapped cars were allowed to overtake, and the buffer between the two rivals was gone. With one lap remaining, Verstappen had fresher tires, allowing him to overtake the seven-time world champion and score his first-ever title win.
