The greatest F1 World Championship deciders of all time

• Lewis Hamilton fights for the title in back-to-back Brazilian Grands Prix

• Safety car drama in 2012 and 2021 helps shape the World Championship race

• Will 2025's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix add itself to the history books?

Everybody loves a dramatic end to the Formula One season, so join us for our look at the greatest F1 World Championship deciders of all time.

From a maiden Drivers' Championship victory for Lewis Hamilton to the famous weekend that saw the seven-time winner controversially ousted from top spot by Max Verstappen, World Championship-deciding races never come without their fair share of drama - so read on for our look at the very best of them.

Rookie McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton led the Formula One World Championship standings by four points heading into the final race of the 2007 F1 season in Brazil, with his teammate Fernando Alonso and Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen breathing down his neck.

Qualifying in pole put Hamilton firmly in the driving seat to go on and win the title, but a disastrous start saw the young Brit fall to fourth inside the first few corners, with both of his closest competitors overtaking him. Another lock up then saw Hamilton drop to eighth, before a gearbox failure subsequently saw him fall out of World Championship contention completely. He fought back to finish seventh in the end, but with Kimi Raikkonen taking the chequered flag ahead of Felipe Massa in second and Alonso in third, the Finnish Ferrari driver clinched the title by a single point.

Incredibly, both Hamilton and Alonso finished on 109 points, but following that crucial win in Brazil, Raikkonen amassed 110 points and won his only ever world title - largely thanks to his teammate Felipe Massa.

Just one year later, at the same circuit in Sao Paulo, Lewis Hamilton once again found himself in the fight for a maiden World Championship victory, this time looking to fend off Ferrari's Felipe Massa in his home race - with Massa looking to become the first Brazilian world champion since 1991.

A seven-point lead at the start of the weekend meant Hamilton had the advantage heading into the Brazilian Grand Prix, but while Massa fought through to qualify in pole, the Brit could only muster up P4. A top-five finish would be enough for Hamilton to snatch the title, but Massa just would not relinquish his lead, with the Brazilian sitting comfortably at the front after pitting for dry tyres. The rain then returned, and both drivers switched to wets - which caused Hamilton some problems. With the rain not coming down as severely as McLaren might've expected, the Brit was caught by Timo Glock and Sebastian Vettel behind him, sending him to sixth as the final lap came around.

Massa crossed the line in first, and the celebrations began in Ferrari's garage, believing their driver had won his first-ever title - but Hamilton had other ideas. With the rain picking up, his wet tyres gave him the speed to overtake Timo Glock on the penultimate corner of the final lap, with Hamilton ultimately finishing in fifth, snatching his first of seven World Championships by a single point in the most dramatic fashion - becoming the youngest ever F1 champion at the time.

Staying in Interlagos, and we're switching our attention to what is widely considered one of the greatest Formula One seasons in history, with six world champions on the grid at the same time - more than any other season.

The 2012 campaign also had the fierce World Championship battle between Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, which came down to the very last race of the F1 calendar - which Vettel entered 13 points ahead of his rival. A poor showing in qualifying saw Alonso start from P7, with Vettel in fourth, but contact between Vettel and Williams' Bruno Senna saw the reigning world champion drop to the back of the pack - with Alonso quickly showing his skills to climb up to third. As the race progressed, the rain started coming down, and Alonso skidded off the track to surrender third place, while Vettel had fought back to rise to eighth.

Contact between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Hulkenberg at the front allowed Alonso back up into third, which quickly became second, and suddenly the Spaniard was just one place away from the Championship lead. But then the safety car appeared, with Paul di Resta crashing, and the race finished behind it. Alonso finished second, and Vettel crossed the line in sixth - which won him a third consecutive World Championship by just three points.

Heading over to Abu Dhabi now, and we have arguably the most controversial finish to a Formula One season, with Lewis Hamilton - looking for a record-breaking eighth world title - fighting Max Verstappen for top spot in the final race of the 2021 season.

The pair came into the Grand Prix level on points, and when Verstappen qualified in pole, the Dutchman stole the advantage in his fight for a first-ever world title - but it didn't last too long. Hamilton had snatched the lead by Turn 1, but Verstappen reacted in Turn 6 by diving into the chicane, forcing the Mercedes veteran off the track. Following pit stops, the lead was given to Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, who put in an incredible defensive display to help his colleague catch up. Hamilton opened up the gap again slightly, but in Lap 53, Williams' Nicholas Latifi crashed while fighting with Mick Schumacher in the middle of the pack, triggering the safety car.

Verstappen pitted for soft tyres, while Hamilton stayed out, and the two were separated by five lapped cars - who were initially told they would not be able to unlap themselves. On Lap 57, that order was changed, and the lapped cars between race leader Hamilton and Championship hopeful Verstappen were told to overtake and unlap themselves, putting Verstappen back on Hamilton's tail. The safety car was then brought in to allow one final lap of racing, where the winner would take all.

Max Verstappen, on his fresh tyres, passed Hamilton in Turn 5 to take the lead, and after fending off the Brit at Turn 6 and Turn 9, the youngster held on to claim his first World Championship title - much to the bewilderment of Hamilton and Mercedes.

Will this year's final F1 race of the season take its rightful place among these incredible F1 World Championship deciders?

It's all to play for as the final race comes around, with Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Oscar Piastri all still in with a chance of glory. Norris has the advantage, with a 12-point lead over second-place Verstappen, but if history has taught us anything, it's that nothing is ever over until it's over.

That wraps up our look at the greatest F1 World Championship deciders of all time. For more Formula One content, check out our dedicated page. You'll find expert-led pieces on memorable F1 moments, 2025 F1 predictions, Drivers' Championship winners lists, and more!

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