As Mercedes team-mates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg prepare to do battle for the 2014 F1 drivers' championship in Abu Dhabi this weekend, we look at the greatest final race showdowns in the history of the sport.
From the very first Formula One season to the nail-bitting conclusion to 2010 at Yas Marina and through a series of controversies – mainly involving Michael Schumacher – the sport's showpiece event has thrown up some classics over the years.
ITALY, 1950
The very first Formula One world championship went right to the wire with a three-way battle for the drivers’ title between Alfa Romeo team-mates Farina, Fangio and Fagioli.
Fangio was just two points ahead of Fagiolo and four clear of Farina going into the final race but it was the latter who became the sport’s inaugural world champion after Fangio retired and Fagiolo could only manage to finish a distant third.
CHAMPION: Nino Farina
USA, 1959
COTNENDERS: Jack Brabham (Cooper Climax – 30.5pts), Stirling Moss (Cooper Climax – 25.5pts) and Tony Brooks (Ferrari – 23pts)
Once again, a triumvirate of drivers were in contention on the final weekend in 1959, with Australian Brabham 5.5 points ahead of Moss and Brooks more of an outside hopeful going into the championship’s climactic race.
Moss, who had won the previous two Grands Prix, took pole and an early lead but had to retire due to a mechanical failure with the title in his grasp. Brabham moved to the front of the pack but – in a finish akin to Cool Runnings – he was forced to push his Cooper T51 over the line in order to seal the title after running out of fuel on the final lap.
CHAMPION: Jack Brabham
MEXICO, 1964
CONTENDERS: Graham Hill (BRM – 39pts), John Surtees (Ferrari – 34pts) and Jim Clark (Lotus-Climax – 30pts)
Surtees made history as the first –and to date only – world champion on two and four wheels in one of the most dramatic F1 finales in history.
Hill topped the standings ahead of the race but, after crashing out on lap 31, it was the outsider Clark who was on course to win the title until an oil failure forced his retirement with seven laps remaining. Their failure meant that Surtees’ second-place finish saw him crowned champion.
CHAMPION: John Surtees
JAPAN, 1976
CONTENDERS: Niki Lauda (Ferrari – 68pts) and James Hunt (McLaren – 65pts)
Arguably the most fierce rivalry in the history of Formula One came to a head in Japan, providing a fitting finale to one of the sport’s most tempestuous and enthralling campaigns.
Just a month earlier, Lauda had recovered from a near fatal crash in Monza and was still on course for the title going into the final race. Amid treacherous conditions, however, the Austrian retired after one lap, leaving the championship in Hunt’s hands.
The Englishman led throughout but a late puncture saw him drop to fifth and behind Lauda in the rankings. However, Hunt was not finished and a late surge saw the Brit climb to third and win the title by a single point.
Long written in F1 folklore, the contest was immortalised on the silver screen in Ron Howard’s 2013 movie, Rush.
CHAMPION James Hunt
PORUGAL, 1984
CONTENDERS: Niki Lauda (McLaren -TAG – 66pts), Alain Prost (McLaren-TAG – 62.5pts)
McLaren team-mates Prost and Lauda were separated by just half a point at the end of the 1984 season – the half coming from the abandoned Monaco GP – with Lauda this time around coming out on top.
Prost was just three points behind heading to Portugal and did all he could to deny Lauda – snatching pole in qualifying and leading from the ninth lap to the chequered flag. Lauda, however, finished second to claim the honours ahead of his stable mate.
CHAMPION: Niki Lauda
AUSTRALIA 1986
CONTENDERS: Nigel Mansell (Williams – 70pts), Alain Prost (McLaren-TAG – 64pts) and Nelson Piquet (Williams – 63pts)
Two years later Prost was this time celebrating a victorious end to the season at the expense of Williams pair Mansell and Piquet.
Mansell, who was cruising towards the title until lap 63, saw his hopes literally blow up as his tyre exploded, the incident catapulting Piquet into the championship lead.
The Brazilian was hauled in by his team for a change of tyres as a result of Mansell’s accident and it ultimately cost their man the title as Prost moved into first place and held of Pique’s late challenge.
CHAMPION: Alain Prost
AUSTRALIA, 1994
CONTENDERS: Michael Schumacher (Benetton – 92pts), Damon Hill (Williams – 91pts)
Shrouded in controversy, 1994’s championship deciding race on the streets of Adelaide is still as contentious today as it was back then.
Schumacher veering off the track gave Hill hope of claiming glory but as he approached the site of the crash, the German moved out into the field and collided with the Brit. The race was over for Schumacher and, having pitted, Hill couldn’t get back out and had to concede the title to the Benetton driver.
CHAMPION: Michael Schumacher
EUROPEAN GP, 1997
CONTENDERS: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari – 78pts) and Jacques Villeneuve (Williams – 77pts)
Three years on and Schumacher was once again at the heart of a controversial showdown which, ultimately, saw the German disqualified from the race.
Schumacher, now with Ferrari, was a point ahead of Villeneuve before the decider in Jerez and the former was at the front of the grid, fending off the Canadian’s charges, when he turned into his challenger as he made a move on the German.
Villeneuve went on to finish third and clinch the title, while Schumacher retired and ended his season in disgrace.
CHAMPION: Jacques Villeneuve
BRAZILIAN GP, 2008
CONTENDERS: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren – 94pts) and Felipe Massa (Ferrari – 87pts)
As far as spoil sports go Hamilton’s last-gasp effort in Brazil is right up there.
On home soil, Massa needed at least a first or second place finish to secure the constructors’ trophy and a superb pole was followed by an even more impressive win in front of delirious Brazilians in the crowd.
Hamilton needed to finish fifth and was a place adrift until, just a few hundred metres from the line, he passed Timo Glock to win his first championship in just his second season and put an end to Massa, Brazilian and Ferrari celebrations.
CHAMPION: Lewis Hamilton
ABU DHABI, 2010
CONTENDERS: Fernando Alonso (Ferrari – 246pts), Mark Webber (Red Bull – 238pts), Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull – 231pts), and Lewis Hamilton (McLaren – 222pts)
Formula One’s first four-way finale came in the UAE four years ago, with Red Bull pair Vettel and Webber challenging leader Alonso and Hamilton, the latter who had only an outside chance of claiming his second title.
Vettel secured pole and led the race for all but 15 laps en route to victory at Yas Marina to end challenges from Webber and Hamilton, though Alonso could have still secured glory with a fourth placed finish.
The Spaniard endured a frustrating spell behind Vitaly Petrov after pitting, however, and could only finish in seventh to hand Vettel his first F1 championship.
CHAMPION: Sebastian Vettel
