The 2025 Formula One season reaches its thrilling conclusion this Sunday at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. In a fitting end to the sport's 75th anniversary season, three drivers—Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Oscar Piastri—will battle for the World Drivers' Championship crown. This epic three-way scrap promises to add another unforgettable chapter to F1's rich history of final-race deciders.
Before the lights go out, let's take a high-speed journey back in time. AFP Sport, through a Nigerian lens, revisits five of the most memorable, nerve-shredding last-race title fights that have defined the sport's dramatic legacy.
The Modern Era Controversies
The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix remains perhaps the most controversial finale in recent memory. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton arrived at the season's end locked in an incredible points tie. Hamilton seemed to have the race and a record eighth title in hand until a late safety car, triggered by Nicholas Latifi's crash, changed everything. Verstappen pitted for fresh soft tyres, setting up a final-lap shootout where he passed Hamilton to claim his first championship. Mercedes' furious appeals were rejected, and Hamilton's protest extended to a boycott of the FIA prize-giving gala.
Rewind to 2010, also in Abu Dhabi, and a historic four-driver showdown unfolded. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso led the standings, but Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel started from pole. In a stunning turn, a strategic misstep by Ferrari left Alonso stuck in seventh place behind Vitaly Petrov's Renault. Vettel won the race and, against the odds, snatched the title to become the third driver ever to lead the championship only after the final race.
Heartbreak, Revenge, and a Professional Foul
The 2007 season finale in Brazil delivered rookie Lewis Hamilton a brutal lesson. Leading the standings into the race, a gearbox issue at the start dropped him to the back. He fought to seventh, but fifth was needed to win the title, which was stolen by Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen by a single point. One year later, in 2008, Hamilton exacted sweet revenge on the same Interlagos track. In torrential rain on the final corner, he passed Timo Glock's Toyota to grab fifth place, snatching the championship from local hero Felipe Massa by a single point in one of the sport's most dramatic moments.
The 1994 season in Adelaide was marred by the tragic deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger. The title fight between Michael Schumacher (Benetton) and Damon Hill (Williams) was settled under a cloud. With Schumacher leading by a point, he hit a wall on lap 36. Seeing Hill approach to overtake, Schumacher swerved back onto the track, colliding with Hill and taking both cars out. The 'professional foul' secured Schumacher his first title. Hill later reflected that the weary paddock, after such a traumatic year, had no appetite for further appeals.
The Original Epic: Rush to Glory
The 1976 duel between Niki Lauda and James Hunt, immortalised in the film 'Rush', climaxed in Japan's treacherous wet conditions. Lauda, who had miraculously returned from near-fatal burns, led Hunt by three points. Deeming the conditions too dangerous, Lauda famously retired after just two laps. Hunt drove heroically to secure third place, enough to win the championship by a single point. The gracious Hunt later told media he felt both he and Lauda deserved to share the title.
As the 2025 grid lines up, history reminds us that in Formula One, the final race is where legends are made, hearts are broken, and stories for the ages are written. The stage in Abu Dhabi is set for another iconic moment.
