The closest F1 title battles that ended in heartbreak

Putting everything on the line

Putting everything on the line, Kimi Raikkonen, A close finish, Very close in 2005, Last Ferrari contructor's championship, Four point difference, Vettel rivalry, Michael Schumacher, Young Fernando Alonso took it home, Alain Prost, Lewis Hamilton, High stakes, The first of many

An F1 driver’s ultimate mission is to rack up as many points as possible and secure the world championship by season’s end. Easier said than done, as the calendar is long, the battles are relentless, and fatigue can set in fast. That’s why consistency is everything. One small mistake, a brief lapse in focus, and an entire season’s hopes can vanish in an instant.

Kimi Raikkonen

Putting everything on the line, Kimi Raikkonen, A close finish, Very close in 2005, Last Ferrari contructor's championship, Four point difference, Vettel rivalry, Michael Schumacher, Young Fernando Alonso took it home, Alain Prost, Lewis Hamilton, High stakes, The first of many

Kimi Raikkonen was arguably one of the most competitive drivers on the grid during the early 2000s. During his second season with McLaren, the Finish driver displayed early signs of top-class driving, however, he only managed to secure one world title (2007).

A close finish

Putting everything on the line, Kimi Raikkonen, A close finish, Very close in 2005, Last Ferrari contructor's championship, Four point difference, Vettel rivalry, Michael Schumacher, Young Fernando Alonso took it home, Alain Prost, Lewis Hamilton, High stakes, The first of many

Raikkonen finished the season with 91 points (10 podiums) compared to the 93 points that gave Schumacher the world title.

Very close in 2005

Putting everything on the line, Kimi Raikkonen, A close finish, Very close in 2005, Last Ferrari contructor's championship, Four point difference, Vettel rivalry, Michael Schumacher, Young Fernando Alonso took it home, Alain Prost, Lewis Hamilton, High stakes, The first of many

The Finish driver experienced a similar situation while in McLaren in 2005 when Fernando Alonso snatched the championship in the Renault — pulling away with 21 points.

Last Ferrari contructor's championship

Putting everything on the line, Kimi Raikkonen, A close finish, Very close in 2005, Last Ferrari contructor's championship, Four point difference, Vettel rivalry, Michael Schumacher, Young Fernando Alonso took it home, Alain Prost, Lewis Hamilton, High stakes, The first of many

After winning his 2007 title, Raikkonen finished in the top five at the end of the season, with only 23 points separating him from Lewis Hamilton. It was the last time Ferrari took the Constructor's championship home.

Four point difference

Putting everything on the line, Kimi Raikkonen, A close finish, Very close in 2005, Last Ferrari contructor's championship, Four point difference, Vettel rivalry, Michael Schumacher, Young Fernando Alonso took it home, Alain Prost, Lewis Hamilton, High stakes, The first of many

In 2010, the Spaniard was close to securing another world championship title, but was cut short in his points race against Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton. He lost the championship at the final race in Abu Dhabi by just four points.

Vettel rivalry

Putting everything on the line, Kimi Raikkonen, A close finish, Very close in 2005, Last Ferrari contructor's championship, Four point difference, Vettel rivalry, Michael Schumacher, Young Fernando Alonso took it home, Alain Prost, Lewis Hamilton, High stakes, The first of many

A similar situation happened in 2012, when Alonso lost the points race to Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) by just three points.

Michael Schumacher

Putting everything on the line, Kimi Raikkonen, A close finish, Very close in 2005, Last Ferrari contructor's championship, Four point difference, Vettel rivalry, Michael Schumacher, Young Fernando Alonso took it home, Alain Prost, Lewis Hamilton, High stakes, The first of many

In 1997, the German pilot was on the verge of claiming the championship battle but was disqualified from the race due to an accident with Jacques Villeneuve. Despite his pole finish, he was stripped away from his position.

Young Fernando Alonso took it home

Putting everything on the line, Kimi Raikkonen, A close finish, Very close in 2005, Last Ferrari contructor's championship, Four point difference, Vettel rivalry, Michael Schumacher, Young Fernando Alonso took it home, Alain Prost, Lewis Hamilton, High stakes, The first of many

Another close call was during the 2006 race season, when Schumacher and young Alonso forged their rivalry for the years to come. Ferrari no longer dominated the grid and struggled to catch up to Alonso's Renault. Schumacher finished 13 points behind Alonso that season.

Alain Prost

Putting everything on the line, Kimi Raikkonen, A close finish, Very close in 2005, Last Ferrari contructor's championship, Four point difference, Vettel rivalry, Michael Schumacher, Young Fernando Alonso took it home, Alain Prost, Lewis Hamilton, High stakes, The first of many

In 1983, Alain Prost emerged as a serious championship contender for Renault. His rival, Nelson Piquet, claimed the F1 world title with 59 points, while Prost narrowly missed out with 57. A close race!

Lewis Hamilton

Putting everything on the line, Kimi Raikkonen, A close finish, Very close in 2005, Last Ferrari contructor's championship, Four point difference, Vettel rivalry, Michael Schumacher, Young Fernando Alonso took it home, Alain Prost, Lewis Hamilton, High stakes, The first of many

One of the most recent championship battles that kept fans on the edge of their seats was that of Verstappen and Hamilton. Both drivers were going head-on during the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, a dramatic season finish that saw Max Verstappen narrowly beat Hamilton during the last lap.

High stakes

Putting everything on the line, Kimi Raikkonen, A close finish, Very close in 2005, Last Ferrari contructor's championship, Four point difference, Vettel rivalry, Michael Schumacher, Young Fernando Alonso took it home, Alain Prost, Lewis Hamilton, High stakes, The first of many

There was less than a ten-point difference between the two, so it all boiled down to the final race. As tensions grew and safety cars interrupted the race flow, it all came down to the last lap.

The first of many

Putting everything on the line, Kimi Raikkonen, A close finish, Very close in 2005, Last Ferrari contructor's championship, Four point difference, Vettel rivalry, Michael Schumacher, Young Fernando Alonso took it home, Alain Prost, Lewis Hamilton, High stakes, The first of many

The young Dutch driver crossed the finish line first, ending his season 8 points ahead. Verstappen became the first Dutchman to claim a world championship title.

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