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As Formula 1 celebrates its 75th anniversary, we dive into the best F1 races that have defined the sport and thrilled fans worldwide.
We have picked out some of the most iconic races in F1 history. Within these, champions have been forged, underdogs have triumphed and rivalries have boiled over.
Whether you’re a lifelong follower or a newcomer to the sport, these legendary battles showcase the raw emotion and intensity that make F1 truly special.
10. 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix
Date: 6 August 2006
Circuit: Hungaroring, Hungary
Laps: 58
Winner: Jenson Button (Honda)
The 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix had everything. Wet weather, retirements and a maiden win that showcased how unpredictable top-tier open-wheeled racing can be.
It was McLaren’s Kimi Räikkönen who took pole position in Saturday’s Qualifying, while championship leader Fernando Alonso – then driving for Renault – found himself down in 15th after a time penalty. Despite qualifying in P4, Jenson Button would drop to P14 for the starting grid, after receiving a ten-place penalty because of engine changes.
Rainfall prior to the start of the race made this the first ever wet Hungarian Grand Prix. All drivers began on intermediates apart from Renault’s Rubens Barrichello, who was on wets. Michael Schumacher suffered the same time penalty fate as Alonso in Qualifying, but it did not take him long to make his way through the field as he jumped from 11th to 6th on the first corner.
Alonso had a spectacular opening few laps, climbing from 15th and eventually passing Schumacher on the outside of Turn 5 to take him up to 3rd place. The Spaniard then took the lead after the McLaren’s of Räikkönen and Pedro de la Rosa pitted. Räikkönen, however, struggled on his second set of tyres and eventually crashed into the back of Toro Rosso’s Vitantonio Liuzzi which brought out the Safety Car.
Button decided not to pit during the Safety Car and elevated himself to second place. He began to challenge Alonso but eventually had to pit for fuel. Alonso led for a while longer, but started to struggle. After his pit stop for dry tyres, his right-rear wheel nut detached, causing him to lose control and crash, handing the lead to Button in the process.
Title-challenger Schumacher managed to make his way up to 2nd after staying on intermediates while others pitted for slick tyres. As the track dried out in the latter laps, he was eventually caught up and attempted to defend his position, controversially cutting cutting a chicane on consecutive laps without penalty. He was eventually passed by De La Rosa and Nick Heidfeld, banging wheels with Heidfeld in the process, forcing the German to retire with just three laps to spare.
Button eventually won the race with his relentless driving, securing his first F1 victory in 115 attempts and Honda’s first win as a constructor since 1967. It was also the first time a British driver had won a race since David Coulthard won in Australia three years earlier. In second place, de la Rosa secured what would be the only podium finish of his career.
9. 2019 German Grand Prix
Date: 28 July 2019
Circuit: Hockenheimring, Germany
Laps: 64 (out of scheduled 67, due to time limit)
Winner: Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Chaos, crashes, and comeback were three words to describe this F1 classic in Germany. The race saw six Safety Cars, countless pit stops and ever-changing weather, leading to the most retirements in a Formula 1 race for over three years.
Rainfall began prior to the start of the race, forcing all drivers onto either wet or intermediate tyres for the commencement. By the time for lights out there was standing water on the track, leaving race organisers with no choice but to start the action behind a Safety Car. Once the green flag was waved, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas led the field for Mercedes in their home race as Max Verstappen got away poorly. Racing Point’s Sergio Perez spun out early on, bringing a Safety Car and the first of many disruptions.
Perez would not be the last to lose control, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc sliding off at the slippery drag strip section of the track on Lap 29. Hamilton did the same just a lap later, damaging his wing and receiving a 5-second penalty for entering the pit lane incorrectly. This led to Mercedes making a rare strategy error, fumbling Hamilton’s pit stop and giving him slick tyres in worsening weather conditions. The ‘drag strip’ run-off area at the final corner of the track became a trap for the drivers, taking out several over the course of the race. This included Nico Hülkenberg who slid off and crashed while running in 4th place and eyeing his first ever F1 podium.
As the track began to dry out, Verstappen took the lead after some strategic pit stops and clean driving. Elsewhere, it was still chaos as Bottas crashed out while chasing a podium and Hamilton dropped to the back following multiple errors and penalties. Daniil Kvyat soon surged into the top three and Lance Stroll briefly led the race after a perfectly timed pit stop.
The story of the day, however, was Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel competing in his home race. The German started from the back before quietly and consistently climbing through the field, overtaking top runners like Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll on the way to a 2nd place finish.
The podium was made up of Verstappen in P1, Vettel in P2 and Kvyat in P3 who secured Toro Rosso’s first podium since 2008. Vettel’s comeback was one of the greatest in modern F1 and he looked visibly moved and relieved on the podium. This result reminded fans worldwide of his talent, racecraft, and resilience, especially during a season that had seen mounting pressure and criticism.
8. 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix
Date: 2 November 2008
Circuit: Interlagos (Autódromo José Carlos Pace), São Paulo, Brazil
Laps: 71
Winner: Felipe Massa (Ferrari)
The 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix was all set for drama, and Ferrari fans filled the stands hoping for a Brazilian hero moment.
Going into the final round, McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton led the championship with 94 points, needing at least 5th place to secure his first world title. Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, driving on home soil, was on 87 points and needed a win – and for Hamilton to finish 6th or lower – to be crowned champion. The tension was sky-high.
A rain shower just before the start forced teams to switch to intermediate tyres, delaying the race by 10 minutes. Pole-sitter Massa got away well and led the early laps, while Hamilton dropped a position from his starting 4th but remained well-placed to seal the championship.
By Lap 10, the track was dry and the drivers began to switch to slicks. Massa continued to lead comfortably, followed by Fernando Alonso and Kimi Räikkönen. Hamilton was still hovering around 4th and 5th, doing exactly what he needed to secure the title. This resulted in an uneventful 40 laps until the skies darkened once again.
It was Lap 63 when the rain returned and chaos ensued. The race leaders headed straight for the pits and intermediates, but Toyota’s Timo Glock stayed out on dry tyres and jumped up to 5th as a result of the pit stops. Hamilton emerged in 5th but Toro Rosso’s Sebastian Vettel was hot on his tail.
On Lap 69, Vettel overtook Hamilton for 5th place in wet conditions, putting the championship in the hands of Massa. The crowd erupted – Massa was world champion if things stayed as they were, but all was not over. On the final lap, Massa crossed the finish line to win the race, sparking wild scenes of jubilation amongst his team and family who believed he was the championship winner. Just seconds later in the final corners, Glock – still on dry tyres – struggled for grip, allowing Hamilton to close in. The Brit overtook Glock in the last sector to reclaim 5th place, clinching him the title by just one point.
Hamilton became the youngest World Champion at the time at 23-years-old. This race was the perfect demonstration of how a championship can turn on a single moment and the image of Hamilton passing Glock and Massa’s family reacting in the Ferrari garage remains ingrained in F1 history.
7. 1993 European Grand Prix
Date: 11 April 1993
Circuit: Donington Park, England
Laps: 76
Winner: Ayrton Senna (McLaren)
As Formula One headed to Donington Park for the 1993 European Grand Prix, Alain Prost boasted two wins from two at the beginning of that season, but this day was to be all about the underdog – Ayrton Senna.
The race took place under cold, rainy conditions. Some would say perfect for a Senna masterclass. The Brazilian started 4th on the grid behind Prost (Williams), Damon Hill (Williams) and Michael Schumacher (Benetton). What would follow was arguably the greatest opening lap in F1 history.
At the start of the race, Senna was briefly passed by Sauber’s Karl Wendlinger but fought back with a series of brilliant overtakes. He passed Wendlinger before Turn 1, before overtaking Schumacher at Craner Curves and diving past Hill at the Old Hairpin. Towards the end of the lap, Senna passed Prost at Coppice to take the lead. He had gone from 5th to 1st in under a minute while driving in grip-changing conditions.
The race soon became a complete tyre gamble nightmare, with unpredictable stop-start rain causing the drivers to repeatedly pit to change between wet and slick tyres. Prost stopped seven times, while Senna had four perfectly timed stops.
On Lap 57, Senna extraordinarily entered the Pit Lane by mistake, but instead of stopping he continued through without servicing the car – something that was deemed legal at the time. Senna’s performance was outstanding in difficult conditions, he finished in P1 some 83 seconds ahead of Prost and lapping the rest of the field. Only six cars managed to complete the race after a number of crashes and mechanical issues.
This race is cited as Senna’s best ever drive. He showed sheer driving genius in the wet, without the technical aids used by Williams and managed to outclass his rivals using inferior machinery.
6. 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Date: 12 December 2021
Circuit: Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi
Laps: 58
Winner: Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Perhaps a controversial inclusion on this list, the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is without doubt one of the most memorable races of all time.
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were tied on 369.5 points after 21 rounds of the 2021 season. This was the first time in decades two drivers were on equal points going into the final race. Whoever finished ahead would become the 2021 World Champion.
Verstappen started on pole with Hamilton in P2, but it was the seven-time world champion who took the lead going into Turn 1 after a better launch off the line. However, it did not take long for the Dutchman to fight back. Verstappen dived down the inside at Turn 6 forcing Hamilton wide, who cut the corner and rejoined still in the lead, sparking some early controversy. Despite claims from Red Bull that he should give the place back, race control let Hamilton keep the position.
The race settled and Mercedes began to dominate. Hamilton pulled away and showed strong pace on the hard tyre after an early stop. Verstappen and Red Bull struggled to match the Mercedes and pitted for fresher tyres, but the gap remained.
Following a Virtual Safety Car caused by Antonio Giovinazzi’s retirement, Red Bull again pitted Verstappen, giving him fresher tyres, but Hamilton stayed out to maintain track position and look set to secure a record-breaking 8th world title.
The real drama began on Lap 53 when Williams’ Nicholas Latifi crashed at Turn 14, bringing out the Safety Car. Red Bull pitted Verstappen again for soft tyres, while Hamilton stayed out on old hards to keep track position.
During several laps of the Safety Car, race director Michael Masi initially said that lapped cars would not un-lap themselves, as per standard procedure if the race couldn’t be resumed in time. In unprecedented scenes, Masi then reversed his decision but only allowed the five lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to un-lap themselves. The Safety Car came in one lap earlier than expected on Lap 57, setting up a one-lap shootout between the two championship rivals.
Come Lap 58, racing resumed and Verstappen, with both fresh tyres and a fresh track ahead, attacked Hamilton immediately. He passed the Brit going into Turn 5 and Hamilton, on old hards, had no grip to fight back. Verstappen crossed the line to win the race and the World Championship.
After the race, Mercedes launched two official protests, but the FIA dismissed both that same night. The Silver Arrows considered an appeal but withdrew any complaints just a few days later.
This title was Verstappen’s first world title and Red Bull’s first since 2013. This final day fight went down as one of the most contentious in F1 history.
5. 1989 Japanese Grand Prix
Date: 22 October 1989
Circuit: Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Japan
Laps: 58
Winner: Alessandro Nannini (Benetton)
The first of three Japanese Grand Prix appearances in this list and another Ayrton Senna – Alain Prost battle.
Going into the 15th and penultimate round of the season, the two McLaren team mates both had one dream: to become the 1989 Formula One World Champion. The drama that unfolded during the race at Suzuka has led many to consider it one of the most controversial races of all time.
Prost headed up the standings, 17 points clear of Senna, meaning Senna had to win both the Japanese and Australian Grand Prix in order to become the champion. Both drivers openly admitted prior to the race weekend that they would show no mercy towards each other.
Unknowingly to Senna, Prost had his Gurney flap removed before the race to improve his straight line speed. This helped give the Frenchman an early advantage, as he got away quickly off the line and instantly wiped out the Brazilian’s pole position. Senna was also nearly caught by Ferrari’s Gerhard Berger from third place, but he had the inside line going into Turn 1 which enabled him to maintain his position.
Prost’s superior race setup enabled him to build up a steady six second lead over his title rival during the first half of the race. Senna then made a slow pit stop, allowing the leader to extend the gap to eight seconds. However, with a fresh set of tyres, the balance began to shift and Senna began to catch up with Prost.
It was Lap 40 where Senna eventually caught his McLaren team mate and the drivers remained within one second of each other for the next five laps. Prost had the advantage on the straights, but Senna’s high downforce settings gave him the advantage through the straights.
The real drama unfolded on Lap 47 at the chicane, the second-slowest corner on the circuit. Prost began to break for the corner, while Senna daringly dived inside but didn’t manage to get alongside Prost at any point. Both cars’ wheels locked and engines stalled, forcing them to a halt at the mouth of the partially blocked chicane escape road. The marshalls hurried to clear the vehicles given their dangerous position. Prost unbuckled his belt with his car in neutral, ready to be removed, but Senna gestured to be pushed down the escape road. While being pushed forward, he used the forward motion to start his engine and immediately accelerated down the escape road.
While Prost made his way back to the pit lane, Senna continued. His car had suffered front wing damage, forcing him to complete nearly an entire lap of the circuit before pitting for a repair. Despite all of the hold ups, including time spent stationary and in the pit lane, Senna was only five seconds behind new race leader Alessandro Nannini when he rejoined.
Senna overtook Nannini within two laps of rejoining and ultimately took the chequered flag, but it would not end there. Senna was disqualified by race stewards immediately after the race for missing the chicane following his collision with Prost, thus handing the championship to Prost.
This race would ultimately be the culmination of the pair’s two-year rivalry as team mates. Senna claimed two more titles to Prost’s one as the two F1 greats continued their battle before Prost’s retirement in 1993 and Senna’s tragic death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
4. 2011 Canadian Grand Prix
Date: 12 June 2011
Circuit: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada
Laps: 70
Winner: Jenson Button (McLaren)
Following rain showers all day ahead of the race, the circuit was incredibly wet. Strong downpour was also expected an hour into the action, with the standing water on track causing heavy spray and impaired visibility. Race Stewards decided that the race would start behind the Safety Car, with all cars using full wets.
Despite beginning behind the Safety Car and operating at slow speeds, the drivers struggled for grip on the wet surface. Race control waited five laps before sending the Safety Car back into the pits and allowing the field to race. Pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel held off early attempts to overtake from second-placed Fernando Alonso, but Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber collided at the first corner, dropping from 4th and 5th to 7th and 14th respectively.
Vettel extended his lead on Lap 6 while the rest of the field battled behind. Hamilton fell behind both Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button, and attempted an overtake on his McLaren team mate on the pit straight. The pair collided, forcing Hamilton to hit the pit wall and retiring him from the race. The Safety Car was deployed once again at the end of Lap 8.
After another five laps of Safety Car, the race resumed, but Button was given a drive-through penalty for speeding behind the Safety Car and emerged in 15th. Vettel was still out in front and managed to extend his lead over Alonso and Felipe Massa in 2nd and 3rd. Elsewhere, many drivers began to pit for intermediates, but their plans would be scuppered when a rain storm hit the circuit on Lap 19. This forced those who had pitted once to pit again for wet tyres. Alonso and Button fell from 5th and 8th to 9th and 11th.
The intensity of the rain forced the Safety Car to return for its third stint on Lap 20 and those who had not pitted for fresh wets headed straight for the pit lane. Following six laps in worsening conditions, race stewards made the decision to suspend the on track action. The poor weather prevented the race from restarting for over two hours.
Upon the eventual restart, the Safety Car stayed out for seven laps, during which the track dried out enough for intermediate tyres. Vettel resumed racing in 1st, followed by Kamui Kobayashi, Massa, Nick Heidfeld, Vitaly Petrov and Paul di Resta. After Button pitted for intermediates on Lap 37 he came across Alonso when exiting the pit lane. As he tried to pass the Spaniard at Turn 3 the two cars touched, causing Alonso’s car to spin and giving Button a puncture, demoting him to 21st and last place.
Following three more Safety Car laps, racing resumed once more with Vettel, Kobayashi and Massa making up the top three. Button, on fresh tyres, began to make up ground and made his way through the field to 14th.
Race control enabled DRS on Lap 46, and the drivers began pitting for slick tyres. Button rose from 9th to 4th and was hot on the tails of new leading trio Vettel, Schumacher and Webber. Quite astonishingly, race officials deployed the sixth Safety Car period of the race by lap 56. Heidfeld, battling with Kobayashi for 5th place, collided with the back of the Sauber.
Button made huge ground on Vettel after the next green flag and was in P2 by Lap 65. He set the fastest lap of the race on Lap 69 and was within 0.9 seconds of the leader by the final lap. The German ran wide at Turn 6 and Button nipped in to take the lead and held it to take the win.
After leading 68 of the 70 laps, Vettel could only manage 2nd in a disappointing finish. Button’s sheer determination and race craft saw him go from 21st to 1st in a memorable showing. With a total time of four hours, four minutes and 39 seconds (including the two-hour suspension), the race is the longest in Formula One history.
3. 2005 Japanese Grand Prix
Date: 9 October 2005
Circuit: Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Japan
Laps: 53
Winner: Kimi Räikkönen (McLaren)
Despite Fernando Alonso being crowned world champion at the previous round in Brazil, tensions were still high at the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix as Renault and McLaren continued to battle it out for the Constructors’ Championship.
A wet Qualifying session meant that many big names qualified near the back of the grid. Toyota’s Ralf Schumacher began on pole with Jenson Button in 2nd. Michael Schumacher, Alonso and Kimi Räikkönen began in 14th, 16th and 17th respectively.
The opening lap was filled with drama as McLaren’s Juan Pablo Montoya crashed out after being forced onto the gravel while trying to overtake the Sauber of Jacques Villenueve, bringing out the Safety Car and putting a dent in the Papaya’s Constructors’ Championship hopes. Alonso, on the other hand, got off to a flyer and found himself in 7th by the time the field had crossed the line at the end of Lap 1.
As the race resumed following the Safety Car, the drivers at the back began to fight through the traffic, with Räikkönen and Alonso making early overtakes. Further forward, Giancarlo Fisichella, took the race lead from R. Schumacher at the end of Lap 4, strengthening Renault’s bid for the Constructors’ Championship.
While the race began to settle, pit strategies started to unfold. Button briefly held the race lead thanks to pit cycles. Lap 19 saw one of the most famous overtakes in F1 history, as Alonso made his way round the outside of M. Schumacher at the infamous 130R corner. Räikkönen nearly did the very same on the next corner, but had to settle for a spot behind the Ferrari.
The Finnish driver did begin to make his way through the field, regularly setting fastest laps and closing on the leaders. He passed M. Schumacher on Lap 29, but it was Fisichella who maintained the lead. McLaren adopted a two-stop strategy for Räikkönen with his final stop coming on Lap 45, setting him up for a late charge on the race leader.
Meanwhile, Alonso was making waves elsewhere and closed in on the Williams of Mark Webber, eventually passing him on Lap 49 despite being forced onto the grass and moving up to 3rd. Räikkönen was motoring following his pit stop and took 1.3 seconds off of Fisichella’s lead that same lap.
It took until the final lap for Räikkönen to overtake the Italian and he did so around the outside on Turn 1 with a bold, decisive move. Alonso also finished 3rd after climbing from 16th, extending Renault’s Constructors’ Championship lead in the process.
This brilliant recovery drive was his 7th win of the season and is widely regarded as one of the best race performances of all time. A race weekend that had it all, the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix is one etched into the memory of F1 fans forever.
2. 1976 Japanese Grand Prix
Date: 24 October 1976
Circuit: Fuji Speedway Oyama, Shizuoka, Japan
Laps: 73
Winner: Mario Andretti (Lotus)
Following an intense title battle that lasted the length of the season – even inspiring the world-renowned film ‘Rush’ – the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix saw the conclusion of the hotly-anticipated Niki Lauda – James Hunt title battle.
Going into the race, Lauda led the World Drivers’ Championship and was three points ahead of Hunt. Lauda’s Ferrari also boasted an 11-point lead over Hunt’s McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship, meaning it was only the Drivers’ Championship up for grabs as Ferrari had secured their Constructors’ title win in the previous round.
The points system at the time awarded nine points for a win, creating several possible scenarios for Hunt to become champion. However, if he won the race, he would secure the World Championship.
Hunt qualified in 2nd place, with Lauda just behind in third. The Brit was in a good position heading into the final showdown. Race day arrived and the forecast was concerning – the weather was very wet, with fog and running water a feature of the track, leading race organisers to debate whether it should even go ahead.
The organisers decided that the race would proceed, but some drivers, including Lauda, were not happy with this decision. Hunt took the lead almost straight off the mark, with Penske’s John Watson and original pole-sitter, Lotus’ Mario Andretti, just behind. On the second lap, the drama began as Watson slid down an escape road and Lauda drove into the pits to withdraw from the race. The Austrian believed that the weather conditions made the track too dangerous and was quoted saying “my life is worth more than a title”. Lauda’s decision was replicated by Larry Perkins just a lap later, with Carlos Pace and Emerson Fittipaldi following suit later on in the race.
As the contest developed, Hunt continued to lead. It took until Lap 22 before he had to see off a threatening challenge for the lead as Vitorio Brambilla made his move. Fortunately for Hunt, the Italian span out and had to retire 15 laps later due to electrical issues. This moved Jochen Mass up to third for a good while, but he also crashed out on Lap 36 just before Turn 7, promoting Patrick Depailler into the position with Andretti in third.
For a while it seemed as if Hunt was on for an easy win, but the track began to dry and he began to slip down the field. With Lauda out of the race, he needed to finish 4th or higher to become World Champion. Panic set in for Hunt on lap 62 when Depailler and Andretti overtook him. Just two laps later, Hunt caught a break as Depailler’s left rear tyre began to deflate, forcing him into the pits.
Hunt, however, would suffer the same fate soon after and he headed for the pits. This dropped him to fifth, but he was on the charge after his stop. As the race entered the closing laps, Depailler overtook Alan Jones and Clay Regazzoni to move up into second place behind Andretti. Hunt then repeated the same feat just a lap later to put himself third and firmly in contention for the world championship title.
As Hunt crossed the line, confusion briefly arose when the unofficial results initially placed him in fifth. However, after a quick deliberation, officials confirmed he had finished third, securing him the 1976 World Drivers’ Championship.
Due to there being no electronic timing at the time, the McLaren hero did not believe that he had actually won the championship! While racing the final laps of the race, Hunt believed he was running in fifth but he was actually in fourth and ultimately finished third, with him only ‘believing’ in his championship win after being informed by his boss, Ted Mayer.
This championship win ended up being the only one of Hunt’s career, but this famous battle ensures that he is forever etched into the history of Formula 1.
1. 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix
Date: 25 November 2012
Circuit: Interlagos (Autódromo José Carlos Pace), São Paulo, Brazil
Laps: 71
Winner: Jenson Button (McLaren)
In at number one and, in our opinion, the best Formula 1 race of all time, the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix.
This race was one that was historical for a number of reasons. It marked Michael Schumacher’s last race before his second retirement, but also played host to arguably the most thrilling title battle in F1 history. To secure his third world championship, Sebastian Vettel needed to defend a 13-point advantage over Fernando Alonso. This required Alonso to finish in at least third place if Vettel did not score points, or meant that Vettel could finish fourth and still become world champion even if his Spanish counterpart claimed P1.
In Saturday’s Qualifying session, which endured mixed weather conditions, Vettel and Alonso secured race starting positions 4th and 8th respectively. Ferrari needed a miracle and were very open about their hopes for damp conditions in the race, leading to more unpredictability and the potential for a Vettel retirement.
The weather conditions and forecast were far from ideal, but with only light rain 10 minutes before the race start, all teams and drivers elected for slick tyres from the outset. Championship-leader Vettel got off to a poor start, dropping to 7th while Alonso moved up to 5th. It went from bad to worse for German Vettel as he collided with the Williams of Bruno Senna at Turn 4 and suffered damage to his sidepod. Luckily, he was able to continue but he had dropped to 22nd place.
Lewis Hamilton led the race in what would be his final outing for McLaren, while fluctuating weather conditions forced teams to constantly adjust their strategies and alternate between wet and slick tyres. As Nico Hülkenberg surged towards the front of the grid with an inspired drive for Force India, disaster struck as he collided with the Brit and forced him to retire from the race. Hamilton’s team mate, Jenson Button, inherited the lead and Alonso moved up to second to keep himself in championship contention.
As the race moved into its final stages, rain began falling again at Interlagos, forcing teams to make crucial changes to their tire strategies once more. The majority of drivers opted to pit for intermediate tires as the track conditions became too slippery for slicks. Meanwhile, Vettel, who had clawed his way up from the back following his first-lap crash, had to carefully balance aggressive driving with caution. Despite damage to his Red Bull – including a faulty radio and impaired exhaust and aerodynamics – he continued to make steady progress through the field.
Elsewhere, Alonso was driving flat out, overtaking several competitors, including Red Bull’s Mark Webber, to move into second place. For a short time, Alonso was in a position where, if Vettel lost one or two positions, he still had a chance to claim the championship.
However, with Vettel now running in sixth place, he was doing just enough to secure the title. A pivotal moment came when Schumacher graciously stepped aside and allowed Vettel to pass without resistance – a gesture of sportsmanship amid a fiercely contested championship fight.
As the rain grew heavier late on, Paul di Resta crashed on the penultimate lap, triggering a Safety Car deployment. This effectively froze the running order and prevented any further position changes.
The race concluded under the safety car, with Button taking the win, followed by Alonso, Massa, Webber, and Hülkenberg. Vettel crossed the line in sixth place, earning 8 points—just enough to clinch the World Championship by a narrow margin of 3 points, finishing the season with 281 to Alonso’s 278.
Are there any other races you think should have made the list?