With Norris, Verstappen and Piastri locked in a three-way title battle ahead of final race at Abu Dhabi, mid-day looks at the last five instances when three or more drivers had a shot at clinching the crown in season-ender
Lando Norris leads Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri at the Australian GP. Pic/Getty Images
1981: Piquet vs Reutemann vs Lafitte winner: Piquet
Heading into the title-decider at the Caesars Palace GP, Carlos Reutemann held a one-point lead over Nelson Piquet and a five-point lead over Jacques Laffite. However, amid the gruelling desert heat in Las Vegas, a visibly unwell Piquet pushed through to win the title by finishing fifth.
FINAL STANDINGS
N Piquet (Brabham): 50 pts
C Reutemann (Williams): 49 pts
J Laffite (Ligier): 44 pts
Nelson Piquet
1983: Piquet vs Prost vs Renoux winner: Piquet
Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet, and Rene Arnoux were the three protagonists here. However, in this anti-climactic finale in South Africa, two of the three contenders did not finish the race. On Lap 9, Arnoux had to retire due to an engine failure, while Prost’s car succumbed to a turbo failure on Lap 35. Piquet then safely brought home his car in fourth place to clinch the crown.
FINAL STANDINGS
N Piquet (Brabham): 59 pts
A Prost (Renault): 57 pts
R Arnoux (Ferrari): 49 pts
Alain Prost
1986: Prost vs Mansell vs Piquet winner: Prost
Nigel Mansell saw his title hopes explode in the same way his left rear tyre did with just 19 laps to go at the Australian GP. Mansell was cruising in third place at the time — the minimum he needed to be crowned champion. Instead, it was Alain Prost who won the race and the title, having benefitted from fellow title-rival Nelson Piquet’s decision to pit in order to avoid Mansell’s fate.
FINAL STANDINGS
A Prost (McLaren): 74 pts
N Mansell (Williams): 72 pts
N Piquet (Williams): 69 pts
Kimi Raikkonen
2007: Raikkonen vs Hamilton vs Alonso winner: Raikkonen
This was Lewis Hamilton’s title to lose, but the rookie driver suffered an unfortunate issue with his car’s hydraulic valve, which compromised his race in the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix. The championship leader thus finished 7th, while Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, who began the race third in the championship — trailing the Briton by 17 points — went on to win the title by finishing first. Hamilton’s teammate and fellow title contender Alonso (12 points behind the Briton), crossed the finish line in third place.
FINAL STANDINGS
K Raikkonen (Ferrari): 110 pts
L Hamilton (McLaren): 109 pts
F Alonso (McLaren): 109 pts
Sebastian Vettel
2010: Vettel vs Alonso vs Webber vs Hamilton winner: Vettel
This is the only instance where four drivers were in title contention at the final race in Abu Dhabi. Table-topper Fernando Alonso held an 8-point lead over Mark Webber at the start of the race, but it was Vettel, who emerged champion, courtesy of a strategy error by Ferrari, who pitted Alonso early, leaving him stuck behind Vitaly Petrov for the rest of the race. Alonso ended 7th with Webber 8th, while Vettel won the race and the title.
FINAL STANDINGS
S Vettel (Red Bull): 256 pts
F Alonso (Ferrari): 252 pts
M Webber (Red Bull): 242 pts
L Hamilton (McLaren): 240 pts
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