F1 2025 season: Race to the finish line evokes memories of 1986, 2007 and 2010 skirmishes

Going down to the wire: Piquet, Prost and Mansell were involved in a close race in 1986 while 2007 witnessed Raikkonen, Hamilton and Alonso battling for glory. Red Bull’s Vettel, centre, edged his teammate Webber and Ferrari’s Alonso to claim his maiden World title in 2010.
| Photo Credit: File photo

Formula One, for the first time since 2010, will have a three-way battle for the drivers’ title going into the final race of the season at Abu Dhabi on December 4, 2025.

Heading into the season finale, McLaren’s Lando Norris leads Max Verstappen by 12 points and is 16 points ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri. McLaren has been the standout team, having sealed the constructors’ crown five races ago in Singapore. But the British squad has been caught in a Hobson’s choice, trying to be fair to both drivers, and, in doing so, has left the door open for Verstappen to nick it right under their noses.

And if it happens, it won’t be the first time in the sport or even for McLaren.

Raikonnen, Hamilton and Alonso. File
| Photo Credit:
FP

The most famous instance of two teammates fighting amongst themselves and allowing a third driver to take away the title was back in 2007.

That year, McLaren drivers Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton were seven and three points ahead of Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen going into the final round in Brazil.

Raikkonen won the last race with Alonso finishing third and Hamilton seventh, and edged them out by one point.

Similarly, in 1986, Nigel Mansell was six points ahead of McLaren’s Alain Prost and seven ahead of his Williams teammate Nelson Piquet.

In the final race in Adelaide, Mansell suffered a tyre failure while running third. Piquet then relinquished the lead to change tyres to avoid a similar problem and had to settle for second. This allowed Prost to win the race and the title by two points.

In 2010, Alonso, in a Ferrari, led Red Bull’s Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel by eight and 15 points, respectively, going into the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP.

Alonso, Vettel and Webber. File
| Photo Credit:
AP

In that race, Vettel won from pole, while a strategic blunder in pitting early saw Alonso and Webber finish seventh and eighth. Thus, Vettel won his maiden title, beating Alonso by four points.

Coming back to 2025, Verstappen has fought his way back from being 104 points behind eight races ago. He has won five out of the last eight events, including the last two, to set up a thrilling finale.

Can the Dutchman pull off a heist to clinch his fifth title, or will one of the McLaren drivers huff and puff to the crown? All eyes are now on the Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday.