The race to the 2025 F1 world drivers' championship is heating up. After Red Bull's Max Verstappen won four consecutive titles, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri of McLaren are looking to dethrone him.
Verstappen kept his championship hopes alive following his win at the Qatar Grand Prix. Norris now leads Verstappen by 12 points and Piastri by 16 points heading into the final race of 2025. As the season comes to a close, here's a look at the closest title battles in F1 history.
.5 points
Niki Lauda over Alain Prost (1984)
1 point
Mike Hawthorn over Stirling Moss (1958)
Phil Hill over Wolfgang von Trips (1961)
John Surtees over Graham Hill (1964)
James Hunt over Niki Lauda (1976)
Nelson Piquet over Carlos Reutemann (1981)
Michael Schumacher over Damon Hill (1994)
Kimi Raikkonen over Lewis Hamilton (2007)
Lewis Hamilton over Felipe Massa (2008)
2 points
Nelson Piquet over Alain Prost (1983)
Alain Prost over Nigel Mansell (1986)
Mika Hakkinen over Eddie Irvine (1999)
Michael Schumacher over Kimi Raikkonen (2003)
3 points
Giuseppe Farina over Juan Manuel Fangio (1950)
Juan Manuel Fangio over Stirling Moss (1956)
Emerson Fittipaldi over Clay Regazzoni (1974)
Ayrton Senna over Alain Prost (1988)
Sebastian Vettel over Fernando Alonso (2010)
4 points
Jack Brabham over Tony Brooks (1959)
Jody Scheckter over Gilles Villeneuve (1979)
Sebastian Vettel over Fernando Alonso (2010)
5 points
Denny Hulme over Jack Brabham (1967)
Jochen Rindt over Jacky Ickx (1970)
Keke Rosberg over Didier Pironi (1982)
Nico Rosberg over Lewis Hamilton (2006)
Check out the ESPN Formula 1 hub page, which features analysis, standings, the "Unlapped" podcast and more.