Closest F1 Wins Of All Time

Like any other sport, Formula 1 also has the allure of cut-throat competition and wins by the narrowest of margins. Most of these nail-biting finishes are nowadays easily accessible on streaming platforms and see a high amount of traffic. In fact, many enthusiasts can do a remarkably accurate frame-by-frame recall of these historical races. Keeping that in mind, we have compiled a list of the most exciting Formula 1 battles won by the slightest margin!

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Niki Lauda (72 pts) Vs. Alain Prost (71½ pts) - 1984

Austrian Niki Lauda won the title by defeating Alain Prost by a tiny margin of just half a point! It is one of the closest races in the history of F1. He claims that he found the young Alain Prost from the McLaren team pretty fast and challenging. Lauda often started behind his teammate, and this decision paid dividends!

Lewis Hamilton (98 pts) Vs. Felipe Massa (97 pts) – 2008

Most fans will probably remember how this nail-biting race ended. It was undoubtedly one of the narrowest wins of F1 and also the most dramatic. Hamilton's last corner overtake on the final lap of the final made him the youngest F1 champion at that time. The finish was so unexpected that Felipe thought the title was a certainty for him with the finish line in sight and barely registered when 30 seconds later, Hamilton grabbed the fifth corner and eclipsed the Brazilian.

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Kimi Raikkonen (110 pts) Vs. Lewis Hamilton & Fernando Alonso (109 pts) – 2007

This was one of the most tense and exciting races in history as it ended in a three-way fight between warring McLaren team mates Lewis Hamilton (debut) & Fernando Alonso (reigning champion that year) and Ferrari´s Kimi Raikkonen. The intense rivalry between the two team mates made fans think that regardless of the outcome, the title would belong to McLaren. However, their inability to prioritise one driver over another led to Raikkonen sneaking in and snatching the victory from them. At the end, Hamilton & Alonso tied for second place while Kimi beat them both by a single point.

Michael Schumacher (92 pts) Vs. Damon Hill (91 pts) – 1994

The conclusion of this race is one of the most hotly contested Formula 1 topics. Schumacher was leading with six wins from the opening seven races. Hill was able to fight back in the second half of the season and entered the finale in Adelaide with just one point below Michael. Shortly before finish, both cars clashed and Schumacher was eliminated. Hill only needed to finish the fifth to secure the title, however, the ´áccident´ had left his front left wishbone badly damaged and he was forced to retire from the lap instead. The championship was ultimately decided in Schumacher´s favour.

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Alain Prost (72 pts) Vs. Nigel Mansell (70 pts) – 1986

Alain Prost found himself in another close and cut-throat race, with Nigel Mansell being the opponent this time. This win also made Prost a back-to-back champion since Jack Brabham in the 60s. With only a difference of two points in the final standings, the trophy slipped past from Mansell to Prost. This win came as a surprise since Mansell held the championship lead for seven consecutive races.

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We think that what made these wins more celebratory is that they were so close and one of those nail-biting situations!