World Championship Last Race Deciders
1950 Italian Grand Prix
Giuseppe Farina (30), Juan-Manuel Fangio (27), L Fagioli (24)
Farina's fourth place at the Belgian Grand Prix effectively won him the title. He and Fangio won three races each whereas Fagioli did not win a race but was the 'best of the rest'.
1951 Spanish Grand Prix
Juan-Manuel Fangio (31), Alberto Ascari (25)
A less esciting last-race-decider with Fangio winning the last race easily with Ascari only finishing in fourth place. Fangio won three races to Ascari's two that season and was more consistent than the Italian.
1956 Italian Grand Prix
Juan-Manuel Fangio (30), Peter Collins (25)
Fangio's shared victory with Musso at the first race of the season made the difference between winning the title and losing it to Collins. Collins took two races, and Fangio added a further two which he won on his own. At the last race, Fangio was looking good for the title until his car's steering broke. Having lost a lot of time, he decided not to rejoin the race in his repaired car. His team mate Eugenio Castelotti (who's car was terminally damaged earlier) took over Fangio's repaired car. Collins was running third, and had a great chance of taking the title, then he came into the pits. He was asked whether he would hand the car over to Fangio. Collins gladly did so, and Fangio charged back into the race. Luigi Musso was leading until his steering broke. Stirling Moss took the lead and won the race with Fangio in second place. This was good enough for Fangio to take his fourth World Championship.
1958 Moroccan Grand Prix
Mike Hawthorn (42), Stirling Moss (41)
Hawthorn only won one Grand Prix all season, to Moss's four wins. But he also finished second five times, which notched up the points for him. Moss won the last race, but Hawthorn finished second which was enough for him to win the title.
1959 United States Grand Prix
Jack Brabham (31), Tony Brooks (27), Stirling Moss (25.5)
Brooks needed to win the last race to stand any chance of winning the title. He finished ahead of Brabham but only in third position. Moss had an outside chance but retired from the race.
1962 South African Grand Prix
Graham Hill (42), Jim Clark (30)
A three point gap between them gave the advantage to Hill, and he won the race comfortably with Clark failing to finish.
1964 Mexican Grand Prix
John Surtees (40), Graham Hill (39), Jim Clark (32)
At the last race, Hill's challenge was delayed after colliding with Lorenzo Bandini. Clark retired on the last lap with an engine problem and Bandini (running second) was told to let Surtees through which he did. Hill finished eleventh and Dan Gurney won the race. Clark was classified fifth.
1967 Mexican Grand Prix
Denny Hulme (51), Jack Brabham (46)
Hulme only won two races to Jim Clark's four, but he was more consistent than Clark. Hulme needed to finish third to win the title and promptly did so. Clark won and Brabham was second, but it wasn't enough for the Australian.
1968 Mexican Grand Prix
Graham Hill (48), Jackie Stewart (36), Denny Hulme (33)
Hill and Lotus recovered from Jim Clark's death in the early stages of the season to win the title. Hill won the last race of the season, Stewart could only manage seventh, and a lap behind.
1974 USA Grand Prix
Emerson Fittipaldi (55), Clay Regazzoni (52), Jody Scheckter (45)
Fittipaldi and Regazzoni were level on points going into the last race. However handling problems dropped Regazzoni down the field and out of the points. Fittipaldi duly finished a safe fourth to take the title.
1976 Japanese Grand Prix
James Hunt (69), Niki Lauda (68)
Perhaps the most extraordinary and political season in the history of the Championship. Lauda built up a big points lead in the first half of the Championship. Hunt was disqualified from two races that he had won, but was reinstated later, for one of them. Lauda's accident in Germany gave Hunt a bigger chance at the title. Hunt won both North American races so the points difference was three points going into the last race. The weather was appalling and Lauda gave up after one lap. Hunt led the race, the track started to dry out and Hunt's wet tyres began to blister, one of them eventually disintegrating. He pitted, changed tyres, and rejoined in fifth. He needed to finish third and did so.
1981 Caesar's Palace Grand Prix
Nelson Piquet (50), Carlos Reutemann (49), Jacques Laffite (46)
The South African Grand Prix, which was won by Reutemann, did not count for the Championship, as a result of political squabbles. At the last race, Reutemann could only finish eighth, while Piquet came fifth and took the championship by one point.
1982 Caesar's Palace Grand Prix
Keke Rosberg (44), John Watson (39)
11 different drivers won races in this Championship, Rosberg won only one of them, but his consistency won him the Championship. Watson finished in second place, but needed to win with Rosberg sixth or lower. Rosberg finished fifth.
1983 South African Grand Prix
Nelson Piquet (59), Alain Prost (57), Rene Arnoux (49)
Arnoux and Prost both retired from the last race. Piquet then only needed to finish fourth and he finished third behind Riccardo Patrese and Andrea de Cesaris.
1984 Portuguese Grand Prix
Niki Lauda (72), Alain Prost (71.5)
A very close Championship but Prost's win in Monaco was awarded only half points (4.5) because the race was stopped early because of bad weather. 3.5 points separated them going into the last race. Prost won but Lauda finished second.
1986 Australian Grand Prix
Alain Prost (72), Nigel Mansell (70), Nelson Piquet (69)
Mansell was looking good to take the title, running in third place. But his tyre exploded putting him out and Prost won the race and the title. Piquet needed to finish in front of Prost to win the title.
1994 Australian Grand Prix
Michael Schumacher (92), Damon Hill (91)
With just one point separating them, whoever finished in front would be Champion. If they both went out, Schumacher would win the Championship. Schumacher led Hill until he went off the track. Hill saw his chance to take the lead, but Schumacher turned in on him, taking himself out of the race. Hill's car was too badly damaged, and Schumacher won the title.
1996 Japanese Grand Prix
Damon Hill (97), Jacques Villeneuve (78)
Hill only needed to finish sixth to win the Championship while Villeneuve needed to win with Hill out of the points. Hill comfortably won the race and Villeneuve lost a wheel and went out of the race.
1997 European Grand Prix
Jacques Villeneuve (81), Michael Schumacher (78)
Schumacher only needed to finish in front of Villeneuve to take the Championship (as he was ahead on points), but Villeneuve tried an optimistic move down the inside of Schumacher. Schumacher hesitated, then turned in on Villeneuve, putting himself out of the race. Villeneuve continued and finished third, while Schumacher was disqualified from the results of the Championship for his attempt to take out Villeneuve.
1998 Japanese Grand Prix
Mika Hakkinen (100), Michael Schumacher (86)
Schumacher qualified on pole but stalled the engine at the start, having to start from the back of the grid. He drove like a man possessed and got up to third (with Hakkinen and Eddie Irvine in front). His right-rear tyre exploded after running over debris and his race was over. Hakkinen won.
1999 Japanese Grand Prix
Mika Hakkinen (76), Eddie Irvine (74)
Irvine qualified poorly and needed team mate Michael Schumacher to help him take the championship. Hakkinen won from Schumacher with Irvine in third.