The 2025 FIA Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship has become a gripping saga, pitting Australia’s Oscar Piastri and Britain’s Lando Norris in an electrifying McLaren civil war.
With just five races remaining, the two papaya superstars are separated by less than one victory at the top of the championship standings. Currently, it’s the young Aussie who leads; online betting sites now make him a huge favourite to get over the line.
Oscar Piastri looks to hold off Lando Norris
Arguably the best online sports betting site currently has Piastri positioned as a 2/5 favourite to claim his maiden world title, with Norris a 5/2 underdog. But while we won’t know who emerges with the title until the final chequered flag of the year comes down in Abu Dhabi in December, it’s almost certain that there will be more flashpoints between now and then.
So far this year, there has already been a slew of blockbuster moments. Canada set the tone with the McLaren men colliding on the pit straight as Norris looked to overtake his younger teammate, resulting in the Brit instantly retiring and being classified 18th.
Monza brought out the worst in the so-called “Papaya Rules” as Piastri was forced to cede position to Norris after he had a poor pit stop due to the McLaren mechanics albeit that Norris had magnanimously allowed Piastri to pit fit to help protect his third place.
Then, most recently in Singapore, the two championship protagonists collided once more, this time on the opening lap as Norris forced his way from third to second at Piastri’s expense. Of course, Piastri has had his fair share of his own successes, including at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Such flash points aren’t uncommon in a championship battle, with the heat of the moment sometimes spilling over into moments of agony and ecstasy. So here are some of the most infamous events in recent memory, flipping a title fight on its head in one singular moment.
Michael Masi “goes racing”
The 2021 season finale distilled Formula 1’s drama into a single, excruciating frame. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen entered Abu Dhabi deadlocked at 369.5 points each, with the British seven-time champion rallying late in the season to reel in his young and hungry rival.
In the season decider, Hamilton was dominant, claiming the lead in the opening corner and racing off into the Arabian evening. Then, with the Brit holding a ten-second lead and a record-breaking eighth world title seemingly in his grasp, fate seized the script.
Nicholas Latifi’s crash summoned the safety car, allowing Verstappen to box for fresh tires. Race director Michael Masi, pressed by Red Bull boss Christian Horner, the Aussie rewrote the endgame…
Masi initially deciding that unlapped cars wouldn’t be allowed to overtake, before then, shockingly, letting only the lapped cars between the leaders unlap themselves. That allowed Verstappen to close right to the back of Hamilton, setting the stage for a one-lap, winner-take-all sprint.
Verstappen, armed with his fresh soft rubber, pounced. He threw his Red Bull vehicle up the inside of Hamilton’s Mercedes, securing an eight-point swing and a maiden world title in one fell swoop. The ensuing outcry sparked FIA investigations and rule overhauls—but ultimately, it was Masi’s decision, though branded “human error,” that made Verstappen champion, rather than on-track exploits.
Vettel’s German curse
Championships turn on both brilliance and blunders. For Sebastian Vettel, Germany 2018 was the crucible. Leader in points and in the Hockenheim race, the German looked set to extend his edge on home turf.
Rain in the closing laps, however, turned certainty into chaos. One slip into the Turn 13 barrier—just as the pit wall was urging caution—ruined it all. Hamilton, having started 14th, swept to victory and transformed the championship standings overnight.
Ferrari’s early-season superiority fell away after that crash. Four straight Hamilton wins post-summer break hammered home the momentum shift. By Mexico, Vettel was staring up from what became an 88-point gulf, his shot at the title lost not to Hamilton’s relentless pace but to a handful of costly errors at the sharpest end of the pressure curve.
Hamilton’s engine blowout
Sometimes, the biggest drama does not erupt between drivers but under the engine cover. Malaysia 2016 serves as the ultimate example. Hamilton came in behind his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg but was cruising toward victory and the points lead—until his engine exploded just 15 laps from the flag.
Smoke, flames, disbelief. Hamilton’s 15-point potential gain vanished, leaving him adrift by 23 as Rosberg survived a first-lap clash to finish third.
The post-race technical breakdown laid bare the facts: a $10 million power unit, a $100 bearing failure, and with it, Hamilton’s best chance to swing the title. He fought back and took four late wins, but the deficit was insurmountable. Rosberg clinched his sole championship, then promptly retired, never allowing Hamilton his shot at redemption.
Hamilton finds the beach in Shanghai
Lewis Hamilton’s rookie campaign stands among the finest ever—yet its defining moment is drenched in regret. With a 12-point title advantage and rain-soaked conditions at the Shanghai circuit, McLaren delayed Hamilton’s stop as his tires degraded into slicks.
On pit entry, he slid helplessly off into the gravel. Just yards from the pit box, the car beached, and he became a bystander as Kimi Räikkönen claimed the win and revived Ferrari’s title challenge.
The Brazilian finale saw Hamilton’s hopes further undone by a gearbox glitch. While the Brit tumbled helplessly to the back of the field, Räikkönen won and shockingly claimed the title by a single point, despite being somewhat of an afterthought before the penultimate race in China.
For all his later triumphs, Hamilton’s legacy would always carry that scar from Shanghai, the fine line between immortality and “almost.”
