5 of the closest F1 title battles at the halfway stage – and how they panned out

The 2025 World Championship may be very a lot all to play for as we arrive on the midway level of the marketing campaign, with Lando Norris’ victory on the British Grand Prix bringing the hole to chief Oscar Piastri down to only eight factors. This isn’t the primary time that now we have witnessed such a duel on the halfway stage – however how did these shut title battles of the previous play out? F1.com has been looking again…

1977 – Jody Scheckter vs Niki Lauda

Jody Scheckter had 4 wins underneath his belt from a three-year spell with Tyrrell when he joined the newly-formed Wolf staff in 1977. Issues rapidly received off to a powerful begin, with Scheckter profitable the squad’s first-ever race on the season-opening Argentine Grand Prix.

Three extra podiums and one other victory adopted throughout the first half of the marketing campaign, which means that Scheckter led Ferrari’s Niki Lauda – competing in his first full season since his fiery accident at the 1976 German Grand Prix – by only one level within the championship standings after Spherical 8 of 17.

Nonetheless, the South African solely received another race within the second portion of the season and, although there have been nonetheless a number of factors finishes, Lauda fared higher, a lot in order that the Austrian wrapped up the title with two races to spare.

Lauda opted to skip these two Grands Prix and stroll away from Ferrari. Scheckter, in the meantime, ended the marketing campaign 17 factors adrift of Lauda however would go on to turn into a World Champion with the Scuderia himself in 1979.

2016 – Nico Rosberg vs Lewis Hamilton

After Mercedes aced the introduction of turbo-hybrid rules in 2014, the championship grew to become a primarily intra-team battle between the squad’s drivers within the years that adopted. Lewis Hamilton had overwhelmed Nico Rosberg in each 2014 and 2015 – however Rosberg appeared decided to alter that when 2016 kicked off.

The German driver launched into a profitable streak because the marketing campaign received underway, racking up 4 consecutive victories throughout the opening races. Nonetheless, following his infamous collision with Hamilton at Round 5 in Spain, the latter then additionally took a lot of wins, which means that Hamilton was only one level behind his staff mate after Spherical 10 of 21.

Hamilton’s prospects of claiming his fourth World Championship took successful at Race 16 in Malaysia, the place an engine failure pressured him to retire and lose a major quantity of factors.

And whereas he went on to win 4 races back-to-back on the finish of the marketing campaign, it was not sufficient to overturn his deficit to Rosberg, who clinched the title by 5 factors. Rosberg subsequently introduced his retirement, whereas Hamilton would go on to select up 4 consecutive championships between 2017 and 2020.

1983 – Alain Prost vs Nelson Piquet

In his fourth F1 marketing campaign – and third for Renault – Alain Prost regarded properly and really within the combine for the title in 1983. By Race 7 of 15, the Frenchman was the one a number of winner of the season after taking victories in France and Belgium.

This put him within the lead of the championship – however only one level forward of 1981 World Champion Nelson Piquet, who had been victorious in entrance of his dwelling followers on the season-opening Brazilian Grand Prix.

Prost remained heading in the right direction for his debut title getting into into the ultimate spherical of the season in South Africa, having remained two factors away from Piquet. After ranging from P5 on the grid, the French driver labored his approach as much as P3 throughout the race.

Nonetheless, Prost’s Renault suffered a turbo failure on Lap 35 of 77, placing him out of the operating. A P3 end result for Piquet, in the meantime, was sufficient to safe the Brazilian the second of his three World Championships, ending the season two factors away from Prost.

1956 – Stirling Moss vs Peter Collins

By the midway mark of the 1956 season, Ferrari’s Peter Collins and Maserati driver Stirling Moss had been tied on 11 factors apiece on the high of the standings, with Moss’ staff mate Jean Behra and the opposite Scuderia automobile of Juan Manuel Fangio simply behind in third and fourth respectively.

The image would look very totally different forward of the eighth and ultimate spherical of the championship, nevertheless, with Moss not in rivalry whereas Fangio led by eight factors from Collins and Behra.

Throughout the title-deciding Italian Grand Prix, Fangio’s possibilities of profitable a 3rd consecutive World Championship seemed to be over when he was pressured to retire with steering points – which means that Collins had the chance to seal a debut title.

However a unprecedented gesture from Collins would change that. With this being an period through which drivers had been permitted at hand their vehicles over to their staff mates, the Briton gave his challenger to Fangio to finish the race, permitting the Argentinian to complete second and declare the title within the course of.

2008 – Lewis Hamilton vs Felipe Massa vs Kimi Raikkonen

In 2007, Lewis Hamilton missed out on changing into a World Champion in his rookie season by only one level to Kimi Raikkonen. The pair once more discovered themselves battling for the title within the marketing campaign that adopted and had been tied on 48 factors – together with Felipe Massa – after Spherical 9 of 18.

Throughout the second half of the 12 months, Raikkonen’s problem fell away after a collection of DNFs for the Ferrari driver. However his staff mate Massa remained within the combat in opposition to the McLaren of Hamilton, which means that the finale in Brazil would determine the victor.

Hamilton was seven factors forward of Massa previous to the race, with Massa in a position to take the title if Hamilton completed in sixth place or decrease. A dramatic Grand Prix then unfolded through which Massa claimed victory and, for just a few seconds no less than, regarded to have received the championship.

However Hamilton – who had been operating in P6 – famously overtook Toyota’s Timo Glock on the final lap, transferring him up into P5 and incomes him his debut World Championship by a sole level from Massa.