The last race in the Formula 1 calendar has seen several title-deciders over the years. Here are five occasions when the race for the championship went the full distance:
1959, Sebring - Three were in the hunt for title going into the last race of the season, the inaugural United States Grand Prix. Tony Brooks crashed out and Stirling Moss failed to finish with Jack Brabham taking full advantage of his rivals’ retirements, dramatically pushing his car home to victory after running out of fuel on the final lap.
1986, Adelaide - The tragic moment when Nigel Mansell’s rear tyre exploded 19 laps from the finish is etched in British sporting memory. When Williams team-mate and race leader Nelson Piquet was then called into the pits as a precaution to ensure the fault didn’t reoccur, the Brazilian lost enough ground to allow reigning champion Alain Prost to take the chequered flag and the title.
1994, Adelaide - 36 laps in and Michael Schumacher’s collision with a wall looked to have opened the door for Damon Hill to take the lead and consequently the championship. However the German’s Benetton then veered back onto the track and collided with Hill’s Williams in what most of the Formula 1 community agree to have been motorsport’s equivalent of the professional foul. With both drivers retired from the race Schumacher was crowned champion for the first time and Hill had to make do with BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
1997, Jerez - Three years later and he was at it again. One point ahead of Jacques Villeneuve going into the European Grand Prix, Schumacher again turned into his rival as the Canadian attempted to pass him on lap 48. On this occasion however the German’s win-at-all-costs approach only culminated in his own retirement, as Villeneuve survived the collision to take third place, prompting sneers from British fans as well as Martin Brundle’s now famous riposte: "That didn't work Michael, you hit the wrong part of him my friend."
2008, Interlagos - A year after being pipped to the championship by Kimi Raikkonen on the same circuit, Lewis Hamilton’s fifth-place finish at a rain-sodden Interlagos proved enough to ensure that history didn’t repeat itself. It was Felipe Massa who took the chequered flag and initially looked to have clinched the title on home soil, but Brazilian celebrations were short-lived as Hamilton then proceeded to pass Timo Glock on the final lap to gain an extra place and win the championship by a single point.