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7 F1 drivers who threw their Formula 1 championship away by making critical mistakes

Many Formula 1 drivers lost their world championship-winning opportunities due to some critical errors in big moments that never should have happened.

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Venkatakrishnan
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(Source: X)

Formula 1 is one of the world’s toughest sports where the margin for error is very minimal. In other sports, if an athlete makes a mistake it only costs them the results and outcomes. But in Formula 1 if a driver makes a mistake it costs them the outcome results and also their life.

Every driver is responsible for their and other competitors' lives. So each driver drives with some responsibility of winning and also saving others. In the 21st century, there are times when drivers make a single mistake that changes the course of the season and costs their championship titles. From Michael Schumacher to Lewis Hamilton many drivers made some critical mistakes that cost them their Formula 1 championships. Let us take a look at those critical moments.

7 Costly Mistakes in F1

Lewis Hamilton - 2007 Chinese Grand Prix 

In his very first season as a Formula 1 driver for McLaren Lewis Hamilton became a title contender. That's why he is the GOAT! But apart from that the way he lost the title opportunity in his debut season was interesting. He was fighting with his teammate Fernando Alonso and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen for the Championship. He is leading the championship table with 107 points keeping behind Alonso with 95 and Raikkonen with 90. 

He was the clear favourite to win the 2007 championship. But there came the tragedy in the form of wet weather. It changed the championship course upside down as Lewis Hamilton was going for the pits to change his already-worn intermediate tyres.

But he missed the pit entry and went straight into the gravel. Kimi took the advantage and won the Chinese and Brazilian GP back to back and won the title for Ferrari. One small error cost Lewis Hamilton the world title and that too in his maiden season.

Also Read: Formula 1 history's all-time greatest comebacks in Rain conditions

Sebastian Vettel - Singapore 2017 

In 2017 Ferrari and Mercedes battled hard for the championship title. Sebastian Vettel missed his fifth world title making some errors by himself and also from the team’s strategy. The biggest of all is the error he made in the Singapore GP where he is called as the ‘King of Singapore’. 

He qualified as the fastest ahead of Max Verstappen and Kimi Raikkonen with Hamilton starting from fourth. The race started with Kimi getting a good start and went ahead of Max Verstappen. Vettel thought of covering Kimi in the first corner sandwiched Max Verstappen and the three were out of the race and Hamilton went ahead of Vettel in championship points. 

Juan Pablo Montoya - USA 2003

One of the underrated Formula 1 drivers Pablo Montoya was giving tough times for the world champion Michael Schumacher. He was very close to the championship until the penultimate round in the Indianapolis circuit which cost him the title. He collided with the Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello which brought him a drive-through penalty and cost him the championship against Schumacher. Micahel became the world champion for the sixth time that season.

Kimi Raikkonen - Europe 2005

Renault driver Fernando Alonso and McLaren driver Kimi Raikkonen were fighting for the world title. Reigning world champion Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari struggled with the new long tyres. In the last lap, Kimi’s Suspension failed and gave the Spanish driver a 32-point advantage who won his first-ever world title that season.

Also Read: F1 driver Lando Norris: Loyalty for McLaren, Love for Ferrari

Michael Schumacher - Japan 2006

The already 7-time world champion was looking to make it eight in his final season with Ferrari and in Formula 1 before announcing retirement. The reigning champion Fernando Alonso and Schumacher were tied with 116 points. 

In Japan, the German driver and the Spaniard are battling hard for the championship lead. But his engine failed and gave Alonso the upper hand before the title decider in Brazil. Schumacher never won his eighth title after that heartbreaking engine failure in Suzuka.

Also Read: The Son of 5 times world champion gets only a 5 race chance in the 2025 Formula 1 season.

Mark Webber - Korea 2010

2010 was the first season where Red Bull became a competitive team as their drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber together dominated the entire grid. The title fight was between the Red Bull duo, Ferrari driver Alonso, McLaren drivers Hamilton and Button. 

Webber was leading the championship title with 220 points and 14 points clear of Alonso and Vettel. But the Korean Grand prix was a disaster for the Australian as the rain caused him to spin out of the race which also spun his championship-winning chances.

Lewis Hamilton - Malaysia 2016

Mercedes was the only dominant team on the Formula 1 grid from 2014 to 2020 as every other team was nowhere near the Hybrid Mercedes cars. Both Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton were fighting for the championships. 

Lewis Hamilton was already the 2014 and 2015 champion and 2016 would have made him a 4-time world champion with three in a row title win. But the Malaysian GP turned everything down for him. He suffered an engine blow which cost him the championship to his teammate Nico Rosberg. 

Also Read: Did you know? Formula 1 Legend Lewis Hamilton made 7 billion dollars in just one day

Formula 1 Lewis Hamilton Michael Schumacher Ferrari F1
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