10 Most Clutch Wins in F1 History
10. Max Verstappen – Abu Dhabi 2021
No matter how controversial, Verstappen’s first world title came in the most dramatic clutch moment ever. One lap. One chance. One dive on Hamilton. Verstappen nailed the restart, took the lead, and claimed his maiden championship in ice-cold fashion under maximum pressure.
9. Jenson Button – Canada 2011
From last place to first in the longest race in F1 history. Button survived six pit stops, a collision with his teammate, a penalty, and torrential rain — before overtaking Sebastian Vettel on the final lap. A masterclass in calm, patience, and perfect timing.
8. Lewis Hamilton – Brazil 2008
Hamilton needed fifth place to win his first world title. In changing conditions, he dropped to sixth… until the final corner of the final lap, where he passed Timo Glock to clinch the championship. That “Is that Glock?!” radio call still gives chills — pure clutch under chaos.
7. Ayrton Senna – Monaco 1984
In just his sixth F1 start, Senna put the world on notice. Driving a Toleman, he was seconds faster than the field in torrential rain, catching Alain Prost before the race was red-flagged. He didn’t win on paper — but his driving that day under impossible conditions was pure clutch brilliance.
6. Michael Schumacher – Japan 2000
After years of heartbreak, Schumacher finally delivered Ferrari’s first drivers’ title since 1979. Facing Mika Häkkinen in the decisive race, Schumacher outperformed him under immense pressure, nailing every lap in changing conditions. The emotion afterward said it all — a generation-defining clutch win.
5. Sebastian Vettel – Brazil 2012
Vettel’s car was damaged on Lap 1 in soaking conditions. He dropped to last but clawed back through the chaos to finish sixth — just enough to seal his third consecutive world title. It wasn’t a win on track, but the mental toughness to recover under that pressure was beyond clutch.
4. Kimi Räikkönen – Brazil 2007
Kimi entered the finale third in the standings, seven points behind Hamilton. He needed to win and hope for a miracle. He won the race, Ferrari pulled off a perfect strategy, and Hamilton faltered. Kimi became champion by a single point — a quiet, ice-cold execution when nobody expected it.
3. Lewis Hamilton – Germany 2018
Starting 14th on the grid in wet conditions, Hamilton picked off rivals one by one. When Vettel crashed out, Hamilton stayed cool, timed his pit stops perfectly, and won from near the back. That comeback victory was the turning point in the 2018 title fight — pure clutch energy.
2. Fernando Alonso – San Marino 2005
Under immense pressure from Michael Schumacher in a faster Ferrari, Alonso defended for the final 12 laps with absolute perfection. Not a single mistake, not a single wheel off line. That drive showed he could withstand the fiercest champion in the toughest conditions.
1. Ayrton Senna – Japan 1988
At Suzuka, Senna stalled on the grid, dropped to 14th, and had to win to secure his first championship. In the pouring rain, he carved through the field with surgical precision, passing Prost and taking the victory — one of the purest displays of clutch greatness in F1 history.
