Top 25 Heartbreaking Losses in F1 History
25. Nigel Mansell - 1992 Monaco GP
The 1992 Monaco GP was an unfortunate one for Nigel Mansell. He was forced to give up his win after a late puncture with Senna taking the win.
24. Daniel Ricciardo - 2016 Monaco GP
Daniel Ricciardo was dominating the 2016 Monaco GP. However, Red Bull messed up his pitstop after the crew failed to get the tires on time.
23. Gilles Villeneuve - 1982 Belgian GP
Gilles Villeneuve had a hard time in 1982 at Imola. At the Belgian GP, the Canadian driver pushed himself too much, which led to his tragic death.
22. Fernando Alonso - 2012 Brazilian GP
Fernando Alonso had the chance of clinching his third title at the 2012 Brazilian GP. Unfortunately, Sebastian Vettel beat him to it. Alonso was seen shocked after the race.
21. Jim Clark - 1967 Italian GP
Jim Clark had a decent run at the 1967 Italian GP. However, things took a turn after a puncture. When Clark managed to make his way through the field again, his fuel pump failed on the final lap.
20. Ronnie Peterson - 1973 Italian GP
Ronnie Peterson had a stellar fight with Jackie Stewart at this race. The former lost the Grand Prix by just 0.8 seconds.
19. Mark Webber - 2010 Korean GP
Mark Webber lost his status at Red Bull after the 2010 Korean GP. The Australian driver made a dismal error in wet conditions, eventually leading to his decline.
18. Kimi Raikkonen - 2005 European GP
Kimi Raikkonen was set to win the European GP in 2005 at the Nürburgring. A suspension failure on the final lap destroyed his chances.
17. Stirling Moss - 1958 Portuguese GP
Stirling Moss showed sportspersonship at the 1958 Portuguese GP. He helped Mike Hawthorn avoid a penalty which led to him losing the win.
16. Charles Leclerc - 2022 French GP
Charles Leclerc was starting to become a contender for the title in 2022. At the French GP, he spun into the barriers from the race lead.
15. Nigel Mansell - 1991 Canadian GP
Nigel Mansell was leading the Canadian GP till the final lap. He started waving to the crowd before the end of the race and stalled his car.
14. Robert Kubica - 2007 Canadian GP
Robert Kubica had a chance of winning the Canadian GP in 2007 after a pitlane fiasco. Unfortunately, he ended up crashing his BMW Sauber.
13. Ayrton Senna - 1984 Monaco GP
Ayrton Senna was still making his mark in F1 in 1984. He would've easily made his way to victory at Monaco, but an early red flag stopped him midway.
12. Damon Hill - 1994 Australian GP
Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher fought for the 1994 title. At Adelaide, Schumacher collided into Hill, ending the latter's race.
11. Felipe Massa - 2008 Brazilian GP
Felipe Massa almost won the world title in 2008. Lewis Hamilton took the championship on the final lap after overtaking Timo Glock.
10. Sebastian Vettel - 2018 German GP
Sebastian Vettel's crash from the lead at the 2018 German GP destroyed his morale. This broke the world champion, who went on to make more mistakes.
9. Lewis Hamilton Malaysia 2016
Lewis Hamilton's title challenge against Nico Rosberg saw a massive blow when he was forced to retire in Malaysia due to an engine failure. It is often blamed for his defeat.
8. Lewis Hamilton 2007 Chinese GP
Lewis Hamilton could've been a rookie world champion in F1 at the Chinese GP in 2007. However, the Briton beached his car in the pitlane.
7. Michael Schumacher - 2006 Japanese GP
Michael Schumacher was trying to win the 2006 title against Fernando Alonso. The German driver's engine blew up at Suzuka, destroying his chances.
6. Mika Hakkinen - 1999 Italian GP
Mika Hakkinen was in a comfortable lead at the Italian GP in 1999 when he spun off on-track. He was later spotted in tears due to this devastating blow.
5. Lewis Hamilton - 2007 Brazilian GP
After the setback in China, Lewis Hamilton hoped to wrap up the title in Interlagos. However, a mistake and a technical issue took away his chances.
4. Charles Leclerc - 2019 Bahrain GP
Charles Leclerc was set to take his maiden win in F1 at Bahrain. However, a cylinder failure forced him down the order. A Safety Car allowed him to take a podium.
3. Nigel Mansell - 1986 Australian GP
Nigel Mansell's tire exploded at the 1986 Australian GP. This took him out of title contention against Alain Prost.
2. Ayrton Senna - 1988 Monaco GP
Ayrton Senna was leading the 1988 Monaco GP by a shocking gap of 50 seconds to Alain Prost. But the Brazilian ended up crashing at Portier and retired from the race. A great drive wasted.
1. Lewis Hamilton - 2021 Abu Dhabi GP
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were on equal points at the 2021 title decider. The seven-time world champion got overtaken by Verstappen after a controversial Safety Car by race control. Fans still believe that Hamilton was robbed of the title.
