The biggest names and most powerful teams in Formula 1 often dominate the sport. However, there are moments when certain underdogs step up and shock the world. In their own special way, these remarkable upsets usually occur when a driver dares to defy the odds and succeed with a little of everything. Skill, strategy, and just enough luck to outwit the big boys in the sport. Here are the Top 5 Formula 1 upsets: When underdogs eat the giants
5. James Hunt (1976)
James Hunt’s 1976 Formula 1 title win is one of the sport’s ultimate upsets. When he joined McLaren at the start of the season, he was initially without a car. Then he faced reigning champion Niki Lauda for the title. Infamously, Lauda’s near-fatal crash at Nürburgring kept the championship alive through a sensational 40-day recovery.
In the final race in Japan, Lauda retired early because of the dangerous rain-soaked conditions. On the other hand, Hunt needed only a third-place finish to win the title. The English driver struggled, but he bravely drove through difficult conditions. He got himself to third position and a championship win by a point. He became the underdog that took down one of F1’s giants.
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4. Max Verstappen (2021)
Max Verstappen dethroning the reigning giant, Lewis Hamilton, in an epic underdog triumph encapsulated the 2021 Formula 1 season finale. With most of the Grand Prix under control, Hamilton had gone into the final race at Abu Dhabi as the favorite, aiming to win a record-breaking eighth title. Hamilton’s experience and pace had looked to prevail over Verstappen, who he’d gone to war against all season.
Just a few laps from the finish, there was a dramatic twist. Verstappen was given a golden opportunity thanks to a Safety Car incident, which allowed him to benefit from fresher tires. Hamilton dominated throughout the race, but Verstappen seized his moment, overtaking Hamilton on the final lap to seal his first-ever F1 title. The result shocked the motorsport world. But Verstappen defied the odds to topple the sport’s biggest name at its peak.
3. Keke Rosberg (1982)
Keke Rosberg’s 1982 Formula 1 World Championship win was an extremely surprising one. With only one win at the Swiss Grand Prix, he secured the title. It was an unpredictable 1982 Formula 1 season where there were 11 different race winners in 16 races. Roseberg’s success was also due to reliability issues affecting turbocharged cars. Ferrari suffered two tragedies: losing Gilles Villeneuve after he died in a crash, and Didier Pironi was seriously injured.
Rosberg’s Williams car was naturally aspirated and used a Ford engine, unlike the turbo-powered Brabham BWMs and Renaults. While not as competitive, the Finnish underdog accumulated points through consistent scoring. This consistency made him the first Finnish F1 champion in a season where no one driver dominated. Given that he wasn’t the fastest, Rosberg’s adaptability helped him stay ahead of other drivers. He was also the first to win the championship with one race victory since Mike Hawthorn did it in 1958.
2. Sebastian Vettel (2010)
Formula 1 history was made when Sebastian Vettel pulled off an upset, securing the 2010 Formula 1 World Championship. Vettel wasn’t even a favorite heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi. Fernando Alonso for Ferrari led the standings by 15 points, and Mark Webber, Vettel’s teammate, was closely behind. There didn’t seem to be much chance of the German leaping both drivers to grab the title.
But it was a mix of Ferrari’s strategic miscalculations — their choice to pit Alonso early to cover Webber’s stop — and Vettel’s race pace that changed the tide. Vettel got clear and took the lead, clinching the race and championship, because Alonso had got stuck behind the slower Renault of Vitaly Petrov for 40 laps and could not get past. That was the first time Vettel led the championship in that season, and he became the youngest F1 world champion at the time.
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1. Kimi Räikkönen (2007)
One of the most dramatic upsets in modern Formula 1 history was Kimi Räikkönen’s 2007 World Championship title. Räikkönen entered the final race in Brazil sitting third in the championship standings behind the two McLaren drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. Rookie sensation Hamilton had led the standings for most of the season, while Alonso, the two-time reigning champion, was also a contender.
Yet, the final race took a surprise turn. Mechanical issues plagued Hamilton, and Alonso couldn’t make the most of it, so Räikkönen took advantage. An exciting finish to the season saw Kimi win the race and secure the title by a single point, beating both McLaren drivers. This victory resulted in his first (and only) World Championship.