Which circuit has hosted the most Formula 1 title deciders?

Max Verstappen’s title win at the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix saw Suzuka overtake Monza as the venue to have hosted the most Formula 1 title deciders. We take a look at the circuits and countries which have hosted the most Formula 1 title deciders.

12: Suzuka

Suzuka joined the Formula 1 calendar in 1987 and hosted its first title decider on its first appearance, with Nelson Piquet securing his third and final title over the race weekend. The Japanese Grand Prix then hosted the title decider in all of the next four seasons, including the famous title deciding collisions between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost in 1989 and 1990.

Suzuka hosted more Formula 1 title deciders in the late 1990s, with Damon Hill becoming the first son of a World Champion to win the title himself in 1996, Mika Hakkinen winning his two titles at the circuit in 1998 and 1999 and Michael Schumacher winning Ferrari’s first Drivers’ Championship in 21 years at the 2000 Japanese Grand Prix. Schumacher secured his sixth title at the circuit in 2003.

Sebastian Vettel became the next driver to secure a championship win at Suzuka in 2011, winning his second title with Red Bull. That’s a feat which Max Verstappen replicated at the Japanese track in 2022. Verstappen’s title win saw Suzuka set a new record of having hosted the most Formula 1 title deciders.

11: Monza

Monza hosted the very first title-deciding Formula 1 race, with Giuseppe Farina becoming the sport’s first World Champion at the 1950 Italian Grand Prix. With the Italian Grand Prix taking place close to the end of the season throughout the sport’s formative years, the Drivers’ Championship would be won at the track on another ten occasions over the next 29 years.

The last driver to win the title at Monza was Jody Scheckter, who secured the crown with Ferrari in the 1979 Italian Grand Prix. The track held or shared the record as the venue to have hosted the most Formula 1 title deciders from 1961 until 2022, when it was finally overtaken by Suzuka.

6: Interlagos

In 2004, the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo moved from near the start of the championship calendar to the end of it. From 2005 to 2009, for five consecutive seasons, the Brazilian Grand Prix decided the title.

Fernando Alonso won his two World Championships at Interlagos in 2005 and 2006, while Kimi Raikkonen secured the honours by a single point in 2007. Lewis Hamilton won as a result of a last corner overtake in 2008, while Jenson Button secured the crown with Brawn GP in 2009.

Since its run of five consecutive championship showdowns, Interlagos has hosted the title-decider just once more. Sebastian Vettel won the title in dramatic fashion in 2012, after almost being taken out of the race on the opening lap.

5: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez

The Mexican Grand Prix has hosted Formula 1 title deciders five times. John Surtees was the first driver to win the title in Mexico in 1964. Two further title deciders played out here in the 1960s, with Denny Hulme taking his only title win as a result of the 1967 Mexican Grand Prix and Graham Hill securing his final title here one year later.

Mexico rejoined the F1 calendar in 2015 following a 23-year absence. Since its comeback, Lewis Hamilton has won the title in Mexico City twice – in 2017 and 2018. Both times, Hamilton finished off the podium – securing the honours with a ninth place finish in 2017 and fourth in 2018.

4: Nurburgring

The Nurburgring became the first circuit to have hosted multiple Formula 1 title deciders in 1953, when Alberto Ascari secured the Drivers’ Championship for the second consecutive season at the track. The circuit hosted one more title decider in the 1950s, with Juan Manuel Fangio securing his fourth crown here in 1957.

The Nurburgring hosted its fourth and final title decider in 1965, with Jim Clark winning the title. At the time the circuit tied with Monza as the venue to have hosted the most F1 title deciders. Almost 60 years later, despite not hosting another title decider since, the Nurburgring remains in the top five of circuits to have crowned the most champions.

4: Yas Marina Circuit

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix joined the calendar in 2009 and now regularly hosts the final race of the season. During its tenure as the final round, Yas Marina Circuit has decided four Drivers’ World Championships.

Sebastian Vettel became the first driver to secure the title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2010, following a four-way championship decider. Lewis Hamilton became the first champion of the V6 hybrid era here in 2014, while Nico Rosberg finally beat his Mercedes team-mate to the crown in his final F1 race here in 2016.

The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is the most recent time that the title has been decided at Yas Marina Circuit. Max Verstappen secured his first title after overtaking Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of a tense race.

Which country has hosted the most title deciders?

Japan is top of the list of countries which have hosted the most Formula 1 title deciders. In addition to the titles decided at Suzuka, Fuji Speedway was host to the dramatic title decider between James Hunt and Niki Lauda in 1976, while Michael Schumacher clinched his second title at TI Circuit Aida – home of the Pacific Grand Prix – in 1995.

In total, the Drivers’ Championship has been decided in 21 different counties since 1950, with Turkey becoming the latest nation to join the list in 2020. The full list of circuits and countries which have decided the championship can be found below:

What about Constructors’ Championship deciders?

The Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship has been decided at 27 different circuits across 21 different countries since it was first awarded to Vanwall at the 1958 Italian Grand Prix, held at Monza.

Monza remains the circuit to have hosted the most Constructors’ Championship title deciders. Races at the venue have decided the title on ten occasions in total, most recently at the 1989 Italian Grand Prix.

Italy is the country in which the most Constructors’ Championship titles have been decided. In addition to the ten titles decided at Monza, the title was also decided at Imola twice: in favour of Williams at the 1980 Italian Grand Prix and, most recently, in favour of Mercedes in the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

The full list of circuits and countries which have decided the F1 Constructors’ Championship can be found below:

^{This article was first published in October 2022 and has since been updated.}