Complete calendar with 17 races
The 2007 Formula 1 season stands as one of the most dramatic and controversial in the sport's history, featuring an extraordinary three-way title battle that went to the final race, a sensational rookie performance, explosive team-mate rivalry, and a spy scandal that rocked the sport to its core. Kimi Räikkönen ultimately claimed his first World Championship for Ferrari by a single point, but the season will be forever remembered for Lewis Hamilton's astonishing debut year and his bitter civil war with two-time champion Fernando Alonso at McLaren.
Hamilton's rookie season defied all historical precedent. The 22-year-old British driver, promoted from McLaren's junior program, won four races including spectacular victories in Canada, Hungary, and Japan, and finished on the podium in twelve of the seventeen races. His points total of 109 would have won the championship in most previous seasons, and he came agonizingly close to becoming F1's first rookie world champion since Giuseppe Farina in 1950. Hamilton's qualifying speed, racecraft, and composure under pressure stunned the paddock, while his wheel-to-wheel battles with Alonso - both on track and within the team garage - created unprecedented drama.
The Hamilton-Alonso partnership imploded spectacularly. What McLaren had hoped would be a dream team turned into a nightmare as the reigning two-time champion found himself matched - and often beaten - by his rookie teammate. The toxic relationship reached its nadir at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Alonso deliberately blocked Hamilton in the pits during qualifying in retaliation for a perceived slight, earning a penalty and triggering a crisis. The Spaniard won four races including Malaysia, Monaco, Europe, and Italy, but his 109-point tally equaled Hamilton's, and both drivers lost the championship to Ferrari's late surge.
Räikkönen's championship triumph was the definition of patience and consistency. The Finn won six races including crucial late-season victories in Belgium, China, and Brazil, with his final-round triumph at Interlagos securing the title by one point over Hamilton and Alonso. After years of heartbreak at McLaren, Räikkönen's move to Ferrari proved inspired. His ice-cool demeanor and blistering speed made him the perfect fit for the Scuderia, and he delivered their first drivers' title since Michael Schumacher in 2004. Felipe Massa provided excellent support with three victories and consistently strong performances, though a late-season engine failure at the Nürburgring cost Ferrari valuable points.
The season was overshadowed by the 'Spygate' scandal, which erupted when it emerged that McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan possessed hundreds of pages of confidential Ferrari technical documents. The FIA's investigation revealed that the information had been shared within McLaren, leading to the team being excluded from the Constructors' Championship and fined $100 million - the largest penalty in sporting history. While Hamilton and Alonso retained their drivers' points, the scandal tainted McLaren's season and contributed to Alonso's decision to leave the team after just one year.
BMW Sauber emerged as a genuine force with Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld combining for five podium finishes and a stunning victory for Kubica in Canada following Hamilton's retirement. The German-Swiss team finished second in the constructors' standings after McLaren's exclusion, validating BMW's investment in F1. Williams-Toyota struggled despite having Alexander Wurz and rookie Nico Rosberg, while Renault endured a difficult defense of their titles with Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen rarely troubling the podium.
Honda continued their struggles despite massive investment, though Jenson Button showed flashes of speed with third place in the rain-soaked Nürburgring. Red Bull Racing demonstrated growing potential with Mark Webber and David Coulthard, signaling their future emergence as a top team. Toyota remained winless despite having Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli, while Super Aguri impressed with Takuma Sato and Anthony Davidson occasionally troubling the points.
The championship battle came down to the dramatic finale at Interlagos. Hamilton needed only to finish fifth to claim the title, but a gearbox problem dropped him to 18th before a late recovery to seventh. Alonso could only finish third, allowing Räikkönen to win the race and the championship. The Brazilian crowd erupted as Ferrari clinched both titles, while Hamilton's devastation was palpable - he had led the championship for most of the season but faltered when it mattered most.
The season introduced several significant changes including customer engines becoming available, revised aerodynamic regulations, and enhanced electronic driver aids. The competitive balance improved significantly compared to recent seasons, with ten different podium finishers and genuine unpredictability at most races. For Ferrari, the championship validated their patient rebuild after Schumacher's retirement, while McLaren's year ended in recrimination despite producing the season's fastest car. The 2007 season marked Lewis Hamilton's arrival as a superstar and set the stage for his rivalry with Felipe Massa that would produce another classic championship battle in 2008.