Every point counts. With only three rounds to go, this year's intense duel between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton for the Formula One title looks all set to be another instant classic. Momentum is swinging back and forth on the two title protagonists in every race, and the unpredictability is a welcome treat for Formula One fans. The championship has not been this closely fought for quite a while, breathing fresh life in a sport that's been dominated by Mercedes and Red Bull in the past 11 years.

There have been many drivers and teams that have accumulated a lot of wins and successive championships in the past, but that wasn't always the case in Formula One. In the sport's 70-year history, there were some occasions where the drivers' title has been decided by a single point, and once, even less than that. Let's run them down with the list of these exciting Formula 1 duels that went down to the wire.

8 Lewis Hamilton Vs. Felipe Massa, 2008 (1 Point)

Lewis Hamilton won his first title with the slimmest of margins, so he's no stranger to taking fights down to the wire. He captured the 2008 Formula One drivers' title at the very last corner of the very last lap of the final race at Interlagos.

Felipe Massa crossed the line to take victory in deteriorating conditions and looked as if he had snatched the title from Hamilton. But 30 seconds later, Lewis on intermediate tires managed to overtake the slick tire shod Toyota of Timo Glock for 5th place at the final corner to take the all-important extra point to secure his first world title.

RELATED : 10 Things You Never Knew About Lewis Hamilton

7 Michael Schumacher Vs. Damon Hill, 1994 (1 Point)

On an eventful season where Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger's lives were lost, the 1994 season also proved to have one of the most controversial duels in the history of Formula One. In fact, to this day, expert takes are still divided on what transpired between Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill in the 1994 Australian Grand Prix.

Hill was only trailing Schumacher by a single point entering the season finale in Adelaide, and was rapidly chasing down the German during the race. However, the pair collided after Schumacher closed the door on Hill going into a right-hander, sending Schumacher into the wall. Hill continued on to limp back to the pits, but his car's front wishbone was damaged beyond repair, and was also forced out of the race, handing over Schumacher's first Formula 1 title.

RELATED : 10 Things We Learned From Watching Netflix's Schumacher Documentary

6 James Hunt Vs. Niki Lauda, 1976 (1 Point)

In the sexy and glamorous era of 70s Formula One racing, there is no margin for error. And in case you need a visual representation of what transpired between Niki Lauda and James Hunt's battle for the 1976 F1 title, all you need to do is watch the film Rush.

Lauda's fiery crash at the Nürburgring turned the advantage to Hunt, as he was able to claw back the lead built up by Lauda early on in the season. But just six weeks after, Lauda was right back on the grid and took the championship down to the wire. At the season finale in Fuji, treacherous conditions in the pouring rain made Lauda pull out of the race after just two laps, but Hunt carried on and finished on the podium to claim his sole Formula One title.

RELATED : These Motorsport Movies And Documentaries Will Make You Want To Go Racing

5 Nelson Piquet Vs. Alain Prost, 1983 (2 Points)

Despite having trailed Alain Prost by 14 points with only three races to go, Nelson Piquet was able to capture his second world title in 1983 by winning two of the final three races and gave the storied Brabham team their last F1 championship win.

Prost, on the other hand, has led the championship for much of the 1983 season, but a string of retirements, including three in the last four races, turned the advantage to Piquet.

4 Mika Häkkinen Vs. Eddie Irvine, 1999 (2 Points)

The 1999 season was the only time we remember Michael Schumacher playing second fiddle to his Ferrari teammate Eddie Irvine. This was due to a leg injury he sustained in the British Grand Prix that put him out of action, and effectively, in the championship running.

Irvine actually stepped up mid-season to find himself leading the championship by four points over Mika Häkkinen, heading into the final race in Japan. However, his weekend was a complete mess and in the race, he could only manage third place, while Hakkinen took victory and the championship by a mere two points.

3 Alain Prost Vs. Nigel Mansell, 1986 (2 Points)

Nigel Mansell was leading a three-way battle for the championship back in 1986 against Alain Prost and his teammate Nelson Piquet. The Englishman led the championship for seven consecutive races, and held it until the finale in Adelaide.

However, his left-rear tire exploded while going past 180 mph on the Brabham Straight while chasing Prost, effectively ending his race. In the end, Prost took the win and claimed the championship, pipping Mansell by just two points and becoming the first back-to-back champion since Jack Brabham in the 1960s.

2 Kimi Räikkönen Vs. Fernando Alonso Vs. Lewis Hamilton, 2007 (1 Point)

Here's another three-way title fight that happened in Lewis Hamilton's rookie year. For much of the season, Alonso and Hamilton's McLarens seemed to be a better package over Kimi Räikkönen's Ferrari, and Hamilton even once held a 26-point advantage over Räikkönen.

But in the final 10 races, Räikkönen put the pedal to the metal and finished on the podium 9 times, including his title-clinching victory on the final round in Brazil, where warring teammates Alonso and Hamilton could only muster third and seventh. Despite entering the season finale third in the standings, Kimi Räikkönen won his only F1 title by a single point.

1 Niki Lauda Vs. Alain Prost, 1984 (0.5 Points)

Last but not least, the closest championship battle in F1 history. Niki Lauda found himself a chance to win a third title in 1984, but a certain Frenchman was standing in his way — his McLaren teammate Alain Prost.

With identical machinery, Lauda proved no match for the younger Prost in qualifying, but made up for it with his excellent racecraft to pip the Frenchman to the title by being a more consistent points scorer over the course of the season. The shortened 1984 Monaco Grand Prix effectively was the main factor in Lauda's championship run, as only half points were awarded in that race, which was won by Prost. Lauda masterfully crafted his championship run, and he was only the second driver in history to win a Formula 1 title despite not having a pole position during the season.