Which Austrian driver won the 1984 Formula One title by half a point?

Niki Lauda won the 1984 Formula One title by half a point. The Austrian finished the season with 72 points, narrowly beating his McLaren teammate Alain Prost, who scored 71.5.

The championship was a season-long McLaren duel. Prost won seven races, while Lauda won five, but Lauda’s consistency and strong results secured his third—and final—Drivers’ Championship. The half-point margin remains the smallest in Formula One championship history.

The unusual half-point total came partly from the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix, which was stopped early in heavy rain. Only half points were awarded, and Prost received 4.5 points for finishing first. A common mix-up is to credit Prost because he won more races; however, Lauda’s points total prevailed under the season’s scoring rules.

Lauda had previously won the title with Ferrari in 1975 and 1977. His 1984 championship was his first with McLaren and came after his remarkable return from the serious 1976 Nürburgring crash.