Flashback 2018: Top five moments in Formula One

Bengaluru, December 14: The 2018 Formula One season which Lewis Hamilton won with two rounds to spare had plenty of thrills and drama.

With a fourth-place finish in the Mexican Grand Prix won by Max Verstappen, Hamilton clinched his fifth F1 World Championship and second in a row and fourth in last five years to draw level with the legendary Argentinian driver Juan Manuel Fangio.

Later, the British driver rounded off another championship-winning season by equalling his record for most race victories in a year, taking his 11th win at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The 33-year-old's 11th win of the campaign matched his tally from the 2014 season and saw him surpass the 3,000-point marker, to become the first driver to accomplish that milestone.

He could go within one of Michael Schumacher's record of seven if he repeats the feat next season.

As we savour Hamilton's fifth crown, myKhel.com looks at five other highlights of the 2018 F1 season which kept the adrenaline rush of the motorsports buffs going.

Second fiddle

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel challenged Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes in 2018, enjoying strong form at various stages of the campaign.

But the German drivers title bid faltered after the summer break for a second straight season as he had to play second fiddle to Hamilton most of the time.

In the end, the Ferrari driver had to be content with the runner-up trophy for the second year in a row

Kimi is leaving

It wasn't a good year for Ferrari considering the lofty standards the Italian manufacturer had set in the championship over the years. In addition to Vettel's woes came the news that Kimi Raikkonen is leaving the team next year.

The Finnish driver, who ended his longest winless streak in Formula One (111 races since 2013 Australian GP) with victory in the US Grand Prix has decided to return to Sauber, the team where he started his F1 career.

Leaving for good

If Raikkonen is just switching teams, F1 is likely to loose its charm after the decision of two-time champion Fernando Alonso to quit the championship.

By mid season, the McLaren driver announced that he would be quitting F1 at the end of the season and not seek a drive anywhere else.

Though the Spaniard has not ruled out a return to F1 sometime in the future, the sport will surely miss the charisma of Alonso, who spent almost 18 seasons in the paddock.

Hit and run!

Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who is one of the most promising drivers in F1 was in the news for all wrong reasons.

After the Brazilian Grand Prix, the Dutch driver lost his cool, reacted angrily over team radio and sought out Esteban Ocon who caused a collision during the race, shoving the Frenchman as they waited to be weighed.

He was asked to do two days of public service within the next months as a punishment.