Hamilton's road to the world title

Malaysia, 23 March. Qualifying penalties saw him relegated five places on the grid, eventually ending fifth behind Kimi Raikkonen.

Bahrain, 6 April. After crashing in practice, the Briton stalled on the grid then went into the back of Fernando Alonso, before finishing 13th. Felipe Massa led a Ferrari one-two.

Spain, 27 April. Less than six seconds separated the top four, with Hamilton third behind Raikkonen and Massa.

Turkey, 11 May. Massa claimed a third consecutive win at the Istanbul Park Circuit ahead of Hamilton, who was second.

Monaco, 25 May. Hamilton mastered the incredibly wet conditions to claim the win, despite sliding into a barrier early on and puncturing a tyre.

Canada, 8 June. Crashed into the back of Raikkonen in the pit lane at 30mph, forcing both drivers out of a race eventually won by Sauber's Robert Kubica.

France, 22 June. Starting in 13th due to a 10-place penalty imposed for his error in Canada, Hamilton was later hit with a drive-through penalty and finished out of the points.

Britain, 6 July. Home favourite dominated a rain-lashed race to win by a staggering 68 seconds from Sauber's Nick Heidfeld.

Germany, 20 July. Hamilton made it back-to-back wins for the first time in 13 months, opening up a lead in the title race he never again relinquished.

Hungary, 3 August. Tyre problems saw the Briton finish only fifth, but Massa endured agony three laps from home when his engine blew whilst coasting to victory.

Valencia, 24 August. Massa led from pole to flag on the new street circuit with Hamilton second, although a painful neck spasm almost forced him to pull out of the weekend.

Belgium, 7 September. Hamilton crossed the line first but was demoted to third after stewards slapped him with a controversial 25-second drive-through penalty for cutting a corner.

Italy, 14 September. Qualifying mishaps saw him start a career-low 15th on the grid, from where he moved finished seventh, a place behind Massa.

Singapore, 28 September. F1's first night race offered superb entertainment, with Alonso winning from 15th on the grid, with Hamilton a safe third.

Japan, 12 October. Dire start from pole saw Hamilton struggle and a drive-through penalty for forcing Raikkonen off the track contributed to the Brit's 12th-place finish.

China, 19 October. Hamilton led from pole to flag, finishing 14.9 seconds ahead of second-placed Massa to extend his lead in the championship to seven points.

Brazil, 2 November. Massa stormed to pole and eased to the win as the drama unfolded behind him. In sixth place, and with the title out of his hands, Hamilton overtook Timo Glock on the final corner to take the fifth place that seals the championship.