The longest-ever F1 season at 24 races was filled with drama and scandalous moments.
Max Verstappen emerged as the drivers' champion ahead of Lando Norris, while McLaren hung on to win its first constructors' title in 26 years.
However, both paths to the championships contained intense and dramatic occurrences.
Below, RacingNews365 has listed the top five most controversial moments from the year, listed in the order they happened!
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Opening lap chaos in Monaco
The Monaco Grand Prix was a joyous race for Charles Leclerc as the Ferrari driver finally won on home soil.
Long before he reached the chequered flag, however, a major crash on the opening lap of the race sent Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg out of the race.
It was one of the biggest shunts of the season and caused a red flag while the track was repaired and the debris cleared.
Later in the crash-ridden opening lap, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly came together, sparking fury from the Alpine management.
Verstappen and Norris clash in Austria
It was the moment the drivers' title truly felt alive this year. After battling for several laps, Verstappen and Norris came to blows in the final laps of the Austrian Grand Prix.
It marked the first bust-up between the pair, with Norris being sent out of the points while Verstappen dropped to fifth.
Verstappen was ultimately deemed at fault for the collision and was issued a 10-second time penalty.
McLaren team orders in Hungary
Oscar Piastri captured his first win in Hungary following a tense period on the McLaren pit wall. The Australian took the lead on the opening lap but later fell back behind his team-mate as McLaren opted to pit Norris earlier.
McLaren then pleaded with Norris to hand Piastri back the lead of the race, a situation Norris argued against for several laps.
With just a handful of circuit tours to go, Norris conceded the position and Piastri took his first win - albeit under controversial circumstances.
Norris later admitted he should have processed the situation differently and handed the place back earlier to give himself time to launch an attack.
Sainz and Perez's late clash in Azerbaijan
Two laps from the end of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a highly engaging battle emerged towards the front of the field.
Leclerc, Sainz and Perez were all fighting for second place and as they exited Turn 2, Sainz and Perez found themselves going side by side in third and fourth.
However, they were soon pitched into the wall as contact was made as they accelerated, resulting in a hard clash with the track-side barrier - sending both drivers out of the race so close to the end.
Verstappen’s aggression on Norris in USA and Mexico
As the F1 season reached its final rounds, Verstappen was looking to kill off any remaining hope for Norris in the title fight.
In the USA and Mexico, he deployed aggressive tactics in wheel-to-wheel combat as he forced his rival wide on several occasions.
Verstappen was criticised by some pundits for his style, particularly after the incidents in Mexico that actually cost him ground to Norris in the standings.
The situation cooled after Verstappen triumphed for the title - but it was a fierce warning to his rivals, should he be engaged in a title battle ever again.
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