Lewis Hamilton failed in his bid to become the first rookie to win the Formula One world championship this weekend in the Brazilian Grand Prix, Finland's Kimi Raikkonen claiming motorsport's ultimate prize on a dramatic final day of racing.

Along with all the drama behind the scenes, including the McLaren 'spygate' affair and the fallout between Hamilton and his McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso, it has also been an action-packed campaign on the track as well.

Here, we look at how a dramatic season has unfolded.

AUSTRALIA GRAND PRIX (Melbourne, March 16)

Kimi Raikkonen starts his Ferrari career in emphatic fashion with an easy victory from pole at Albert Park, beating Alonso into second, while Hamilton produces a rousing debut to finish on the podium.

Pts: 1 Raikkonen 10; 2 Alonso 8; 3 Hamilton 6; 4 Nick Heidfeld 5.

MALAYSIAN GP (Sepang, April 8)

Alonso beats pole-sitter Felipe Massa to the first corner and does not look back, while Hamilton claims a stunning second by holding off Raikkonen in the closing stages.

Pts: 1 Alonso 18; 2 Raikkonen 16; 3 Hamilton 14; 4 Heidfeld 10.

BAHRAIN GP (Manama, April 15)

Hamilton secures a place in Formula One history by becoming the first driver to finish on the podium in his first three races as he is again runner-up, this time behind Massa who leads from pole to flag. With Raikkonen third and Alonso fifth, there is a three-way lead at the top of the standings.

Pts: 1st= Alonso, Raikkonen, Hamilton 22; 4 Massa 16.

SPANISH GP (Barcelona, May 13)

Hamilton finishes second for the third consecutive race to take sole possession of the championship lead behind winner Massa, who endures a first-corner duel with Alonso. On home soil, the Spaniard can only finish third, while Raikkonen retires after just nine laps with an electrical fault.

Pts: 1 Hamilton 30; 2 Alonso 28; 3 Massa 27; 4 Raikkonen 22.

MONACO GRAND PRIX (Monte Carlo, May 27)

Another second for Hamilton, but this time contentiously as he is told by his team not to attack winner Alonso, sparking a furore after the race regarding team orders. Massa comes home third, and Raikkonen eighth after a mistake in qualifying led to him starting 16th.

Pts: 1= Alonso, Hamilton 38; 3 Massa 33; 4 Raikkonen 23.

CANADIAN GP (Montreal, June 10)

Hamilton finally claims his maiden win from a debut pole, while behind him chaos ensues in an incident-packed race in which Robert Kubica escapes with only concussion from a horrifying smash in his BMW Sauber. Team-mate Nick Heidfeld finishes second and Alexander Wurz is third in his Williams. Raikkonen can only claim fifth and Alonso seventh, while Massa is black-flagged.

Pts: 1 Hamilton 48; 2 Alonso 40; 3 Massa 33; 4 Raikkonen 27.

UNITED STATES GP (Indianapolis, June 17)

Hamilton again wins from pole to flag, leading Alonso over the line. The Spaniard at one stage is seen shaking his fist as he darts across to the pit wall, unhappy at not being allowed to challenge his team-mate. Massa and Raikkonen come home third and fourth.

Pts: 1 Hamilton 58; 2 Alonso 48; 3 Massa 39; 4 Raikkonen 32.

FRENCH GP (Magny-Cours, July 1)

Ferrari claim their first one-two for 15 grands prix as Raikkonen beats Massa after winning a pit-stop battle, but Hamilton extends his championship lead as he finishes on the podium for the eighth successive race. Alonso is only seventh after starting 10th due to a gearbox problem in qualifying.

Pts: 1 Hamilton 64; 2 Alonso 50; 3 Massa 47; 4 Raikkonen 42.

BRITISH GP (Silverstone, July 8)

Hamilton thrills his home fans by securing pole, but is unable to add to their delight by taking victory as Raikkonen wins back-to-back races for the first time in two years. A poor pit stop and poor tyre choice results in Hamilton finishing third behind Alonso, with Massa fifth.

Pts: 1 Hamilton 70; 2 Alonso 58; 3 Raikkonen 52; 4 Massa 51.

EUROPEAN GP (Nurburgring, July 22)

Hamilton sustains only a bruised chest after a 175mph smash in qualifying that means him starting 10th. Rain early in the race sees him slide into the gravel, only to be helped back on by a crane. But he can only finish ninth - and off the podium for the first time - as Alonso claims a crucial win ahead of Massa, barging the Brazilian out of the way four laps from home. Pole man Raikkonen retires again with hydraulic failure.

Pts: 1 Hamilton 70; 2 Alonso 68; 3 Massa 59; 4 Raikkonen 52.

HUNGARIAN GP (Budapest, August 5)

Controversy reigns as Alonso is dropped from pole to sixth on the grid after stewards declare he deliberately impeded Hamilton in the pits during qualifying. Hamilton wins from pole to flag again ahead of Raikkonen, with Heidfeld third and Alonso fourth. Massa trails home 13th after starting 14th due to qualifying problems.

Pts: 1 Hamilton 80; 2 Alonso 73; 3 Raikkonen 60; 4 Massa 59.

TURKISH GP (Istanbul, August 26)

Another one-two for Ferrari, this time with Massa leading the way from Raikkonen, with Alonso third and Hamilton settling for fifth after his right-front tyre shreds 15 laps from home when on course for six points.

Pts: 1 Hamilton 84; 2 Alonso 79; 3 Massa 69; 4 Raikkonen 68.

ITALIAN GP (Monza, September 9)

A McLaren one-two for the fourth time this season as Ferrari are thrashed on home soil. Alonso comfortably beats Hamilton to the line, though, to close the gap to just three points. Raikkonen trails in third, while Massa retires early with a suspension problem.

Pts: 1 Hamilton 92; 2 Alonso 89; 3 Raikkonen 74; 4 Massa 69.

BELGIAN GP (Spa, September 16)

Ferrari re-assert their dominance with their third one-two in seven races, with Raikkonen claiming his fourth win of the season ahead of Massa, while Alonso again beats Hamilton for the third successive race, with the duo third and fourth.

Pts: 1 Hamilton 97; 2 Alonso 95; 3 Raikkonen 84; 4 Massa 77.

JAPANESE GP (Fuji, September 30)

A rain-drenched, incident-hit race sees Hamilton take his fourth win of the season and an apparent stranglehold on the championship as Alonso crashes out 25 laps from home. Heikki Kovalainen claims the first podium of his career by finishing second ahead of fellow Finn Raikkonen, while Massa's slim title hopes end as he is sixth.

Pts: 1 Hamilton 107; 2 Alonso 95; 3 Raikkonen 90; 4 Massa 80.

CHINESE GP (Shanghai, October 7)

Hamilton takes pole position and looks set to clinch the title only to skid off the track at the entrance to the pitlane due to badly depleted rear tyres. To make matters worse, Raikkonen wins with Alonso second to make it a three-way battle for the title in the final race in Brazil.

Pts: 1 Hamilton 107; 2 Alonso 103; 3 Raikkonen 100; 4 Massa 86.

BRAZIL GP (Interlagos, October 21)

Hamilton takes second on the grid, ahead of Alonso and Raikkonen, only for his two title rivals to pass him within seconds of the start. The Briton spins off, rejoining the race in eighth, and loses further ground after a gearbox problem on lap seven. Raikkonen drives a perfect race, taking the grand prix and the title, with Hamilton and Alonso finishing a point adrift.

1 Raikkonen 110; 2 Hamilton 109; 3 Alonso 109; 4 Massa 94.