Formula 1 history is littered with drivers who dominated a season yet failed to claim the championship. Autosport's retrospective highlights four such near-misses, starting with Stirling Moss in 1958. Moss lost by a single point despite taking four wins and leading 234 laps to Mike Hawthorn's two victories and 125 laps led. Moss's Vanwall and Cooper entries proved competitive, yet Hawthorn's Ferrari 156 secured the title through superior reliability.

The following year, Tony Brooks nearly won the 1959 crown, finishing second after a 4-point deficit to Jack Brabham. Brooks' Ferrari Dino 246 delivered two wins, but race cancellations and Ferrari's absence at the British GP cost him crucial points. Jim Clark's 1967 season stands as arguably his finest non-title campaign, where he led every race after the Cosworth DFV arrived, winning four times but suffering late failures in five of nine races.

His closest rival, Graham Hill, took the 1967 title. Jackie Stewart's 1968 season, marked by tragedy after Jim Clark's death, saw him finish second after a 12-point shortfall to Denny Hulme. Stewart's mastery in wet conditions and consistent podiums couldn't overcome the season's misfortunes.