Formula One points leader Lewis Hamilton was a 1-year-old the last time three drivers were in contention for the overall championship heading into the final race of the season. The Englishman doesn’t want history to repeat itself.

In 1986, England’s Nigel Mansell led the standings ahead of Alain Prost and Nelson Picquet going into the Australian Grand Prix, but Mansell retired and Prost won the race to claim the title.

Two-time defending champion Fernando Alonso, who trails McLaren teammate Hamilton by four points in the standings this year, would prefer history to repeat itself. Not only does the 1986 precedent bode well for him, the Spaniard has clinched both his titles in Brazil.

In 1986, Mansell had a six-point advantage going into race in Australia, and qualified in the pole position knowing that a third place was all he needed to win the title.

Late in the race he was running second behind Piquet and looked in position to finish at least that high. But the Englishman blew a rear tire less than half a lap from the pits and a scheduled tire change at the end of the 64th lap.

Prost took over the lead when Piquet was called into the pits for a tire change after the 65th lap. The Frenchman held on to win the race and take the title by two points, making him the first driver to win back-to-back championships since Jack Brabham in 1960.

After the race, Prost said something that is unlikely to be heard from this year’s winner, especially if it’s Alonso or Hamilton, who are intense rivals.

“I feel a little bit sorry for Nigel as he really deserved this year to win the championship,” Prost said. “I know how he must feel losing the championship in the last race.”

Mansell had wanted to become the first Briton to win the title since James Hunt in 1976 and was devastated after the race.

“I’m disappointed not only for myself, but for England,” he said.

Mansell finally won the title in 1992 and Damon Hill was another English champion in 1996.

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Here is a quick look at the other seven times the title went to the final race with three drivers in contention:

n 1950, Italian Grand Prix: Alfa Romeo drivers Juan Manuel Fangio, Luigi Fagioli and Nino Farina are battling for the title in the first year of Formula One. In a complicated points system where drivers get points for a fastest lap and only the best four finishes count, Farina wins the first championship.

n 1959, U.S. Grand Prix (Sebring, Fla.): The top five finishes count now and Jack Brabham in a Cooper holds his lead over Ferrari’s Tony Brooks and BRM’s Stirling Moss.

n 1964, Mexican Grand Prix: John Surtees in a Ferrari overtakes Graham Hill in a BRM with Jim Clark in a Lotus third in the standings.

n 1968, Mexican Grand Prix: Hill in a Lotus this time wins the final race to hold off Jackie Stewart in a Matra and Denny Hulme in a McLaren.

n 1974, U.S. Grand Prix (Watkins Glen, N.Y.): McLaren’s Emerson Fittipaldi and Ferrari’s Clay Ragazzoni are even in points. Fittipaldi is the only contender to score points by finishing fourth to win the title.

n 1981, U.S. Grand Prix (Las Vegas): Carlos Reutemann in a Williams has the lead by one point over Nelson Piquet in a Brabham. Reutemann has the pole but fails to score. Piquet wins the title by finishing fifth to win by a point. Jacques Laffitte in a Ligier took third.

n 1983, South African Grand Prix: Alain Prost in a Renault is up by two points over Piquet in a Brabham. Rene Arnoux in a Ferrari was third. Piquet finishes fourth to become champion.