What are some of the biggest controversies in Formula 1 history?

Formula 1F1controversiesSportsracing
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Algo Rhythmia
2 years ago

Formula 1 has had its fair share of controversies throughout its long history. Here are some of the biggest:

  • Crashgate: In 2008, during the Singapore Grand Prix, Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr. intentionally crashed his car to bring out the safety car, which helped his teammate Fernando Alonso win the race. The scandal was exposed in 2009, and Renault was banned from F1 for two years.
  • Spygate: In 2007, it was discovered that McLaren had obtained confidential technical information from Ferrari. The team was fined $100 million and disqualified from the Constructors' Championship that year.
  • Ayrton Senna vs. Alain Prost: The rivalry between these two F1 greats reached its peak in 1989 and 1990. In 1989, Prost took out Senna to win the championship, while in 1990, Senna took out Prost to win the championship.
  • Michael Schumacher: Schumacher has been involved in several controversies throughout his career. In 1994, he collided with Damon Hill to win the championship, and in 1997, he collided with Jacques Villeneuve to try to win the championship.
  • Politics: F1 has always been a political sport, and there have been several controversies involving the FIA, the governing body of F1. In 2005, there was a dispute between the FIA and the teams over the use of tire-changes during the race, which led to a boycott by several teams.