biggest f1 controversy of all time

The F1 Controversy: Recall The Most Heated Debates

Imagine yourself in the sport of astonishing speeds, and think about the awards of millions of dollars, though your future is at stake, being decided in less than 2 hours! Would you be able to make the right decisions quickly? Whether accepting the defeat will be an easy thing? Would you dare to scheme against the rules? That is all about the Formula 1 world. Like machines, people here must act fast and correctly without space for mistakes. But it is just the expectation, while in reality, even a tiny mistake or a high ambition may stir up long-term contravene. Therefore, controversy has been Formula 1’s part and parcel over the years. With many different beliefs, some incidents leave you without a direct answer. From a lucky coincidence to disqualification and fierce rivalries, let’s dive into the puzzles, recalling the most heated debates among F1 contentions that still leave with questions.

Gilles Villeneuve vs. Didier Pironi: The Rivalry With Bad Ending

So, it is not a secret that Formula 1 was a deadly hazardous sport near its origins, while the drivers at that time were head ahead in their stubbornness and fearlessness. 

Ferrari drivers Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi were among those. Their story has to start with the race in San Marino in 1982; otherwise, the dispute would be incomplete. 

So, what could be the simplest for placing 1-2 drivers than to finish in front of Ferrari’s home fans? But it couldn’t be.

With the table ‘SLOW,’ Ferrari notified race leader Villeneuve and, following second, his teammate Pironi not to attack each other, but each one understood the order variously.

Villeneuve was sure it was to hold his lead. So, when Pironi overtook him, Gilles thought his teammate was merely playing to the crowd and took ahead again. It was supposed to be finished this way, but Pironi changed his mind. With a powerful charge, he overtook Villeneuve and won the San Marino race on the last lap.

Who was right, Villeneuve or Pironi? You will find yourself more puzzled if you know how this rivalry finished.

Frustrated, Villeneuve left the event before the awards ceremony began. With didn’t say a word, he decided to settle accounts on the following Belgian Grand Prix.

Villeneuve vs. Pironi f1 controversy
Gilles Villeneuve Imola” by Ideogibs, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Belgian Grand Prix 1982

So, Pironi took 6th in qualifying – just one-tenth of a second faster than Villeneuve, who went to the last attempt. As a hurdle, slow Jochen Mass got ready to pass Gilles ahead and moved to the right, but Villeneuve also turned right. After hitting Mass’s car, he went into the air at 225km/h.

It was airborne for more than 100 meters before nosediving into the ground. Still strapped to a seat, Villeneuve was alive but suffered a fatal fracture of the neck.

The drivers, teams, and officials clashed over who was to blame for the tragedy. After a while, FISA (FIA) found it was Villeneuve’s fault.

It was a loud F1 controversy, while the stumbling block is that many believe Gilles was pushing too hard in an attempt to beat Didier.

Niki Lauda and James Hunt f1 controversy
Niki Lauda – and James Hunt ” by Martin Lee from London, UK, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

The British Grand Prix 1976: Hitting The Red Line

Another controversial pair of F1 drivers were Niki Lauda and James Hunt, whose duel formed the basis of the action drama Rush and promoted Formula 1 to the top of the racing sport in the 1970s. 

However, I reflect on the British Grand Prix 1976, as it is difficult to imagine something the same may happen these days. 

With qualified in second place, James Hunt dropped back after a poor start. Clay Regazzoni lunged up and broke the rear wheel of Niki Lauda’s car, forcing the multiple vehicles to smash into each other, catching Hunt in the chaos. 

Red flags stopped the race. Puzzled stewards claimed the drivers who had completed the first lap could restart the race. Lauda and Hunt were ready to restart, as both completed the first lap. 

But the controversy arose surrounding Hunt, who had taken a shortcut back to the pits and technically had not crossed the finish line. It meant the disqualification for Hunt, but British F1 fans were so furious that officials had no choice. They allowed Hunt to restart the race on the repaired McLaren, which was far from fair.

What made it more debatable was that Hunt won the race. McLaren’s rivals protested, but the FIA rejected them. 

Compared with these days, it was as if Lewis Hamilton’s fans were unhappy with the results of the final Abu-Dhabi race, and stewards were ‘right, why not, let it be Hamilton a winner.’ Let’s take this flashback. 

2021 F1 Abu Dhabi Controversy

The final race of the 2021 season in Abu Dhabi sets the top of the biggest controversies in Formula 1 of all time, as it was the mix of unclear regulation, emotional excitement, and human factor – the perfect template of Formula 1. 

So, it was a decisive battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton was on the way to getting the 8th title, while Verstappen for the first one.

It was the two fastest cars on the grid. Red Bull had better downforce, while Mercedes had a higher average speed and were on different racing strategies

Hamilton immediately overtook pole sitter Verstappen and kept saving his tires. Still, Nicholas Latifi’s crash on lap 50 led to the safety car gathering all the racers, equaling Hamilton and Verstappen with a few lapped cars between them. 

f1 abu dhabi controversy explained
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix” by Hannah Webb, licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

Michael Massi’s Fault

Despite the option to change tires, Mercedes chose to Hamilton saved his position, but Verstappen’s Bull rushed to the pit. With FIA race director Michael Massi restarted the race on lap 56, he ordered to pass the lapped cars between them, resulting in Lewis losing the victory, as Max’s new soft allowed him to overtake Hamilton and win the championship title.

With setting in the top of the greatest F1 races, the crucial point of the debates about the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was why Mercedes didn’t opt for Hamilton’s new tires and why Masi asked to pass the lapped cars between these two only. 

The FIA found it was Masi’s human fault. However, it cost a lot, as he was forced to retire due to a big scandal. However, Masi was often blamed for operating unclear rules, while this pair had pushed him under fire long before Abu Dhabi.

saudi arabia f1 controversy explained
2023 F1 CourseLayout Saudi-Arabia” by ごひょううべこ, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Saudi Arabia Controversy 

At the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix’s first appearance in Formula 1 in 2021, Verstappen and Hamilton made such twists that the community called FIA the Mafia for a while. 

It was not enough that the Jeddah Corniche Circuit had a dangerous layout. Verstappen came to Saudi to extend his eight-point advantage, while Mercedes drivers were more comfortable at the track.

Soon after the start, Mick Schumacher crashed his car and red-flagged the race, heating the tension on the grid. So, restarting the race on lap 15 launched a massive mess. 

Verstappen had cut Turn 2 to lead, while Sergio Perez lost the car, and Charles Leclerc got the blow from Perez. With many rules breaking, the drivers ran like tense lava, led by Verstappen, Hamilton, and Esteban Ocon. Instead of deciding fast on the penalty, Masi ordered to stop the race, referring to debris at the circuit. 

However, it was still a problem to decide, and the FIA race director suggested Verstappen pass the position to skip raced 3d Ocon. In contrast, Red Bull agreed to omit him but not 2d Hamilton. Masi repeated the suggestion and asked to pass two cars. The following restart, Verstappen went into the battle 3d but quickly led the grid until Vettel and Tsunoda collided on lap 23. 

The drivers complained about much oil and debris at the circuit, but rather than stop the race, Masi claimed the VSC until Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel collided soon. Racers cut turns and violated track limits like all forgot any rules are being to be. 

The FIA Stood Outside

The controversy of Saudi Arabia’s race lies under unlogical decisions that Michael Masi made, while the main problem was that FIA wanted to avoid putting themselves between Mercedes and Red Bull, which accepted it as impunity.

Thus, Hamilton eventually overtook Verstappen in the battle for the lead, but Max pushed Hamilton off the track and Masi asked Red Bull again to return the position, threatening the penalty. However, the Bulls weren’t ready to give the victory. So, Verstappen made a hard brake for Hamilton to take the lead position back, but Hamilton didn’t understand such a gesture as Mercedes didn’t notify Lewis, resulting in Hamilton clashing with Verstappen.

However, Hamilton won the race, while Verstappen was penalized twice, but was it fair? And where is the action limit hidden that FIA had to control and not? That is the F1 controversy in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that loops my mind again with questions.

silverstone hamilton and verstappen controversy explained
2021 British Grand Prix” by Jen Ross, licensed under CC BY 2.0

Silverstone Clash

But as I recall the battles between Verstappen and Hamilton, their clashing at the British Grand Prix 2021 was a considerable contravene.

Engaging in the significant duel of the past decade, the tension between the two was so high that often both made weird mistakes. So, it is unlikely you can call the British Grand Prix in 2021 rich for thrills, except for the clash between them at the opening lap. 

Hamilton aimed to pass ahead of Verstappen. With speeds over 300km/h, they were so close that two cars contacted, throwing Verstappen’s Red Bull into the wall with a stunning F1 G-force of 51G!

Their collision in Silverstone divided Formula 1’s Paddock into two opposing viewpoints among the drivers, fans, and pundits, while the FIA pointed to Hamilton’s fault.

As for the most controversial duel of all time in Formula 1; it was the iconic rivalry between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. 

senna vs prost controversy explained
Senna and Prost on the podium, Montreal 1988 (Cropped)” by Angelo Orsi/ licensed under CC BY 2.0

Senna vs Prost: All Year Long Confronting

In 1989, these two were friends, but as often happens, everything had changed since they became teammates at McLaren, and the rising feud had begun escalating beyond their control.

It started when 34-year-old Alain Prost publicly complained about 29-year-old Senna’s aggressive driving. Although, it was just the tip of the iceberg fans saw, launching to change the championship’s layout. Besides other races, the Japanese Grand Prix was high tensioned that decided the title in both 1989 and 1990 years. 

So, on the Japanese GP 1989, Ayrton Senna was fastest in qualifying while Prost took second, but Prost turned into Senna’s car on lap 47 and threw him off the track. Senna returned to the pits to repair his McLaren, but it was decided to disqualify him, resulting in Prost becoming Formula 1 champion in 1989. 

All hell broke loose with heated debates. Was Prost’s victory fair, and was Senna’s disqualification unfair? The FISA (FIA) president, Jean-Marie Balestre, had clouded these questions. 

Senna had pointed out Balestre favoring Prost, and McLaren agreed. Prost left the team and joined Ferrari. Although their paths diverged, the battle between them continued.

Prost–Senna

The controversy between Prost and Senna was both were talented but stubborn at the bones, even if they weren’t right and if it was dangerous for both, no one was ready to give in. However, that was the golden age of Formula 1, whereas ‘push hard’ literally was the task.

So, on the Japanese Grand Prix in 1990, Senna took pole in Saturday’s qualifying, but he was furious. The polesitter would start on the dirty inside of the grid, while with a cleaner side, Prost aimed to start second.

With the Ferrari teammate Gerhard Berger, Senna went stewards to request a change of position to the clean side. Moreover, the stewards initially agreed, but Jean Marie Balestre rejected the decision later that night. 

With each one placed in the original positions, everything was ready for the race at Suzuka, but Senna vowed that if Prost entered the first corner first, they would not both exit it. The prophecies tend to come true. 

Prost got the better start on the clean side of the track, extending his lead as they swept into the first corner. As soon as he lifted in, Senna blocked into the back of Prost’s Ferrari at about 240km/h. Two cars crashed over the barriers in turn one’s gravel trap, and Senna won the title of Formula 1 champion in 1990.

After the race, Prost labeled his rival a ‘disgusting’ man. However, he had a reason. Senna was blamed for his unsporting attitude, but after all, did Prost do the same to Senna a year ago the same?

Eventually, Senna said: ‘Nobody motivates me among the other drivers like you do.’ It is the most notable quote from Ayrton Senna about their rivalry.

michael schumacher controversies in formula 1
Michael Schumacher 1994 Silverstone” by Martin Lee/ licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

‘The Most Unsporting Moment in Formula 1’

As a transparency-regulated sport, Formula 1 did not become so soon. Even in Michael Schumacher’s era, there were many contentions.

It is nothing could shadow the greatness of the seven-time Formula 1 champion, but that is how BBC Sport nominated the incident between Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill in Adelaide – the Australian Grand Prix in 1994. 

It was the season’s finale, and the tension was palpable as both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships were at stake.

Schumacher placed second and Hill third, while Nigel Mansell led the grid in Saturday’s qualifying. Soon, Schumacher took the lead, but Hill aimed to make his breakthrough on lap 36.

Hill had already caught Schumacher, but Michael threw his Benetton car off. Schumacher hit a wall with his right side wheels and pulled back onto the track to drive into the Williams’ front left suspension wishbone.

Both retired and failed to score points, but Schumacher secured the Formula 1 championship title in 1994, as he had a score advantage in drivers’ standings.

The controversy of the incident in Adelaide lies under a small detail – the technical malfunction of Schumacher’s car. So, despite it being Michael’s fault, the results weren’t so evident. 

Schumacher maintained that it was a racing incident, while Hill revealed his truth after the years. He explicitly accused Schumacher of deliberately driving into him to win. However, the entire 1994 Formula 1 season was full of controversies, from illegal fuel fillers to using traction control during practice. 

The Locking Wheel

The incident at the Monaco Grand Prix in 2006 had a similar pattern to Adelaide, as it also related to the technical malfunction of Schumacher’s car. 

So, it was Schumacher’s final season with Ferrari, and he fought for the championship against young Spaniard Fernando Alonso from Renault. The vital point to win in Monaco is to win the qualification because the starting position is decisive on narrow streets. 

Thus, in the final session, Schumacher had the fastest time, but when Alonso ran two-tenths of a second faster, Michael slid into and stopped his car against the barriers, bringing out the yellow flags and halting the progress of Alonso’s Renault.

The heated debates hadn’t stopped. Schumacher explained that he had made a mistake and locked a wheel, but there was a stumbling block. Why did Schumacher park the car instead of moving it off the line? No less controversial was that he lost control racing at 16km/h!

The FIA rejected the defense and sent Ferrari drivers to the back of the grid. However, former driver Keke Rosberg labeled the incident ‘the cheapest, dirtiest thing‘ he has ever seen in Formula 1.

Alonso won the race, with Juan-Pablo Montoya’s McLaren and David Coulthard’s Red Bull completing the podium. 

alonso shumacher controversy in formula 1
Fernando Alonso – Renault R26 – Monaco Grand Prix 2006.jpg” by Polmars; is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5

Hitting The Wrong Part

However, the case doesn’t diminish the greatness of Michael Schumacher because he is the greatest-ever Formula 1 driver. But reflecting on debatable moments in the sport relating to Schumacher, another one comes to mind.

At the European Grand Prix 1997, Schumacher was desperate to be Ferrari’s first champion. 

Schumacher, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, and Jacques Villeneuve finished Saturday’s qualifying session at similar times – 1:21.072. Villeneuve started on the pole, as he was the first to complete a lap. Being second, Schumacher was enough to finish ahead of Villeneuve to win the championship title.

Schumacher immediately overtook Villeneuve at the start, but the son of legend Gilles wasn’t ready to give up and started the hard pressure. 

Villeneuve had been on Scumacher’s heels for 47 laps and aimed to overtake Ferrari on lap 48. He lunged up the inside of Schumacher, but Michael turned in and crashed his Ferrari’s front wheel into the sidepod of Villeneuve’s Williams.

Schumacher ended the European Grand Prix in the gravel trap, ruining his title aspirations. Villeneuve finished third and became Formula 1 champion.

The FIA found it was Schumacher’s fault but allowed to keep his wins. In response to the accident, Martin Brundle said, ‘That didn’t work Michael. You hit the wrong part of him, my friend.’

shucmacher and barrichello controversy in formula 1
2002 Bbarrichello Ferrari” by Rick Dikeman is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Unnecessary Order 

Last but not least, a controversial moment in Formula 1 occurred between Schumacher and his teammate Rubens Barrichello at the Austrian Grand Prix in 2002. It was a drama that still raised many questions.

Polesitter Barrichello led the race ahead of Schumacher, Heidfeld, Ralf Schumacher, Montoya, and Coulthard at the end of the first lap.

The Brazilian was faster. So, he ran the final turn when Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn informed Schumacher that Barrichello would yield to him.

Barrichello initially refused to budge but was forced to comply with Ferrari’s instructions in the final 50 meters. He defiantly pushed hard, braked, and let Schumacher win the fourth victory consecutively.

Barrichello was just 0.182 seconds behind in second position. The press and fans were not pleased, as Ferrari didn’t need to interfere.

At the podium ceremony, suitably awkwardly, Schumacher broke protocol by insisting Barrichello take the top step on the podium and then handing him the winner’s trophy.

Nevertheless, it was still bittersweet, as what was more annoying, Rubens Barrichello pulling over or Ferrari asking for it?

However, the most heartbreaking actions happen between two teammates in one team, causing a strategy game.

biggest f1 scandals of all time alonso and hamilton controversy
Hamilton – Alonso 2007” by Mark McArdle from Canada is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Alonso vs Hamilton: Strategy Game Inside McLaren

It is not a secret that Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton are far from friends, but fewer people know how far. Moreover, even a few remember the origins of such relations between these two. Let’s fill this gap.

The 2007 Formula 1 season started with the battle between McLaren and Ferrari for the constructor championship, and that was the only season Alonso spent alongside Hamilton in the team – McLaren. Therefore, the plans to outdo Ferarri had taken a back seat from race to race, but the Hungarian Grand Prix sparked a chain.

According to the team’s plan, Alonso went to the pits first during the qualification, but Hamilton decided not to wait his turn. McLaren ordered Hamilton to let Alonso pass, but Briton ignored, resulting in both drivers going together to the pits to change their tires for the final in Q3. 

Alonso reached the box first and changed the tires, but he stopped the car for 10 seconds, causing Hamilton couldn’t complete the final lap. Team principal Ron Dennis was furious at Alonso’s engineer. You can read the entire story in TheJudge13.com’s insights.

So, Alonso got a five-place grid penalty after qualifying, while Hamilton won the Grand Prix, but the incident played its worthy role, as the following launched another F1 controversy that led McLaren to miss out on the title.

scandals in formula 1 spygate
Martin Whitmarsh and Ron Dennis” by nic_r is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Spygate

It was the continuation of the above or the result of Hamilton and Alonso’s team-mating.

Thus, Alonso was furious with the penalty and Lewis’ behavior, as he understood that team principal Ron Dennis couldn’t change Briton’s mind.

Ironically, at that time Ferrari already sent allegations previously. They blamed the ex-head of Performance Development, Nigel Stepney, for passing technical specs to a McLaren engineer.

The FIA opened an investigation, but with no evidence, McLaren didn’t gain any penalties.

As for Alonso, speaking to McLaren’s principal, he asked to treat him fairly and threatened to send Dennis’s email exchanges with test driver Pedro de la Rosa as evidence that McLaren employees obtained confidential information from Ferrari and Renault.

Dennis decided to outdo Alonso and contact the FIA president Max Mosley first, blaming his driver’s evidentiary material as empty, but Mosley was sure the Spaniard had reasons for it and relaunched the investigation.

In December 2007, McLaren CEO Martin Whitmarsh admitted that certain employees had access to Ferrari’s technical information. McLaren got a $100 million fine, which today remains the biggest in the sport’s history.

Nigel Stepney was found guilty of ‘sabotage, industrial espionage, sporting fraud and attempted serious injury’ in an Italian court. In 2014, after having worked in GT racing for some time, Stepney died in an unexplained incident on the M20.

During his F1 career, Fernando Alonso has been repeatedly at the epicenter of hot debates. However, the gates of hell opened by contention in the 2008 season, or so-called ‘Crashgate.’

The Worst Controversy in Formula 1

The ‘Crashgate‘ is the biggest F1 scandal because what happened at the Singapore Grand Prix 2008 decided the future of a hundred people, and that wasn’t a better fate, devastating for the Renault team and its management.

Alonso and his teammate for Renault, Nelson Piquet Jr., failed qualifying sessions and were forced to start the race at fifteenth and sixteenth. Then Renault decided foul play. 

So, when Alonso pulled on his early pit stop on lap 12, Piquet deliberately crashed his Renault R28 into the wall outside of turn 17 on lap 14, causing the safety car and most drivers to head to the pits.

Therefore, with his new tires, Alonso took over the lead and won the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, causing Felippe Massa to lose his chance to win the championship. No one would ever know the truth if not for the conflict inside the Renault team.

Remembering this race, I was puzzled with no reason for the crash, why, and how it happened.

The Truth Came Out

The following 2009 year, Piquet started poorly. By the tenth race, he hadn’t any points, and Renault replaced him with Romain Grosjean.

Piquet Jr. wanted to save his career and rushed to criticize the team and Flavio Briatore, while his father revealed to the world that the incident was the efforts of Briatore and Renault’s engineering director Pat Symonds. That is how the truth about Crashgate came in.

The FIA started an investigation, and Renault was charged with conspiracy. Nelson Piquet Jr. ruined his Formula 1 career. He moved to NASCAR and won the first Formula E championship. Flavio Briatore left racing, and Symonds took over Formula 1 as Chief Technical Officer.

ferrari f1 controversy vettel and leclerc
FIA F1 2019 Ferrari” by Lukas Raich/ licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

The Brazilian Drama

As for the teammates’ drama, Sebastien Vettel and Charles Leclerc had an explosive partnership in Formula 1 history since Senna and Prost.

Moreover, history has been repeatable. Vettel moved to Prancing Horse in 2015 to take the fifth championship title in his childhood dream team – Ferarri, while the young and talented Leclerc joined in 2019 and ‘swung’ the team away from Vettel.

Their heartbreaking actions against each other turned at its peak at the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2019.

Vettel qualified second after Max Verstappen, while placed forth Leclerc received a 10-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota for power unit components. On lap 11, however, Leclerc had already climbed to sixth place. Nearly to the finish, on lap 66, Charles aimed to overtake Sebastian in turn 1 for fourth position, but Vettel tried to take the position back, causing the collision.

Both retired from the race with terminal damage. Leclerc suffered a broken suspension, while Vettel got a puncture.

The Brazilian Grand Prix 2019 controversy was: did Vettel make the error intentionally, or if it was a mistake?

Nevertheless, the debate around Ferrari did not stop, as Carlos Sainz became Leclerc’s teammate for the 2021 season.

Ferrari Logical’s Lack

The complaints about Ferrari’s racing strategy started in 2019. In some terms, it related to Leclerc and Vettel’s rivalry, when the team struggled with weird mistakes at crucial moments.

However, even when Vettel left the team, the problem remained and became more evident in the pair Leclerc-Sainz.

Thus, the Formula 1 2022 season Ferrari started with favor, as Mercedes drivers had been struggling with cars bouncing and Red Bull faced reliability issues.

Sainz and Leclerc had all the cards to take the two titles: drivers and constructors, but the team strategy cliffed those off. The problems inside the team are good to watch at the apocalyptic British Grand Prix in 2022.

At Silverstone, Sainz led from the pole, while Leclerc ran third after Max Verstappen. By the middle of the race, both took one-two, with Leclerc stepping on Sainz’s heels. It was logical to pass Leclerc ahead because he claimed to be the world champion. What did in Ferrari? They had puzzled with hesitations because such a move would undermine Sainz’s confidence.

The crowds started to roar as the dilemma became apparent – Leclerc was faster, which the team continued to ignore.

Spent too much time thinking, Ferrari lost again, as Hamilton overtook trapped Leclerc for third place on lap 31. Sainz won the British Grand Prix in 2022, while Leclerc finished only fourth.

The relations between Leclec and Sainz recall one of the significant among team orders – ‘Multi 21.’

‘Multi 21’

The code ‘Multi 21’ meant racers maintained positions, whereas Car number 2 (Webber) would finish ahead of Car number 1 (Vettel) in the race. ‘Multi 21’ was the order aimed to save drivers from unnecessary risks.

At Red Bull Racing, Mark Webber’s dueling with young Sebastian Vettel was one of the team’s biggest headaches.

Vettel was a star who emerged from Red Bull’s in-house driver academy and had already led the team to three consecutive titles from 2010-12, while Webber crashed out of the Korean Grand Prix in 2010, destroying his chance to the title.

With many hotly debated races, it was the controversial Malaysian Grand Prix 2013, where F1 fans witnessed the mythical ‘Multi 21’ order.

Thus, Vettel started from pole position, but Webber took the lead immediately. Nearing its end, Bulls asked Vettel to hold the ‘multi 21,’ but he defied and passed Webber to snatch the victory from the Australian on lap 36. 

Controversy under ‘multi 21’ lies under the tiny edge of what is allowed and not in Formula 1.  

best f1 controversie of all time multi 21
Sebastian Vettel overtaking Mark Webber 2013 Malaysia” by Morio/ licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Verstappen-Perez Controversy

The contravene relations between Sergio Perez and teammate Red Bull Max Verstappen touched the hearts of many fans because, giving everything, Perez sacrificed his ambitions to help Verstappen become a world champion. However, when Perez needed Verstappen’s small help to claim second against Lewis Hamilton in the drivers’ standings, Max refused any actions. 

So, it happened at the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2022, when Verstappen’s engineer Gianpiero Lambiase asked Max to surrender his position so that Sergio could have two extra points in the championship battle with Leclerc. But Verstappen vehemently responded: ‘I told you already last summer—you guys don’t ask that again to me, ok?’

An awkward silence fell in the room. Even Perez repeated the ask, but it didn’t help as Verstappen was steadfast, resulting in Perez finishing the season third. Mexican F1 driver was just those three points behind second Leclerc. 

Who was right in Sao Paulo? Verstappen, who got used to gaining maximum from the car, or Perez, who aimed to get any support from a teammate? The puzzle is still incomplete, as the tension is still rising between these two. 

The Budget Cap

However, the Red Bull’s budget cap is the most undervalued controversy in Formula 1. Verstappen could lose his title and Red Bull theirs, but the scandal deflated soon.

So, Red Bull easily won the 2022 championships, but after a few investigations, FIA found the team had a budget cap of over $2 million!

Converting money to the racing advantage was more than a significant amount, but they got off easy.

Despite the community calling for the FIA to take the championship back from the team, the Federation fined the Bulls $7 million and reduced their budget by 10 percent for the 2023 season. 

Although, among all the teams in Formula 1, one got lucky to avoid a substantial penalty. The Racing Point (Aston Martin).

best f1 controversies pinky mercedes racing point
Racing Point RP20 / Sergio Pérez / Mex / BWT Racing Point F1 Team” by Renzopaso/ licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Pinky Mercedes’s Case

The ‘Pinky Mercedes’ was what the Formula 1 community called Racing Point’s new RP20 car, as the color was the only thing that made them different from Mercedes’s car.

The pinky controversy was that Racing Point spent all its budget on copying the most successful car-winning Mercedes, but technically, they didn’t violate the rules, as they had designed the car themselves.

However, the first to protest was the Renault team. They noticed the RP20’s rear brake ducts were identical to the Mercedes. Ferrari and McLaren required the FIA to clarify the regulations.

The FIA decided that Racing Point had received Mercedes’ CAD drawings of the brake ducts and assigned a fine €400,000 and cliffed off Racing Point’s 15 constructors’ championship scores.

This is what was eventually decided. So, here is the story that finished with no complete figuring.

The Tire Fiasco

The tire issue made the Indianapolis Grand Prix 2005 the most controversial race of the past. 

At the time, along with Bridgestone, Michelin was another tire supplier. So, it started with the Michelin-wheeled Toyota of Ralf Schumacher crashing badly in Turn 13 due to a failure of his left-rear tire in the practice session. Schumacher ended up in the hospital after breaking his back.

Regarding safety reasons, seven teams requested the FIA to right up the chicane at the final corner, which would slow their cars down and make it safe enough to run, but the Federation denied the ask.

No wonder that the following day, 14 Michelin-wheeled cars were pulled into the pits at the end of the formation lap due to safety concerns, causing only six cars to compete in the race.

The fans’ crowds were booing, and littering the track. Go figure out who was at fault, as the advantage of one meant the disadvantage for the rest. 

Although it wasn’t the worst race, the Belgium Grand Prix in 2021 was in a league of its own.

most heated f1 controversies belgian grand prix 2021
Paraderondes op Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps 2021” by Amersfoort Racing/ licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

The Belgium Grand Prix

It was better not to start the race than the approach I saw at the Belgian Grand Prix in 2021. A few days before, everyone knew hard rain was inevitable during the weekend.

So, the FIA Formula 1 race director, Michael Masi, could switch the time of the event, but instead, he decided to hold the race according to the schedule. Although, after two laps, the Grand Prix stopped for four hours due to the wet conditions. 

The weather conditions were atrocious. Fans at Spa-Francorchamps spend all the time in the rain, while teams and drivers couldn’t find what to do, waiting for the race to resume.

After the restart, the grid continued behind the safety car, resulting in the Grand Prix becoming a farce. The drivers got half of the points, while spectators gained their money back. 

The Belgian Grand Prix 2021 broke the 30-year-old record as with the only lap to race, it became the shortest in the Formula 1.

To finish our controversies, I want to recall the unpredictable Las Vegas Grand Prix.

f1 controversy Las Vegas Grand Prix case
Photo by Mia Boskovic on Unsplash

Formula 1 Las Vegas Controversy

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, as they say. They didn’t watch the Formula 1 race in Nevada in 2023, as contravene went far beyond. 

It became scandalous because of an unfair 10-place grid penalty for Carlos Sainz, who was unlucky to run over the drain cover. 

The cover left its place and launched the investigations and cancellation of opening practice. Destroying the chassis, power unit, and energy store, Sainz damaged his Ferrari for $1.5 million!

Being dropped back, Sainz started the race from 12th, but his understeering into Lewis Hamilton cliff off the chances for the podium. With regrets but without any compensation, Sainz finished 6th. 

Whether it was Sainz’s fault as he chose the wrong trajectory, or did the case in the metal water valve cover setting badly? The critics were happy. 

Despite the contentions on what was more show or the sport, the Las Vegas Grand Prix became the race of the year due to its thrilling racing actions at the track. The glitz template made a perfect complement. 

To Arguing Means to Attract the Attention

Whether it’s about the past or the future, Formula 1 is always full of contradictions.  

Making the right decisions fast, even at contentious moments, is the target goal of each one at the grid. However, the desire to be faster and better at the stunning speeds and the million dollars at stake force people to make or to avoid mistakes wilfully and not. That is the stumbling block of any stir in Formula 1. 

The governing FIA is about people who often get trapped by the race’s tension, with thousands of fans watching.

However, like it or not, debates at and even out the track attract new spectators and make Formula 1 racing a hot topic at every tip. 

Next time you argue who is to blame in the incident, remember that the scandalous Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 made a historical record as 108.7 million people watched this controversial race!