Formula One controversies

Formula One has been surrounded in controversy recently over the allegations of cheating levelled against Renault. Driver Nelson Piquet Jnr, who had his contract terminated only a few weeks ago, accused his old team of telling him to crash in order to bring out the safety car and help Fernando Alonso win. In the light of this scandal we look at some other controversies that have rocked the sport.

Senna vs. Prost 1989 Japanese Grand Prix

This race is now known as the culmination of the Prost/Senna rivalry. The two men were both driving for McLaren and collided on a corner because neither was willing to back down. Prost was forced to retire instantly but Senna after a pit stop continued the race. He managed to win the race but was then disqualified for missing the chicane as he returned to the track. There is still a lot of speculation about crash. Some think Prost was looking to crash, others think Senna was over-ambitious and some just believe it was a racing incident between team-mates who didn't like each other.

McLaren Spygate' controversy

The 2007 espionage controversy, or Spygate' as it is sometimes known, mainly involved McLaren and Ferrari. Allegations were made that McLaren had information about Ferrari and their car, which they should not have. The original allegations were settled out of court; however the second ones resulted in McLaren being banned from the Constructor's Championship and fined a record $100 million. Further controversy followed as Renault was accused of having information about McLaren and their car, however they were not punished.

Schumacher hits Damon Hill in Adelaide

During the 1994 Australian Grand Prix at the Adelaide Street Circuit Michael Schumacher crashed into Damon Hill's car as Hill tried to pass. Schumacher was forced to out of the race immediately but Hill tried to carry on before he too had to retire. The crash was labelled a racing incident and the retirements meant Schumacher won the Championship.

Schumacher collides with Villeneuve in Jerez

Schumacher, in an echo of the 1994 incident, turned into Jacques Villeneuve's car as it was alongside him on a corner at the 1997 European Grand Prix in Jerez. The damage forced Schumacher to retire but Villeneuve continued and finished 3rd to win the championship. Schumacher was disqualified from the championship for that year and had to endure widespread condemnation, with many recalling the incident with Hill.

2005 Indianapolis Grand Prix

The American Grand Prix in 2005 was a hugely controversial race because only six cars started the race. Due to safety concerns before the race over the Michelin tyres being used by every other car. Michelin advised the teams not to use the tyres. The situation was exacerbated by the 2005 rules that forbade mid-race tyre changes. The FIA were unwilling to help as it was deemed unfair on the other teams. As a result only three teams put out cars and the event was deemed farcical.

2008 Brazilian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton required a fifth place finish to ensure he won the Driver's Championship ahead of Felipe Massa. As Massa crossed the finish line Hamilton was still in sixth, causing many Ferrari fans to start celebrating. On one of the last corners Hamilton managed to pass Timo Glock securing himself fifth place and with it the Championship. The ease with which Hamilton was able to pass Glock, who appeared to almost let him through, attracted attention and anger, particularly from Ferrari fans. The incident was eventually blamed on Glock having the wrong tyres on, however for some this is still an unsatisfactory explanation.

2009 Hungarian Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso and Renault attracted attention when Alonso's front right wheel came off shortly after a pit stop. An investigation revealed that he had been allowed to leave the pits even though the wheel was loose. This incident came after Felipe Massa had been hit in qualifying by debris from Barrichello's car and suffered a serious accident. As well as this, Henry Surtees, a driver in Formula 2 had recently been killed after being hit by a wheel that had fallen off a car. Consequently Renault's action in allowing Alonso out of the pits with a loose wheel was deemed hugely irresponsible.