The Most Unsportsmanlike F1 Driver Moments

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Formula 1 is a sport that is known for its high-speed thrills and intense competition. The world\’s best drivers compete with the fastest cars in exotic locations around the world to offer one of the greatest spectacles of all. However, the sport is not immune to controversy and unsportsmanlike conduct, as there have been several instances where the actions of drivers and teams have caused major upheavals.

From on-track collisions and fights to team orders, these moments have caused controversy and disappointment among fans and have affected not only the outcome of races but also the reputation of the sport and its participants.

Join us as we take a look at some of the most unsportsmanlike moments in F1 and the impact they had on the sport and its fans.

1. Senna & Prost Drama At Suzuka – 1989 & 1990 Japanese GP

During the 1980s and 1990s, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost starred in what is probably the most famous rivalry in Formula 1 history. Prost was already a double world champion in 1988 when the young Senna joined McLaren to be his new teammate, who was not going to make things easy for him.

The Brazilian took the title in 1988, and the following season both drivers fought until the end for the championship. In the penultimate round, the Japanese GP, the two, collided at the last chicane on lap 46 when Senna tried to overtake Prost to take the lead. The Frenchman retired from the race, while the Brazilian, helped by the stewards, was able to continue to cross the finish line first but was later disqualified, giving the title to Prost.

At the end of the season, Prost left for Ferrari so as not to remain in the tense atmosphere of the team, although the rivalry between the two continued. A year later, at the same venue, the Japanese GP, history repeated itself, but with a different outcome. Senna started from the pole position, while Prost started second.

On Sunday, the Frenchman overtook Senna right at the start, and the Brazilian, who had not forgotten what had happened a year earlier, did not yield at the first corner, causing the two to collide and retire from the race. This controversial result made Senna a world champion, although the Brazilian did not seem very proud of what he had done.

2. Schumacher & Coulthard’s Bust-up – 1998 Belgian GP

The 1998 Belgian Grand Prix was remembered for many things, being one of the most chaotic races in history. The race was marked by heavy rain, which caused a 13-car pile-up on the first lap, in which many cars ended up wrecked, and the track was filled with debris, and in which miraculously no one was injured.

An hour later, the race resumed, with many drivers using their spare cars, and there were also some incidents. Soon, Michael Schumacher overtook Damon Hill\’s Jordan to take the lead, gaining a big advantage in a few laps, as the German had a much better pace than the rest of the grid.

On lap 25, Schumacher was going to lap David Coulthard, but when overtaking him, due to the low visibility, the German hit the rear of the McLaren, causing him to be left with only 3 wheels and causing both to retire.

Schumacher was not happy at all, and after getting his car to the pit lane, he went to the McLaren garage to look for Coulthard while shouting that he had tried to kill him. The German was stopped by Ferrari mechanics so that the fight would not go any further. The Jordan team took advantage of this controversy and achieved a 1-2 with Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher in what was the team\’s maiden win.

3. Verstappen & Ocon Clash – 2018 Brazilian GP

Max Verstappen started the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix from the fifth position but made a great comeback, and by halfway through the race, he was already leading, ahead of both Mercedes. The Dutchman had a good pace, and it looked like he was on his way to victory. However, one move changed everything.

On lap 44, when Verstappen had a lead of more than three seconds over Hamilton, Esteban Ocon, who was on softer tires, attempted to lap himself at the first corner but came into contact with the Dutchman, causing both to spin.

Because of this, Verstappen lost the lead and in the end, crossed the finish line second, while Hamilton won the race. Ocon received a penalty, but the Dutchman, who was very angry, went looking for him after the race, pushing the Frenchman on several occasions, a gesture that did not please many.

4. Senna Punches Irvine – 1993 Japanese GP

Ayrton Senna won the 1993 Japanese Grand Prix, which was a rain-affected race where the Brazilian driver stood out as one of the best in terms of racing in adverse conditions. However, most people remember that race because of an event that occurred hours after the race ended.

Senna, instead of celebrating his victory, went straight to Jordan\’s garage after the press conference. During the race, while he was leading, the rookie Eddie Irvine, who was sixth and had a good pace, was fighting against the powerful Williams of Damon Hill for fifth position and tried to unlap himself from Senna twice, almost touching the Brazilian.

That really angered Senna, who, as we said earlier, went after the Irishman after the race, claiming that he lost him 15 to 20 seconds in some dangerous maneuvers. The two had a tense conversation, which ended with Senna throwing a punch at Irvine, who tried to dodge it but ended up falling to the ground.

5. Piquet Fights Salazar After Shunt – 1982 German GP

The 1982 German Grand Prix, held at Hockenheim, left us with one of the most memorable fights in the history of Formula 1. Nelson Piquet was leading the race, and on lap 18, he was going to overtake the Chilean Eliseo Salazar, who was eighth, in a narrow chicane, but the two touched and ended up out of the race.

When he got out of the car, the impulsive Piquet went straight at Salazar and hit him, trying to punch and kick him while the Chilean looked on in bewilderment. It all remained just that, a furious fight that went beyond the track limits.

Three decades later, Salazar explained what happened that day on television in his country and revealed that it was a fight between two friends who were very fond of each other, saying that Piquet had helped him a lot during his beginnings in Formula 1.

Salazar commented that it was a mistake by both and that perhaps it was because of their close relationship that the Brazilian was so upset that he did not facilitate the overtaking. The anger between the two only lasted 5 seconds, and after that, they remained good friends.

6. Schumacher Cheats Against Hill – 1994 Australian GP

In the last race of 1994, the Australian Grand Prix, only one point separated Michael Schumacher from Damon Hill in what was a season marked by the death of Ayrton Senna, Roland Ratzenberger, and several serious accidents and controversies that occurred.

At the Adelaide Street Circuit, Schumacher qualified second, while Hill third, and in the race, the two were soon first and second, well ahead of the rest of the grid. However, on lap 35, the German did not brake hard enough in East Terrace, a left-hand corner, losing the rear of his Benetton and crashing into the wall sideways as he turned.

Schumacher rejoined the track, with the car visibly damaged, while Hill tried to overtake him at the next corner, but the German turned into him, causing a collision. The German went airborne with two wheels and ended up in the wall, while Hill headed into the pits with a puncture but ended up retiring when one of the left front suspension arms of his Williams was bent on contact.

Thus, Schumacher won the first of his seven world championships in a manner that is still widely criticized today.

7. Alonso Blocks Hamilton In The Pitlane – 2007 Hungarian GP

The 2007 season was marked by the great rivalry between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, teammates at McLaren at the time, and which, although they had everything to win the championship, ended with the self-destruction of the team, both losing the title by just one point to Kimi Räikkönen.

One of the turning points in Alonso and Hamilton\’s relationship occurred at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where although they won the race, they lost much more. The Briton arrived in Hungary leading the championship with 70 points, closely followed by the Spaniard with 68, and both Ferraris were behind, with 59 and 52 points, respectively.

On Saturday, in the last round of qualifying, Alonso was given an extra lap over Hamilton, following McLaren\’s internal code, which alternated each race between its two drivers. However, Hamilton did not respect that code and did not let the Spaniard pass, thus provisionally taking the pole position on his first attempt, ignoring the team\’s guidelines.

Alonso, not happy with his teammate\’s action, took revenge, and in the pit stop before the last attempt, he stopped for a few seconds on purpose so that Hamilton, who was waiting behind, would not have time to do a last lap and therefore improve his time.

Thus, Alonso completed a great lap and took the pole, and although the team got the first row of the grid, the tension was evident in the garage, with Ron Dennis, the team boss, very angry, who met with both drivers to discuss the situation. From that moment on, the atmosphere was broken in the team for the rest of the season.

8. Hamilton & Vette Come To Blows – 2017 Azerbaijan GP

The biggest story of the 2017 season occurred at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, when the tension between the two title contenders, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, reached its peak.

Azerbaijan was the eighth race of the season, in which Vettel arrived with a 12-point lead, which Hamilton hoped to cut in a circuit much more favorable to his Mercedes. The Briton started from the pole position, while Vettel could only finish fourth. In the race, the German soon took second place, while Hamilton retained the lead, and on lap 10, an accident caused a Safety Car.

When the race restarted, another accident brought out the Safety Car again. When the Safety Car announced it was retiring, Hamilton braked sharply to slow the pack before restarting the race, but Vettel, who had no time to react, hit the rear of the Mercedes, damaging his front wing.

The German, furious at Hamilton\’s action, got in parallel with the Briton and rammed him sideways while berating him. Hamilton continued the race without problems, although he finished fifth due to a problem with his headrest, and Vettel was penalized shortly after with a 10-second \”stop and go,\” making him fall to fourth position.

The controversy did not stop there, as it continued after the race. After defending his move, Vettel was repentant, apologizing publicly and privately to Hamilton, who, in the end, forgave him, solving the problem between the two.

9. Schumacher & Villeneuve Collide – 1997 European GP

Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve were fighting for the championship until the end in 1997, and both arrived at the last race, the European Grand Prix, held in Jerez, separated by a single point in favor of the German.

In qualifying, the two finished tied with Villeneuve\’s teammate Heinz-Harald Frentzen, all three with exactly the same time of 1:21.072. The Canadian started from the pole, Schumacher from second place, but soon took the race\’s lead.

The German led most of the race, while Villeneuve stayed second, trying to close the gap to the Ferrari driver. At turn 6 on lap 48, Villeneuve tried to overtake Schumacher, attempting an inside move, but the German made a historic maneuver, closing the gap, which ended in an accident.

While Villeneuve could stay in the race, Schumacher ended up in the gravel and retired. The Canadian eventually finished third, thus becoming the world champion. On the other hand, Schumacher was later disqualified from the championship for his maneuver, which generated a great deal of criticism.

The German was later seen at Villeneuve\’s celebration party, although many believe he did it to make himself look good in front of the media, to show that he did nothing wrong.

10. Multi 21: When Red Bull Exploded – 2013 Malaysian GP

Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel were teammates for the last time during the 2013 season. In the past, there had been tensions between the two when Vettel won his first three titles, and Webber had to settle for being the team\’s second driver.

After Australia, Malaysia was the second race of the season, in which both Red Bulls dominated from start to finish. After their fourth and final pit stop, the two Red Bull drivers were first and second, nine seconds ahead of both Mercedes.

Webber was leading, and the team sent the \”Multi 21\” order to Vettel, asking him not to attack his teammate in order to secure the 1-2. However, the German ignored the team\’s call and in the final laps, attacked Webber, leading a great battle in which Vettel finally managed to overtake the Australian on the outside of turn 4.

The Australian was really angry after the race and had an argument with the German in the cooling room. Vettel received a lot of criticism after that event and was also defended by many others, although the relationship between the two teammates eventually broke down from that point on.

11. Tension Between Hamilton & Rosberg – 2015 US GP

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were teammates at Mercedes between 2013 and 2016, a period in which the Silver Arrows began their dominant era in the category. Hamilton won the 2014 and 2015 championships, while Rosberg beat him in 2016.

Both drivers had always been good friends. However, with the passage of time, and both fighting for the championship, the relationship had some tense and controversial moments due to the great pressure they had. In the 2015 United States Grand Prix, Hamilton won his third title with 3 races to go, but something happened on the track that Rosberg did not like at all.

In the first corner, the Briton turned as late as possible, not leaving enough space for Rosberg, whom he ended up pulling off the track. The worst gesture came later when in the cooling room before the podium celebration, Hamilton took his cap with the number one as the winner of the race and threw the cap with the number two to Rosberg without even looking. The German threw it back to him angrily.

Many points to that being a turning point for Rosberg, who, after that, won 7 races in a row and beat Hamilton in 2016 for his first and only title.

12. The Rascassegate – 2006 Monaco GP

Michael Schumacher caused yet another controversy in his racing career during the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix. The German, during qualifying, set the fastest lap, thus provisionally obtaining the pole position.

Shortly after, the “Kaiser,” while the rest of the drivers were completing their final laps, ran wide at the Rascasse corner and parked his Ferrari on the exit of the corner, causing a yellow flag that put an end to the fastest lap attempt of his biggest rival, Fernando Alonso.

Schumacher claimed that he had locked up the tires, but the FIA considered that this was a tactic to secure pole position on a circuit where overtaking is difficult, sending him to the back of the grid for Sunday.

His teammate, Felipe Massa, revealed that the German had thought of that strategy before qualifying after a suggestion from Ross Brawn, Ferrari\’s technical director. Schumacher admitted a year later that he had done it on purpose.

13. Ferrari’s Team Orders – 2010 German GP

Fernando Alonso arrived at Ferrari in 2010 and soon became the Prancing Horse\’s first driver, achieving better results than Ferrari Massa. However, this did not mean that the two occasionally met on the track, where the team had to intervene.

During that season, messages from Rob Smedley, the Brazilian\’s race engineer at Ferrari, became somewhat famous, the best known of all being his hidden order to let Alonso pass in the 2010 German Grand Prix:

“Felipe, Fernando is faster than you. Can you confirm you understood the message?”

Massa understood the message perfectly and let Alonso pass, who took the victory, while the Brazilian was second, which caused great controversy. Team orders had been banned in Formula 1 since Ferrari itself ordered Rubens Barrichello to let Michael Schumacher pass him in the 2002 Austrian GP, as the FIA considered that such actions discredited the category.

Therefore, from that moment on, the teams had to hide the team orders with coded messages, with phrases that could refer to the configuration of the car, such as Multi-21, in order not to be sanctioned by the FIA.

After what happened at Hockenheim, Ferrari was fined $100,000 for violating the sporting regulations. However, the FIA concluded that it could not control team orders and overturned its ban for 2011.

\"\" — Editorial credit: EFECREATA / Shutterstock.com

Conclusion

In Formula 1, we are used to seeing untouchable sportsmanship among the drivers sharing the track, and no wonder, since they are risking their lives at speeds of over 300 kph.

However, as we have seen today, the tension of competition, of going to the limit lap by lap and demanding the best of oneself, does not always bring out the best in drivers, who in extreme situations, may have reactions that they may regret later. These are just some of the clashes, maneuvers, and psychological tricks that we have remembered, but F1 is full of actions at the limit of legality and respect between teammates.