25 Biggest cheating scandals in F1 History
25. Red Bull cost cap breach - 2022
Max Verstappen and Red Bull's dominance in 2022 was questioned after FIA found the team in breach of the cost cap.
24. Toyota & Williams DSQ - 2004 Canadian GP
At the 2004 Canadian GP, Toyota and Williams had their cars disqualified for the usage of illegal brake ducts, sparking controversy across the grid.
23. McLaren Lying to Stewards - 2009 Australian GP
Lewis Hamilton and McLaren were found guilty of lying to the Stewards at the 2009 Australian GP over a Safety Car incident. It was an unnecessary and grave mistake, earning the nickname, 'Liegate.'
22. Renault mass dampers - 2006
In 2006, Renault was at its peak. The French team came up with a clever mass Damper system to get better performance. However, it was banned by the FIA after protests from teams, including Ferrari.
21. Williams Water-Cooled Brakes - 1982
Williams managed to exploit the regulations in 1982 when they filled water tanks to the car to cool the brakes. This water was dropped during the race to save weight before refilling the tanks ahead of post-race scrutineering.
20. Toyota Spy Scandal - 2004
Japanese carmaker Toyota never had a good run in F1. In the early 2000s the team was accused of receiving confidential Ferrari information from a disgruntled employee. Though, no penalty was imposed.
19. Renault brake bias - 2019 Japanese GP
Renault had both its cars disqualified from the Jaapanese GP after Racing Point protested the French team's automatic brake-bias adjuster. It was a clever trick which was deemed illegal by the FIA.
18. McLaren brake steer - 1997
McLaren brought a key innovation in 1997 that gave drivers the ability to brake one rear wheel independently through a second pendal. It was banned by the FIA after protests from Ferrari.
17. Ferrari Bargeboards - 1999 Malaysian GP
Ferrari was disqualified from the 1999 Malaysian GP for running illegal bargeboard designs. However, the Italian team managed to appeal and get the points reinstated.
16. Race start scandal - 1999
In 1999, the FIA suspected that a few teams were exploiting the race start system, notably McLaren and Ferrari. At the European GP, a false start was done which exposed all cars running this exploit.
15. Benetton Traction Control - 1994
FIA had banned driver aids in the mid 90s. However, Benetton was caught using a hidden traction control software in 1994.
14. Ferrari 2019 engine
Ferrari reached a confidential power unit settlement with the CIA in 2019 after suspicions of illegal fuel flow. The lack of transparency raised alarm bells within rival teams.
13. Ferrari team orders - 2010 German GP
Formula 1 banned team orders in the 2000s. Ferrari found a clever loophole at the 2010 German GP when Massa was simply told, "Fernando is faster than you." No one was fooled by this message.
12. Ferrari team orders - 2002 Austrian GP
Before the clever radio message, Ferrari was quite direct with team orders. Rubens Barrichello was forced to give up his victory to Michael Schumacher AG the 2002 Austrian GP by the Ferrari pitwall. This infuriated fans and led to the ban on team orders.
11. Fernando Alonso blocks Lewis Hamilton - 2007 Hungarian GP
2007 witnessed a massive rivalry between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. In Hungary, things escalated to a point when Alonso blocked Hamilton in the pitlane during qualifying. This forced the Briton to abandon his final run.
10. Michael Schumacher Parking - 2006 Monaco GP
A year before Alonso's antics, Michael Schumacher allegedly parked his Ferrari at Rascasse during the Monaco GP to block his rivals from another run. Though, he denied such claims, he was sent to the back of the grid.
9. Senna vs Prost - 1989 Japanese GP
Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost had the biggest rivalry in racing history. At the 1989 championship decider at Suzuka, Prost allegedly collided with Senna on purpose to take him out of the race and win the title.
8. Senna vs Prost - 1990 Japanese GP
A year later, Senna and Prost were in the same situation. This time it was the Brazilian driver who caused the collision. To everyone, it seemed that Ayrton Senna had just taken his revenge.
7. Schumacher vs Villeneuve - 1997 European GP
Michael Schumacher has a history of scandalous incidents. At the 1997 title decider, the German tried to collide into Jacques Villeneuve. However, Villeneuve was able to continue and win the title while Schumacher retired from the race.
6. Schumacher vs Hill – 1994 Australian GP
In 1994, Michael Schumacher took out Damon Hill at the final race in Australia. This allowed the German to claim the title, with the FIA not imposing any penalties.
5. Benetton Pit Fire - 1994 German GP
Jos Verstappen's car caught fire in the pitlane during the 1994 German GP. After an investigation, it was found that Benetton had removed a fuel rig filter illegally to have quicker stops, while risking safety.
4. Tyrrell Ballast and Fuel Scandal - 1984
Tyrrell was exposed in 1994 when its cars were found running below the minimum weight limit. The team had used a clever trick of using illegal ballast and fuel mix to increase the weight post-race. Tyrrell was disqualified from the entire season by the FIA.
3. BAR Honda Fuel Tank Scandal - 2005
BAR Honda used a secondary fuel tank in 2005 to get its cars to run under the weight limit. After this trick was exposed, FIA banned the team for two races.
2. Crashgate - 2008 Singapore GP
Renault forced Nelson Piquet to crash on purpose during the 2008 Singapore GP. This allowed Fernando Alonso's strategy to work perfectly, with the Spaniard winning the race. A year later Piquet confessed to the incident, leading to resignations and fines on Renault.
1. Spygate - 2007
McLaren was caught receiving confidential Ferrari information in 2007 by an employee at Maranello. The team was stripped of the championship points and handed a record-breaking $100 million fine. This remains the biggest scandal in the world of motor racing.
