Without a doubt, Formula One is arguably the most prestigious motorsport event around today. In fact, it's the series that various race car drivers aspire to enter. By competing in the likes of Formula 2, Formula 3 and other race events, they hope they will get noticed by someone. More importantly, they hope that this someone would place them on one of the 10 current Formula One teams.

Throughout a series of race weekends taking place in various countries all year long, Formula One always attracts quite a crowd. It doesn't matter whether it is racing in the city or at a dessert. Everyone comes to watch Formula One. Everyone is eager to see what takes place on and off the race track.

You see, Formula One is much more than reaching the checkered flag first. It's also very much about having the best engine that can produce the fastest car. It's about having a team that can make the fastest pit stops. Every race weekend, all of these come together to produce the high-octane spectacle that is Formula One.

Still, the world of this motorsport is not all champagne and trophies. Behind the spectacle is drama, sometimes lots of it. Over the years, Formula One has seen its share of controversies, some of which remain gasp-worthy to this day. Curious to find out more? Let's take a look at the 20 Formula One controversies that we still can't stop talking about.

20 1982 San Marino Grand Prix Boycott

Nowadays, you don’t really expect to see Formula One teams and drivers gathering together to stage a boycott in the middle of a race weekend. Back in 1982, however, it was a different story. Many felt it had to be done.

1982 would go down in Formula One history as a controversial and turbulent season. The circumstances leading to the boycott began just as Formula One was moving to a race in San Marino. Prior to this, Brabham team’s Nelson Piquet had taken victory at a previous race in Brazil while Williams team’s Keke Rosberg took second place. Following their wins, both Renault and Scuderia Ferrari filed a protest against Williams and Brabham. They alleged that the cars which the race winners had used were under the minimum legal weight. Following the protest, Piquet and Rosberg were disqualified, according to a report from The Guardian.

The FIA also adjusted its weighing procedures of cars after the race. It announced that cars would be weighed before liquids were added, affecting teams using a ballast water tank for cooling brakes. The Formula One Constructors’ Association (FOCA) did not agree with this rule and instructed British-based teams to boycott the upcoming Imola race.

19 1981 Belgium Grand Prix

During the 1981 season, teams were protesting the narrow pit lane in the Zolder track in Belgium. Here, the team managers and their mechanics are forced to perched themselves on thin ledges to time their cars and hold out pit signals. This turned out to be a possibly fatal routine.

As the Friday afternoon practice session ran, mechanic Giovanni Amadeo reportedly slipped from the ledge and fell into the path of Carlos Reutemann’s car. Because the pit lane was quite cramped, there was no way Reutemann could brake or swerve to avoid him and anyone else in the pitlane, according to a report from Race Fans. In the end, Amadeo was struck by the car and died soon after.

Meanwhile, there was also an ongoing protest to reduce the maximum number of cars allowed in qualifying. However, the organizers refused and on race day, the drivers protested. They also delayed the start of the race.

As a result, several cars overheated and stalled. Seeing this, Arrows mechanic Dave Luckett went over to Riccardo Patrese’s car to help start it. During this time, the second Arrows car plowed into Patrese’s car and injured Luckett. Fortunately, Luckett managed to survive the incident.

18 Michael Schumacher vs. Jacques Villeneuve

We all know that Formula One can get quite intense. This is especially true if the drivers fighting for the championship are only separated by a handful of points. This was the case between Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve back in 1997.

Michael Schumacher was leading in the standings by a single point and the drivers were headed to Jerez for the final race of the season. Schumacher was initially ahead of Villeneuve during the race. However, Villeneuve saw an opportunity to get ahead.

According to Vice Sports, Villeneuve went to the inside of Schumacher and as he turned into a corner, so did Schumacher. Suddenly, Schumacher also applied a second turn to the steering wheel, slamming to the side of Villeneuve’s car in the process. Following this, the FIA sanctioned Schumacher and took him out of the championship.

For Villeneuve, the victory was bigger than winning a world championship. “In beating Michael Schumacher to the 1997 world title, I beat more than a driver; I beat The Establishment. That’s how it felt after Jerez; everyone had wanted Ferrari to win their first championship since ’79 and I had beaten the odds,” he wrote in an article for Formula One.

17 Michelin Scandal of 2003

Believe it or not, it’s not just the teams, the drivers and the FIA bosses that get embroiled in scandal in Formula One. Sometimes, controversies can arise from tire manufacturers too, as is the case with Michelin back in 2003.

It all began during the season’s race in Hungary when series leader Michael Schumacher ended up finishing eighth. Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso had won his first ever grand prix. As the race results came, it became clear that all cars that placed ahead of Schumacher used Michelin tires while Schumacher’s Ferrari used Bridgestone tires.

Later on, Bridgestone informed Ferrari that it believed Michelin was providing illegal front tires to its teams. The tire manufacturer believed that Michelin’s tires were of legal maximum width during inspection. However, it would develop a larger tread surface when in use, providing more grip to the car.

Learning of this, Ferrari complained to the FIA. This resulted in arguments and Michelin introducing a new tire. Following the scandal, the FIA issued a statement that brought more confusion to the issue. “The matter is now closed, and the championship can continue with all teams on an equal footing,” its statement read, according to The New York Times.

16 Alain Prost vs. Ayrton Senna

In the world Formula One, being someone’s teammate does not guarantee good relations between each other, even friendship. This was the case between champion drivers Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna when they were both driving for the McLaren team back in 1989.

As two men went into the penultimate race in Suzuka, Japan, Prost was leading Senna by 21 points. During the race, Senna started from pole position. However, it wasn’t long before Prost took the race lead, leaving Senna to desperately play catch up.

Senna knew that he had to win the Suzuka race so that he can possibly win the championship during the race in Brazil. Soon, as he was closing in on his teammate and decided to attempt an overtake by attacking Prost’s car from the inside. In the end, however, Senna’s car collided with Prost and the two cars stopped on the track.

Following this, Prost decided to climb out of the car while Senna insisted on continuing with the race. This was despite damages to his car. In the end, Senna won the race, but Prost’s complaints to the FIA earned Senna a six-month suspension, according to a report from motorsport.com. Senna nearly quit racing.

15 Ferrari Double Lap One Retirement in Singapore

What you have to understand is that Ferrari has been in Formula One for as long as the said motorsport has been around. Over the years, the team has become a formidable force, one that other teams look forward to challenging on the track each season. After all, this team has had several podium wins over the years. Equally impressive is the team’s ability to have its drivers finish the race. This is exactly why a Ferrari double retirement feels rather bizarre. It was especially surprising when both of its drivers were taken out of the race during the first lap.

The race season was in full swing and Formula One had made its way to Singapore for another race weekend. Sebastian Vettel had qualified in pole position. According to data from Race Fans, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen qualified in second. Meanwhile, Vettel’s teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, qualified in fourth. However, things immediately went wrong during race start.

As the lights illuminated green, Vettel was starting to pull away just as Raikkonen was beginning to overtake Verstappen. In the end, however, the two Ferrari cars collided with the Red Bull and the race was over for all three in an instant.

14 The McLaren-Williams "Fix" of 1997 and 1998

While 1997 proved to be a rather disastrous season for Michael Schumacher, it also proved to be a scandalous year for two Formula One teams. At one point, McLaren-Mercedes and Williams-Renault were being accused of collusion, something that both teams vehemently denied.

As you can recall, the rivalry between Schumacher and Villeneuve was quite intense at that time. Both men were determined to win the championship title. Their teams also vowed to work towards victory the best they can. And at some point during the fateful Jerez race weekend, McLaren was accused of race fixing with Williams.

According to a report from the Independent, there was an alleged pact to help ensure that Villeneuve would defeat Schumacher and achieve the Formula One championship. As a reward for their "assistance," William drivers David Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen were allegedly allowed to pass Senna so that they could claim first and second-place finishes. In addition, there was also an accusation that the drivers of the teams were instructed to protect Villeneuve from the other Ferrari driver on the track, Eddie Irvine.

The evidence brought before the teams was a leaked tape of pit to driver conversations. Nonetheless, the teams denied any wrongdoing.

13 BAR-Honda's Missing Weight Issue

Over the years, a number of teams have found it challenging to adhere to some of the regulations imposed by the FIA on the sport. This is especially true when it comes to rules with weight specifications concerning the cars. Back in 2005, this particular type of rule also brought controversy to the BAR-Honda team.

The issue began when the FIA learned that BAR drivers Jenson Button and Takuma Sato were running an underweight car during the San Marino Grand Prix. The drivers had finished in third and fifth places respectively and their cars were found to be the minimum regulation weight of 600 kg.

In the end, BAR was stripped of the 10 points it had won. To make matters worse for the team, they were also sanctioned with a six-month ban. Following the court’s ruling, BAR made it clear that it did not agree with the decision. “BAR Honda is appalled at the decision and asserts that the judgment is contrary to all of the evidence heard. The team proved it complied with the current regulations and the FIA now acknowledges that the regulations are unclear,” BAR team boss Nick Fry said in a statement, according to BBC.

12 2008 Spanish Grand Prix Racism

Back in 2008, Lewis Hamilton was still a relatively new driver on the Formula One track. Nonetheless, he was impressive. After all, he nearly won the championship during his maiden season in 2007.

The following year, Hamilton was determined to finally get a championship. Formula One’s first black driver drove excellently race after race. Many celebrated him. Many admired his driving skills. However, when Formula One came to Spain in 2008, Hamilton was met with the issue of racism.

According to a report from TIME, trouble immediately started during the test session in Barcelona. There were men wearing Afro wigs and painted faces. They wore t-shirts that said, “Hamilton’s Family.” Moreover, some fans also booed and hurled racial insults at Hamilton. They called the driver offensive names throughout the race weekend.

Because of the racial insults hurled at Hamilton while in Barcelona nearly lost its right to host a Formula One grand prix weekend, according to report from The Guardian. In response, the Spanish motorsports federation condemned the fans who racially abused Hamilton, calling the act an “absolute repulsion.” Meanwhile, the Spanish government also passed a legislation which imposes a stiffer penalty for those engaging in racism within a sport.

11 Ferrari Team Orders (Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello)

For a long time, Scuderia Ferrari dominated the Formula One championship. With seven-time world champion Schumacher as their driver, the Italian squad kept winning.

However, around this time, there was also some controversy with the team. That’s because it had become clear to everyone that Ferrari was favoring Schumacher over its other driver, Rubens Barrichello. In fact, the team would order Barrichello to let Schumacher pass to help ensure that the German driver would claim the championship.

At the Austrian Grand Prix of 2002, Barrichello was ordered (once again) to let Schumacher pass and cruise to victory. This, however, did not sit right with Schumacher at all.

Once they were at the podium, the German driver decided to hand Barrichello his trophy and the first place in the podium. “I take no joy from this victory. It was a team decision. Last year I was involved in the decision because the championship was tight. This year I did not even think about it. I did not think it would be a team strategy,” Schumacher said in an interview, according to Telegraph. “I told Rubens on the podium that hopefully we can secure the championship then go racing,” he later added.

10 Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber's Taxi Ride

Over the years, some drivers in the Formula One track end up becoming good friends. Hence, it is not unheard of for these drivers to give another driver a ride in case their car had suffered damage during the race. In fact, this ‘tradition’ goes back to 1972, according to wtf1.

Since then, these so-called ‘taxi rides’ have occurred over and over again at some point in Formula One history. Some of the drivers involved in these rides include seven-time world champion Schumacher, Prost, Senna, Niki Lauda, David Coulthard and Nelson Piquet. It’s a display of camaraderie among drivers and fans really enjoy seeing this, which is why many were surprised when Alonso and Mark Webber were penalized for doing a taxi ride in 2013.

It was the Singapore Grand Prix and Webber was forced to retire his Red Bull during the last lap because his car had run out of water and its engine also caught fire. Webber promptly got out of his car and proceeded to wave Alonso down. Seeing this, Alonso stopped and gave Webber a ride back to the pitlane. Both drivers were reprimanded for their actions as it was ruled that the stunt was unsafe.

9 Marcin Budkowski's New Renault Employment

When it comes to employment opportunities in Formula One, some crew hires tend to be more controversial than others. What you may not realize, however, is that sometimes, the most scandalous hires occur within the team executives themselves. In fact, Marcin Budkowski’s new role in Renault is one that is attracting a lot of criticism and raised eyebrows.

To find out why, you need to understand his unique background. You see, Budkowski has served in the FIA, Formula One’s governing body, for forty long years. Here, he took on the role of FIA technical chief. According to a report from BBC, he had been responsible for helping ensure that teams are always complying with car regulations. What that also means is that Budkowski has a vast knowledge of how all Formula One cars work since he was granted access to sensitive information pertaining to car design in the past.

According to Renault, Budkowski’s new role involves him overseeing “all the activities in the development and production of the chassis.” Budkowski resigned from the FIA in September 2017. His gardening leave ended three months later. Many teams are unhappy about this. They are now complaining that his leave should be longer.

8 Max Mosley Scandal

According to a report from ESPN, the scandal began when the News of the World tabloid posted video evidence showing Max Mosley engaged in sadomasochistic sexual acts. He was reportedly seen involved with prostitutes in a basement flat in Chelsea. To make matters worse, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) boss was also seen as promoting a Nazi theme in the video with participants allegedly dressed as concentration camp prisoners and Nazis, according to Jalopnik.

In response to the revelation, Mosley ended up issuing an apology for any embarrassment that it had caused to his family and the motorsport. Years later during an interview, Mosley admitted his wife never really “got over it.” He also said the rest of his family felt the same way. “The effect on my wife and family... I can't imagine anything worse than being the son of somebody and seeing those sorts of pictures in the newspaper,” Mosley remarked, according to The Telegraph.

Following the scandal, Mosley filed a lawsuit against the tabloid that exposed him. He alleged the publication invaded his privacy to destroy his credibility. In the end, the tabloid was forced to pay Mosley £60,000 in damages and £450,000 in legal fees.

7 Lewis Hamilton/Nico Rosberg Team Wars

In Formula One team, you see teams who have a set of drivers have a lot of respect for each other. They would hang out before the races and even exchange smiles with one other. However, there are also teams whose drivers simply can’t get along. Take McLaren’s Senna and Prost for example. In recent years, however, the unfriendly duo that has got everyone talking are Hamilton and former Formula One driver, Nico Rosberg.

In the beginning, the two drivers were good friends. In fact, they had even known each other for quite some time. According to a report from ESPN, the two were also teammates back when they were both doing go-kart racing. Soon after though, the two men went different paths. Eventually, they were reunited as teammates for the Mercedes team in 2013.

Gradually, you could see that the relationship between the two was deteriorating. The competition between them was intense and both were determined to win. Hamilton scored the title in 2014 and 2015.

The following year, things got more heated between the two. This especially became evident when the two crashed during the 2016 race in Barcelona. Nonetheless, Rosberg took his only world championship in 2016.

6 Sebastian Vettel's 2017 Monaco Grand Prix Win

For quite a few years now, Vettel and Raikkonen had been teammates at Scuderia Ferrari. The two have had a good relationship even before they ended up in the Italian squad together. Many would see them chatting and even hanging out before the race. Hence, no one had ever suspected that there was tension between the two men.

During the Monaco Grand Prix of 2017, however, it seems Raikkonen was anything but happy with his teammate. At that time, Vettel was fighting with Hamilton for the championship and Ferrari was determined to give the German driver every advantage possible. Unfortunately, this disadvantaged Raikkonen.

During the race, Raikkonen initially took the lead. However, Ferrari decided to give Vettel his pit stop five laps sooner. This was to be his only pitstop and the strategy worked. Vettel took the lead from Raikkonen and stayed in the lead for the remainder of the race. Meanwhile, Raikkonen found himself demoted to second place in the podium. The Finn driver wasn’t happy.

Following his victory, Vettel said he understood how his teammate was feeling. “I can understand that Kimi is not happy. I would feel 100 per cent the same,” he remarked according to Telegraph.

5 Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen Get into an Argument

During a race, things can get quite heated between drivers. This is especially true when one crashes into another, ruining the race for both of them in the process. This is exactly what happened between Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen during the 2017 season when Formula One came to Hungary for a race weekend.

As the race went on, Renault’s Hulkenberg found himself in the 11th place, right behind Haas’ Magnussen. It was the closing stage of the race and Magnussen was regaining pace after getting fresher tires. With just nine laps remaining, Hulkenberg made an attempt to pass Magnussen. As he did, Magnussen forced Hulkenberg into the grass.

As you can expect, the situation did not sit right with Hulkenberg. As a television crew was interviewing Magnussen, Hulkenberg came by and the two engaged in a verbal spat. Later on, Hulkenberg explained, “I congratulated him for being the most unsporting driver of the whole grid once again. When it comes to racing, he's just nasty,” according to a report from Autosport. “What he did there, opening up the steering, making me run wide, it's just being an arsehole basically,” Hulkenberg further said. Meanwhile, Magnussen received a five-second time penalty.

4 Sebastian Vettel - Lewis Hamilton Baku Incident

The 2017 Formula One season saw an intense rivalry between Mercedes’ Hamilton and Ferrari’s Vettel. At this point, Vettel has already been with the Italian squad for some time and was eager to end its championship drought.

On the other hand, Hamilton was determined to keep his team at the top of the standings throughout the season. During the race in Baku, Azerbaijan, the two came to blows while in the middle of a race.

The incident started while the race was planning to restart on lap 18. As it did, Vettel ended up running into the back of Hamilton’s car, damaging his front wing in the process. Afterward, Vettel pulled up alongside Hamilton and his car ended up banging wheels with the Mercedes.

Following the incident, Hamilton made it clear that he did not appreciate what Vettel had done. “Driving alongside and deliberately driving into a driver and getting away scot‑free pretty much – he still came away with fourth – I think that’s a disgrace,” he remarked according to The Guardian. Meanwhile, Vettel also hurled accusations toward Hamilton, saying that the Brit driver did a “brake-check” on him, according to Formula One. Vettel received a 10-second penalty for the collision.

3 U.S. Grand Prix Michelin Problem

The U.S. Grand Prix in Indianapolis back in 2005 has gone down in Formula One history as one of the most bizarre races ever. It also happens to mark the second time that Michelin found itself in trouble in Formula One.

During this time, teams were split when it came to tire choices. Three of the teams were using Bridgestone tires, including Ferrari, the leading team of the season. On the other hand, the rest of the teams in the paddock were all on Michelin tires. Little did anyone know that their tire choice will lead to major trouble.

It started during Friday practice session when Ralf Schumacher’s Toyota crashed due to a punctured tire, according to a report from CNN. It was then ruled that the crash was due to a tire failure. Following this, Michelin advised the seven teams using their tires to not to go through with the race.

Soon, it was race day and everyone was unclear if the Michelin teams were planning to boycott the race. After the parade lap, however, it became clear that they were going to. All seven of the teams returned to the pits, leaving Ferrari, Minardi, and Jordan to race.

2 Renault Malaysian GP Crash

Back in 2008, Flavio Briatore was a team boss determined to make sure that Renault would win races that year. After all, he had Alonso driving one of his cars and the Spaniard has shown that he has the driving skills to win, having been a world champion in 2005 and 2006. In the end, however, it became clear that one of Alonso’s win would become tainted, especially after his teammate made accusations.

The controversy ignited following the events of the Singapore Grand Prix. During the race, Alonso’s teammate, Nelson Piquet Jr., had crashed into a wall. Because Alonso had already pitted prior to the incident, the Spaniard found himself ahead of the pact following the safety car period. As a result, Alonso managed to cruise to victory.

Following this, however, Piquet claimed that he was ordered to crash the car to give Alonso a race advantage. Meanwhile, Renault chose not to challenge Piquet’s claim. In the end, the FIA ruled that a breach of sporting regulations occurred. As a result, Briatore had been banned from the sport for life, according to a report from The Guardian. Nonetheless, the FIA also ruled that Alonso’s Singapore race win would remain valid.

1 McLaren - Ferrari Spygate

This scandal involving McLaren and Ferrari is perhaps, the most controversial issue that occurred in Formula one in recent years. In the end, McLaren would be fined $100 million. They would also lose all of its world championship points for the 2007 season.

The controversy started one seemingly normal day in June 2007. A woman by the name of Trudy Coughlan made her way to a copy shop in England and instructed a clerk to scan a 780-page document onto two CDs. It contained schematics, drawings, technical reports and other information to design a Formula One race car.

As luck would have it, the clerk was a big Ferrari fan and immediately recognized the Ferrari logo in the documents. He also googled his customer’s name and discovered she was the wife of McLaren’s chief designer, Michael Coughlan.

Sensing something was amiss, the clerk reported the encounter to Stefano Domenicali, Ferrari’s Formula One director at that time. Following the tip, a raid was eventually conducted in Coughlan’s house, according to a report from Wired. During the investigation, then McLaren driver Alonso also threatened to release more damning information related to the scandal. In the end, Ferrari won the 2007 constructor’s championship.

Sources: forumula1.com, en.espn.co.uk, edition.cnn.com