Top 10 F1 scandals
07-25-2013, 10:32 PM
#1
Super Moderator
Needs More Cowbell
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Needs More Cowbell
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Thread Starter
Top 10 F1 scandals
http://www.planetf1.com/editorial/87...op-10-Scandals
Flavio is named in two ... High moral character....
Formula One is not afraid to court controversy, from cheating teams to cheating husbands, the world's premier motor racing series has it all...
10 - The Expanding Michelins
Prior to Formula One swapping to a sole manufacturer there used to be a little thing called a tyre war and, as they say, all is fair in love and war, right? Wrong.
Michelin, in their third year back in the sport, decided not to adhere to the rules governing the width of the tyres, at least not all the way. The French tyre manufacturer found a way for their rubber to expand during running allowing their drivers more grip.
This did not go down well with Bridgestone nor the FIA who brought in inspections of the Michelins forcing the company to quickly revise their tyres ahead of the Italian GP.
Bridgestone teams, well team Ferrari, won that season's five remaining grands prix.
09 - The Weighty Tyrrell
In 1984 all the Formula One teams excluding Tyrrell were running turbo engines with the sport's rules governing a minimum weight. Tyrrell used a water injection system to help with that and would top it up during the race.
The team, though, didn't stop there as it later emerged that they were topping up the cars with water laced with lead shot to reach the required weight.
It all came to a head at the Detroit GP when Martin Brundle's car was inspected and it was found that the water was no longer water. Tyrrell were charged with various offenses and booted out of the Championship.
08 - Benetton and The Illegal Car
Cheating was rife in Formula One in 1994 but no one did it better than Benetton and team boss Flavio Briatore.
Accused of running illegal software - including Traction Control and Launch Control - during grands prix, the FIA examined the cars and found Launch Control software in the B194.
But as they could not prove that it had been used, Benetton escaped. The FIA also found no evidence of Traction Control.
It didn't stop there, though, as a refueling fire for Jos Verstappen at the German GP resulted in another investigation which discovered that the team had removed a fuel filter from the refueling rig used during pit stops. This allowed for the fuel to flow at a faster rate.
07 - BAR Hides Its Fuel
Another team, another ban, this time was BAR-Honda who became the first team after Tyrrell to be banned. This time it was all about a hidden fuel tank.
The BAR-Honda was weighed at the end of the 2005 San Marino GP and found to be 5.4kgs under the minimum weight of 600kgs.
Examining the car, it was found to be using a hidden fuel tank as ballast. The team tried to claim that their engine specifically needed a small separate storage of fuel. The FIA didn't agree and banned the team for two races.
06 - Bernie and The German Banker
There's no Bernie without controversy but there's no Formula One without Bernie so we all accept that he's part of the package deal. But for how much longer?
Taking his age out of the equation, Bernie is facing a few legal actions relating to allegations that he paid former banker Gerhard Gribkowsky £28million in bribes in the sale of F1 to CVC. Although Gribkowsky was jailed for accepting a bribe and other stuff, Bernie insists he never paid one, he paid blackmail money instead.
Charges are expected to be laid against the F1 supremo by the Munich courts as soon as they are translated.
05 - Schumacher and His Shunts
There's no one in Formula One who crashed better than Michael Schumacher - and very few who would use that tactic to get the necessary results.
The German's first foray into the deliberate crash was in 1994 when he hit Championship rival Damon Hill. Both drivers retired and Schumacher won the title.
Fast forward to 1997, this time the battle was with Jacques Villeneuve. Again Schumacher crashed into his rival although this time he was disqualified and JV won the crown.
04 - Max Mosley and The Ladies
The downfall of former FIA President Max Mosley transpired in explosive fashion as he was caught in a sting operation by the News of the World cavorting with five prostitutes in a sex dungeon. With alleged **** tones to the sexcapade, Max sued left and Max sued right but the damage to his reputation was done.
Already not a favourite amongst the F1 teams, Max announced in 2009 he would not stand for re-election in order to safeguard F1's future and prevent the FOTA teams from leaving.
03 - Merc, Pirelli and Testgate
This deserves its place as the most recent scandal, in fact one that is still playing out. Merc tested for Pirelli during the season - no big deal. Merc used a 2013 car for that test - big deal.
So big in fact the team and Pirelli found themselves before a FIA International Tribunal to answer charges. Their rivals are riled up over the perceived advantage. Merc say they acted in "good faith" as they got permission from Charlie Whiting and Pirelli have told the FIA they have no grounds to penalise them.
In the end, both parties were reprimanded as it was deemed they had not acted in bad faith while Merc were also banned from the Young Driver Test to level the playing field.
02 - Spygate and The Copied Information
McLaren were hit with the biggest monetary fine ever handed out in Formula One when the FIA penalised them $100 million for using stolen Ferrari information.
In 2007 former Ferrari chief mechanic Nigel Stepney handed the information to McLaren's former designer Mike Coughlan who gave the 780 pages to his wife to copy. Bad decision. The clerk at the store ratted them out and so Spygate began.
The matter reached the FIA's World Motor Sport Council where McLaren were found guilty of being in possession of confidential Ferrari info. The Woking team was excluded from the 2007 Constructors' Championship and handed a record fine.
01 - Crashgate
It really doesn't get bigger than this, not because of the utter deceit involved but because any crash could have serious consequences and yet a driver was ordered to do it deliberately. It also goes to the heart of sport and sporting ethics. Renault back in 2008 displayed none.
At that year's Singapore GP, Nelson Piquet Jr was ordered to deliberately crash at Turn 17 on lap 14, giving his team-mate Fernando Alonso a welcome boost up the order. Alonso went on to win the race and few thought anything but 'wow, that was lucky.'
A year later the team dropped the under-performing Piquet Jr and he spilled his guts. The Brazilian went public with everything about that day, resulting in a FIA investigation with Renault charged with conspiracy.
Renault did not contest the charges and the team was given a suspended sentence while team boss Flavio Briatore and director of engineering Pat Symonds both left the team before the hearing. The duo, though, soon left F1 as they were banned for life and five-years respectively. The bans were subsequently overturned and Symonds is back in the paddock but Flav only ever visits.
Flavio is named in two ... High moral character....
Formula One is not afraid to court controversy, from cheating teams to cheating husbands, the world's premier motor racing series has it all...
10 - The Expanding Michelins
Prior to Formula One swapping to a sole manufacturer there used to be a little thing called a tyre war and, as they say, all is fair in love and war, right? Wrong.
Michelin, in their third year back in the sport, decided not to adhere to the rules governing the width of the tyres, at least not all the way. The French tyre manufacturer found a way for their rubber to expand during running allowing their drivers more grip.
This did not go down well with Bridgestone nor the FIA who brought in inspections of the Michelins forcing the company to quickly revise their tyres ahead of the Italian GP.
Bridgestone teams, well team Ferrari, won that season's five remaining grands prix.
09 - The Weighty Tyrrell
In 1984 all the Formula One teams excluding Tyrrell were running turbo engines with the sport's rules governing a minimum weight. Tyrrell used a water injection system to help with that and would top it up during the race.
The team, though, didn't stop there as it later emerged that they were topping up the cars with water laced with lead shot to reach the required weight.
It all came to a head at the Detroit GP when Martin Brundle's car was inspected and it was found that the water was no longer water. Tyrrell were charged with various offenses and booted out of the Championship.
08 - Benetton and The Illegal Car
Cheating was rife in Formula One in 1994 but no one did it better than Benetton and team boss Flavio Briatore.
Accused of running illegal software - including Traction Control and Launch Control - during grands prix, the FIA examined the cars and found Launch Control software in the B194.
But as they could not prove that it had been used, Benetton escaped. The FIA also found no evidence of Traction Control.
It didn't stop there, though, as a refueling fire for Jos Verstappen at the German GP resulted in another investigation which discovered that the team had removed a fuel filter from the refueling rig used during pit stops. This allowed for the fuel to flow at a faster rate.
07 - BAR Hides Its Fuel
Another team, another ban, this time was BAR-Honda who became the first team after Tyrrell to be banned. This time it was all about a hidden fuel tank.
The BAR-Honda was weighed at the end of the 2005 San Marino GP and found to be 5.4kgs under the minimum weight of 600kgs.
Examining the car, it was found to be using a hidden fuel tank as ballast. The team tried to claim that their engine specifically needed a small separate storage of fuel. The FIA didn't agree and banned the team for two races.
06 - Bernie and The German Banker
There's no Bernie without controversy but there's no Formula One without Bernie so we all accept that he's part of the package deal. But for how much longer?
Taking his age out of the equation, Bernie is facing a few legal actions relating to allegations that he paid former banker Gerhard Gribkowsky £28million in bribes in the sale of F1 to CVC. Although Gribkowsky was jailed for accepting a bribe and other stuff, Bernie insists he never paid one, he paid blackmail money instead.
Charges are expected to be laid against the F1 supremo by the Munich courts as soon as they are translated.
05 - Schumacher and His Shunts
There's no one in Formula One who crashed better than Michael Schumacher - and very few who would use that tactic to get the necessary results.
The German's first foray into the deliberate crash was in 1994 when he hit Championship rival Damon Hill. Both drivers retired and Schumacher won the title.
Fast forward to 1997, this time the battle was with Jacques Villeneuve. Again Schumacher crashed into his rival although this time he was disqualified and JV won the crown.
04 - Max Mosley and The Ladies
The downfall of former FIA President Max Mosley transpired in explosive fashion as he was caught in a sting operation by the News of the World cavorting with five prostitutes in a sex dungeon. With alleged **** tones to the sexcapade, Max sued left and Max sued right but the damage to his reputation was done.
Already not a favourite amongst the F1 teams, Max announced in 2009 he would not stand for re-election in order to safeguard F1's future and prevent the FOTA teams from leaving.
03 - Merc, Pirelli and Testgate
This deserves its place as the most recent scandal, in fact one that is still playing out. Merc tested for Pirelli during the season - no big deal. Merc used a 2013 car for that test - big deal.
So big in fact the team and Pirelli found themselves before a FIA International Tribunal to answer charges. Their rivals are riled up over the perceived advantage. Merc say they acted in "good faith" as they got permission from Charlie Whiting and Pirelli have told the FIA they have no grounds to penalise them.
In the end, both parties were reprimanded as it was deemed they had not acted in bad faith while Merc were also banned from the Young Driver Test to level the playing field.
02 - Spygate and The Copied Information
McLaren were hit with the biggest monetary fine ever handed out in Formula One when the FIA penalised them $100 million for using stolen Ferrari information.
In 2007 former Ferrari chief mechanic Nigel Stepney handed the information to McLaren's former designer Mike Coughlan who gave the 780 pages to his wife to copy. Bad decision. The clerk at the store ratted them out and so Spygate began.
The matter reached the FIA's World Motor Sport Council where McLaren were found guilty of being in possession of confidential Ferrari info. The Woking team was excluded from the 2007 Constructors' Championship and handed a record fine.
01 - Crashgate
It really doesn't get bigger than this, not because of the utter deceit involved but because any crash could have serious consequences and yet a driver was ordered to do it deliberately. It also goes to the heart of sport and sporting ethics. Renault back in 2008 displayed none.
At that year's Singapore GP, Nelson Piquet Jr was ordered to deliberately crash at Turn 17 on lap 14, giving his team-mate Fernando Alonso a welcome boost up the order. Alonso went on to win the race and few thought anything but 'wow, that was lucky.'
A year later the team dropped the under-performing Piquet Jr and he spilled his guts. The Brazilian went public with everything about that day, resulting in a FIA investigation with Renault charged with conspiracy.
Renault did not contest the charges and the team was given a suspended sentence while team boss Flavio Briatore and director of engineering Pat Symonds both left the team before the hearing. The duo, though, soon left F1 as they were banned for life and five-years respectively. The bans were subsequently overturned and Symonds is back in the paddock but Flav only ever visits.
07-26-2013, 11:13 AM
#3
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Interesting. Fernando Alonso has benefited from 3 of those scandals... but he never knew they were going on... well, wait a minute, he did know about the stolen secrets from Ferrari and despite the fact he was texting de la rosa about the details, that doesn't mean he "knew" about them.
07-26-2013, 12:18 PM
#5
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
07-26-2013, 02:04 PM
#7
King of Cool
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
...08 - Benetton and The Illegal Car
Cheating was rife in Formula One in 1994 but no one did it better than Benetton and team boss Flavio Briatore.
Accused of running illegal software - including Traction Control and Launch Control - during grands prix, the FIA examined the cars and found Launch Control software in the B194.
But as they could not prove that it had been used, Benetton escaped. The FIA also found no evidence of Traction Control.
It didn't stop there, though, as a refueling fire for Jos Verstappen at the German GP resulted in another investigation which discovered that the team had removed a fuel filter from the refueling rig used during pit stops. This allowed for the fuel to flow at a faster rate...
Cheating was rife in Formula One in 1994 but no one did it better than Benetton and team boss Flavio Briatore.
Accused of running illegal software - including Traction Control and Launch Control - during grands prix, the FIA examined the cars and found Launch Control software in the B194.
But as they could not prove that it had been used, Benetton escaped. The FIA also found no evidence of Traction Control.
It didn't stop there, though, as a refueling fire for Jos Verstappen at the German GP resulted in another investigation which discovered that the team had removed a fuel filter from the refueling rig used during pit stops. This allowed for the fuel to flow at a faster rate...
I spoke with J.J. once about the differences between the steering wheel in Schumi's car and the one J.J. or Jos drove?
Schumi's steering wheel had two more buttons...
Trending Topics
07-26-2013, 03:12 PM
#8
Rennlist Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: In the pasture.
Posts: 4,202
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
07-26-2013, 04:03 PM
#10
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
07-26-2013, 05:10 PM
#11
King of Cool
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
07-26-2013, 05:17 PM
#12
Rennlist Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: In the pasture.
Posts: 4,202
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Probably said something like: "Well....I like a have vodka in my Red Bull."
07-26-2013, 10:21 PM
#13
King of Cool
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
His favorite alcoholic drink is Vodka, soda & OJ but take a guess what his favorite any kind of drink is?
(hint: it's actually pretty popular drink among Finns, especially with food and it is not beer).
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Answer: Milk.
07-27-2013, 10:32 AM
#14
Rennlist Member
Ahem.
Last edited by Veloce Raptor; 12-04-2013 at 10:39 AM.