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Top 5 polémicas más grandes de la F1

Top 5 of F1's biggest controversies

Formula 1 is one of the most exciting and competitive sports in the world, but it has also been the scene of some of the biggest controversies in the history of the sport. From on-track controversies to off-track scandals, F1 has seen many moments that have left fans and pundits alike in awe. At SDT Brakes we love to stay on top of all motorsport news, so here we bring you the five biggest F1 controversies, from the famous crash between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost to the McLaren spying scandal in 2007. Find out how these situations impacted the sport and how they were resolved.

#1 Collision between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost in 1989.

The clash between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost at the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix is one of the biggest controversies in Formula 1 history. The two drivers had had a tense rivalry throughout the season, which came to a head in the final race of the year.

At the first corner of the Suzuka circuit, Senna tried to overtake Prost on the inside of the corner, but the Frenchman closed and the two cars collided. The accident caused both drivers to retire from the race, but Senna managed to get back on track and continue racing.

After the crash, Prost was crowned world champion as he had the most wins in the season, but the controversy did not end there. Senna was disqualified for failing to return to the track safely after the accident and his team, McLaren, appealed the decision.

The appeal was rejected and the tension between the two drivers continued in the following years, reaching its peak at the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix, when Senna intentionally collided with Prost at the same corner as the previous year. This time, Senna went on to win the world championship, but the manoeuvre was widely criticised by the FIA and the public.

The 1989 crash between Senna and Prost is remembered as one of the most controversial and exciting moments in F1 history, and has been analysed and debated by pundits and fans alike for decades.

2# The McLaren spying scandal in 2007.

The 2007 Formula 1 season was also very, very famous for the intense rivalry between the two McLaren drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. Both drivers were regarded as two of F1's top talents, and their arrival at the McLaren team in the same season generated a great deal of expectation.

The rivalry between Hamilton and Alonso intensified on several occasions during the season. At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Hamilton refused to let Alonso pass him in qualifying, which led to conflict within the team. At the Italian Grand Prix, Hamilton won the race after Alonso, in his opinion, deliberately blocked the track in qualifying.

Tension between the two drivers came to a head at the Chinese Grand Prix, when Hamilton left the track in qualifying and Alonso blocked the track to prevent his teammate from improving his time. This led to a penalty for Alonso and a tense situation in the team.

At the end of the season, Hamilton lost the world championship by a single point, in a dramatic race in which he lost the position to Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen on the last lap. The rivalry between Hamilton and Alonso was a major factor in the title race, and although the McLaren team enjoyed great success in the season, the tension between the two drivers led to Alonso's departure at the end of the season.

#3 The rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso in 2007

The 2007 Formula 1 season was also very, very famous for the intense rivalry between the two McLaren drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. Both drivers were regarded as two of F1's top talents, and their arrival at the McLaren team in the same season generated a great deal of expectation.

The rivalry between Hamilton and Alonso intensified on several occasions during the season. At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Hamilton refused to let Alonso pass him in qualifying, which led to conflict within the team. At the Italian Grand Prix, Hamilton won the race after Alonso, in his opinion, deliberately blocked the track in qualifying.

Tension between the two drivers came to a head at the Chinese Grand Prix, when Hamilton left the track in qualifying and Alonso blocked the track to prevent his teammate from improving his time. This led to a penalty for Alonso and a tense situation in the team.

#4 the 'Crashgate' case in 2008

This controversy took place at the Singapore Grand Prix in 2008. During the race, Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr. intentionally crashed into a wall, which caused the safety car to leave and allowed his teammate Fernando Alonso to win the race.

After the race, suspicions arose that Piquet's accident had been planned by Renault to benefit Alonso. The case was investigated by the FIA, and in September 2009 it was revealed that Renault team boss Flavio Briatore and his race engineer Pat Symonds had planned the accident.

As a result, Briatore and Symonds were suspended for life from Formula 1, while the Renault team was fined $50 million and warned that it could be banned from Formula 1 if it committed a serious offence again. Nelson Piquet Jr. was granted immunity for his testimony.

The "Crashgate" case was one of the biggest scandals in Formula 1 history, and generated a great deal of media attention and controversy in the sporting community. The case also led to changes in the way teams and drivers are managed in Formula 1, and measures were implemented to prevent future cheating and unsporting behaviour.

#5 The controversy of the Austrian race in 2002

The 2002 Austrian race became one of the most controversial in Formula 1 history. During the race, the Ferrari team ordered its second driver, Rubens Barrichello, to let his teammate, Michael Schumacher, pass in order to win the race.

Barrichello, who had led the race from the start, slowed down at the finish line and allowed Schumacher to overtake him at the last corner, just before the finish line. The Ferrari team's decision drew boos from the crowd and widespread condemnation from the media and the Formula 1 community.

The controversy intensified when, on the podium, Schumacher gave the top spot on the podium to Barrichello and stood behind him in an attempt to defuse the situation. However, the FIA fined Ferrari $1 million for violating sporting rules and sporting ethics, although Schumacher's victory stood.

While many teams have now normalised this situation where one driver must make way for another (with the exception of Checo Pérez with Verstappen this season), at the time it sparked a debate in Formula 1 about the role of the teams in the race and sporting ethics. Since then, changes to sporting regulations have been implemented to prevent teams ordering their drivers to let their teammates pass in the future, although there have been subsequent cases of teams using similar team strategies in Formula 1.

Conclusion

Formula 1 is a thrilling and exciting sport, but it also often presents controversy and controversy, as we have seen. From driver rivalries to accusations of cheating and unsporting behaviour, controversies in Formula 1 have existed since the earliest days of the sport and will continue to be part of its history. The rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt in the 1970s is just one example of the tension and excitement that Formula 1 can generate. At the end of the day, it remains an exciting and popular sport around the world, followed by millions of passionate fans who enjoy the thrill and adrenaline of high-speed racing. If you are interested in this kind of content, feel free to follow us on Social Media and don't miss our news:

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