last night, Max Verstappen’s win over Lewis Hamilton raise the questions over the referee’s decision. Pundits clearly stated this result as a biased one. As Lewis Hamilton was looking to bag his eighth title. However, Luck was not on his side as he faced a defeat in the most bizarre way. Not the first time in F1 championship history, when questions rise to the surface following the win. Have a look at the most Controversial F1 champions in the history of the sport:
1964 Mexican GP – Hill vs Bandini
Content Summary
3 drivers were in the race for the 1964 championship at the Mexico city finale. The drivers were Lotus’s Jim Clark, Ferrari’s John Surtees, and BRM’s Graham Hill.
Clark streaked the lead from the pole side where Surtees faces the problems at the pit. However, he caught the fight for third between his teammate Lorenzo Bandini and Hill. Eventually, Bandini and Hill made contact, the BRM being knocked out of contention.
Either way, Clark was still well out in front and heading for the title when an oil line broke. That incident made Dan Gurney swept into the lead and then Bandini helped once more by moving aside for team leader.
Surtees finished second in the race but it was enough to win the title by a single-point margin.
Schumacher, 2006
Michael Schumacher was driving for Ferrari for one last season. The German driver was engaged in a very intense battle for the F1 championship with Fernando Alonso. Although the controversy took place at the 7th round of The championship during the qualification of Monaco Grand Prix.
Schumacher parked his Ferrari at Rascasse, bringing out the yellow flags and halting the progress of Alonso’s Renault.
However, he insisted that he had made a mistake and locked a wheel, but the FIA rejected his defense and swiftly demoted him to the back of the grid.
Alonso went on to win the race, with Juan-Pablo Montoya’s McLaren and David Coulthard’s Red Bull completing the podium.
1989 Japanese GP – Prost vs Senna
Not a final round clash but it was very critical for Senna to beat Alain Prost to be in the race of the championship. Senna throughout the race outscored his rival Prost. He held 1.730seconds lead to claim the pole position.
Prost was four seconds in front when he made his pitstop. Senna was in two laps later, and his service took two seconds longer.
Prost’s lower downforce gave him a straight line-speed advantage, so Senna’s only realistic shot at passing was to be super-late on the brakes into the chicane.
The two McLarens came to a halt in an undignified tangle, facing the escape road. Prost car stalled and it climbed out.
Senna beckoned for a push start and continued on his way, but crucially this was by continuing down the escape road rather than taking the chicane.
However, Senna pitted the following lap to replace damaged results in promoting Nannini to the lead.
He passed Benetton at the chicane with two laps remaining and claimed the victory but it was ruled out by referees for bypassing the chicane on the 47th lap. McLaren’s appeal was failed. Prost became champion.
Max Verstappen vs Lewis Hamiliton- Abu Dabhi 2021
Lewis Hamilton was defeated by Verstappen in a very buzzer way which lead the dutchman as the most Controversial F1 Champions. The 7th time winner, Lewis Hamilton fell short in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
This Victory was Laden with controversy, marred by appeals, and struck by outrage from fans.
Before heading into the final lap, Red bull driver Verstappen was 11 seconds behind hamilton. However, a crash by Nicholas Latifi forced a safety car out on the track. This crash gives the chance Max to overtake the margin.
He stopped at the pit and get the new set of tires. Soon the Race director Michael Masi made the last-minute decision that allows drivers to overtake the safety car. A move that had previously been prohibited.
The change in ruling put Verstappen directly behind Hamilton, with the added benefit of a fresh set of soft tires. Max left behind Hamilton and won the championship in the last round.