F1 drivers behaving badly

Michael Schumacher hits title rival Damon Hill at the 1994 Australian GP.
Michael Schumacher hits title rival Damon Hill at the 1994 Australian GP. PHOTO: SPORTING PICTURES

NELSON PIQUET HOCKENHEIM (1982)

Piquet was in the lead at the German Grand Prix in 1982 when a backmarker, Eliseo Salazar, failed to slow down and let him through. Salazar collided into the Brabham's side, ending the Brazilian's race. A furious Piquet started a brawl with Salazar before the surrounding marshals had to restrain him.

AYRTON SENNA/ALAIN PROST SUZUKA (1989 AND 1990)

F1's most bitter feud had its epi-centre in Japan, which was the season's penultimate race then. Two collisions in two years resulted in Prost winning the title in 1989 and his nemesis Senna victorious a year later.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER ADELAIDE (1994)

At the season-ending Australian GP, championship leader Schumacher's Benetton was damaged. He banged into title rival Damon Hill's Williams, forcing both cars into retirement. It is still debatable if the collision was intentional but it gave the German the first of his seven F1 world titles.

SCHUMACHER SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS (1998)

As Schumacher was about to lap McLaren's David Coulthard, the heavy rain hampered visibility and both cars collided, resulting in the Ferrari losing a wheel. But an enraged Schumacher, who was fighting for the title with Coulthard's team-mate Mika Hakkinen, pursued the Scot on three wheels all the way to the pit before storming into the McLaren garage.

LEWIS HAMILTON/NICO ROSBERG MONACO (2014)

During the closing stages of qualifying, Rosberg had set the fastest time but his Mercedes team-mate Hamilton was threatening to claim pole position.

Rosberg locked up and went onto the escape road, triggering yellow flags which forced Hamilton to slow down and abort his lap, granting the German a very controversial pole position.

Rosberg went on to win the race the next day.

Nicola Chew

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 17, 2016, with the headline F1 drivers behaving badly. Subscribe