Michael Schumacher is considered by many to be the greatest F1 driver of all time and has won seven world titles.
But to be the best it sometimes means bumping your head and being a certified s *** house – not always with the desired consequences.
Athletes who are at the forefront of their sport often speak up about doing everything they can to be successful and display a win-for-price mentality.
And during his 19-year F1 career, Schumacher was no different.
Following the release of Schumacher on Netflix, Daily Star Sport looks back on five times in the German racing driver’s career as he ruthlessly gained an advantage, often with disastrous results.
Damon Hill Crash (1994)
Michael Schumacher took both himself and Damon Hill out of the race in Adelaide
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Perhaps the most controversial moment in Schumacher’s entire Formula 1 career came during his first full season in the sport – and notably, he won his first world championship crown.
Schumacher went into the final race of the season in Adelaide just one point ahead of his British rival in the standings, knowing the title would be his if Hill didn’t finish.
The confident young German led from the start, overtaking Nigel Mansell and staying in front of Hill until he was forced into a big mistake on lap 36 and hit the wall before hitting the track again.
In your opinion, what is Michael Schumacher’s most controversial moment in Formula 1? Let us know in the comments section.
Schumacher was informed at the edge of the track that he is the F1 world champion
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Hill sensed his chance and stuck his car inside at the next corner, only for Schumacher to give in, take himself and Hill out of the race and secure an extremely controversial world championship.
Villeneuve Crash and Disqualification (1997)
Schumacher became title rival Jacques Villeneuve, but was second best
Lightning doesn’t strike twice – unless you’re a Schumacher.
As three years before, the German racing driver led the championship with a single point before the season finale in Jerez, only this time it was Jacques Villeneuve who chased him.
And as before, Schumacher led the Canadian for long stretches of the race, until lap 48 when Villeneuve took a bold step inward in the Dry Sac curve.
It was a perfectly timed lunge step to take the lead in the race – and the World Championship – but Schumacher got none of it and seemed to be deliberately opposing his title rival.
The Ferrari driver’s moment of madness backfired and he not only had to finish the race and hand over the championship to Villeneuve, but he was also disqualified for the entire season.
Schumacher was disqualified from the 1997 World Cup at a hearing
Coulthard Brawl (1998)
The Belgian Grand Prix is always good for a bit of drama, and in 1998 Spa not only caused the most spectacular crash in F1 history, but also one of the biggest collapses the sport has ever seen, all rolled into one Action. Afternoon packed.
In scenes that are more reminiscent of a stock car derby, seven cars left the Grand Prix on the first lap after an unbelievable pile-up with 13 cars.
When the race finally resumed, Schumacher, who excelled in the wet, took control and took the lead.
This lead disappeared on lap 24 when David Coulthard came on lap.
Michael Schumacher was not always able to keep what was happening on the racetrack under control
(Image: Reuters)
Furious at what he believed to have been willful sabotage by Coulthard to help his McLaren teammate Mika Häkkinen, Schumacher marched into the Silver Arrows pit lane and sought out the Scotsman to find some scrap.
Schumacher, who later accused Coulthard of attempting to kill him, a comment he later withdrew had to be withheld as tensions really boiled over on a racing day few forget.
Team orders (2002)
While Schumacher’s previous controversy included major crashes, this one concerned the use of team commands and actually changed the laws of sport.
The German’s Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello had driven a perfect race in Austria in 2002 and was heading for a deserved victory when he was told to let Schumacher pass for maximum points.
Reluctantly, Barrichello obeyed and slowed him down to let him pass on the last lap to the mockery and booing of a crowd who rightly felt they had missed out.
The incident wasn’t really Schumacher’s business, he let Barrichello on the top step of the podium and even gave him the trophy as a present.
Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello both stood on the top step of the podium
After the Austria Affair, the FIA banned the use of team commands to influence the outcome of a race.
Parking in Monaco (2006)
Monaco is famous for glitz, glamor and gambling – unfortunately Schumacher seemed to be rolling snake eyes when he made a giant punt in Monte Carlo in 2006.
In qualifying on Saturday, title rival Fernando Alonso seemed to undercut his pole time and to gain a clear advantage on a track that is known to be difficult to overtake.
Sensing the danger, Schumacher appeared to be faking an accident at Rascasse, crashing his car into the barriers to block other drivers, causing the session to be abandoned.
Schumacher planted his car in the Rascasse barrier
As a result, Alonso was unable to complete his flying lap, and while the Ferrari driver must have felt he had hit the jackpot, the stewards saw things differently and referred him to the bottom of the grid.
Keke Rosberg, 1982 F1 world champion and father of Nico, was one of many who described Schumacher as a cheater after the incident.
“If he were a real man, he would have parked the car in the middle of the street and walked away,” said Rosberg.
“We would have thought much better of him. It was the worst thing I’ve seen in Formula 1. I thought he was an adult. He’s a cheap cheat. He should leave F1 to honest people.”
