The most heart-breaking disqualifications and penalties in Formula 1 history

There may be few sports with a thinner margin of error than Formula 1, with speeds exceeding 260 km/h (161 mph), one minute mistake can cost a driver not on the race, but potentially his life.

When rules are broken, it typically results in a post-race penalty, impacting the driver's final position. In more severe cases, the driver may face a grid penalty in the next race. Let's take a look at some of the most controversial penalties and disqualifications in Formula 1 history.

Mercedes driver George Russell crossed the finish line ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton at the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix. However, Russell was disqualified after the race due to technical issues with his car.

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In one of the drives of the season, Russell had started the day in sixth on the grid and had steadily worked his way through the field to take the lead. Using his excellent tire management, the Briton held off his more experienced teammate to claim what seemed to be a great win.

However, the FIA stripped Russell of his first-place finish after the technical delegation found his car was 1.5 kg under the minimum weight of 798 kg, according to Total Motorsport. "It's heartbreaking to be disqualified from today's race," Russell shared as he left the paddock.

Michael Schumacher had a serious incident in Monaco in 2006. The German driver hit a barrier during qualifying, stalling his car at the Rascasse, an iconic sharp right turn. This incident hampered other drivers during the qualifying session, including his direct rival, Fernando Alonso.

The stewards ruled the 'accident' as intentional and that the German had "parked the car deliberately to alter the result of the session," according to Bleacher Report. His time was removed, and he was forced to start at the back of the grid.

With Niki Lauda as reining world F1 champion and clear favorite to win the 1976 season, things looked rather bleak for James Hunt (direct rival).

After suffering two DNFs (Did Not Finish), Hunt needed to secure a win urgently in order to stay alive in the title race. The English driver snatched a big win at Jarama, but he was later disqualified from the race after stewards found his McLaren to be too wide at the rear.

Nevertheless, Hunt's win was reinstated after McLaren argued the car measurements were tweaked due to the tires expanding in the Spanish heat.

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Jenson Button was caught in some Formula 1 drama back in 2005 after stewards caught his team cheating. The British driver returned to greatness with a podium at Imola but encountered serious accusations from the stewards...

It turned out that Buton's car had a second fuel tank, which was being used by BAR Honda to disguise the true weight of the car. The team was excluded from the results and lost the points.

The Felipe Massa - Fernando Alonso rivalry within Ferrar in 2010 was thrilling to watch, as two world-class pilots would not hesitate to race each other (even if on the same team).

The iconic "Felipe, Fernando is faster than you. Do you understand?" radio message cost the Italian team a hefty fine. The 'cryptic' message from Ferrari to Massa was played on the BBC (live TV), which gave the team away, according to Motorsport.

Why was this such a problem? Now a day we see teams giving out positions to each other constantly... Well, back in 2010, team orders were banned, and Ferrari was handed a $100,000 (€92.3k/£78k) fine.

In 2013, Mercedes and Pirelli were spotted at the F1 paddocks after the Spanish GP, conducting some research... It also turns Pirelli was leaking information to Mercedes regarding tire data.

This generated some discomfort among the other teams in the paddock, who labelled Mercedes as cheaters and claimed Pirelli crossed every other team on the grid. Mercedes was banned from the Silverstone Young Driver Test and fines were issued to both parties.

"The controversy lies in the leniency of the ruling. Many agree that Mercedes got off very, very lightly," writes Scott Mitchell from Bleacher Report.

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