Although Formula One is far from the UFC, things can still get heated as personalities collide, as we saw with Max Verstappen and Esteban Ocon at this year’s Brazilian Grand Prix. Let’s look at back at five times that Formula One drivers handled their differences outside of the cockpit.
The year was 1993 and it was the penultimate round of the season. There was a fresh new face on the grid this weekend: Eddie Irvine. He was the fifth driver to race in second Jordan car that season and this was his debut weekend. A strong qualifying put him in P8 on the grid for the start of the race. He would finish the race in P6 after a great debut, but his actions during the race landed him in some hot water.
During the race, Irvine was battling with Damon Hill when race leader Ayrton Senna came behind the battling duo to lap them. At this point in the championship, Senna had a comfortable points advantage over his rival Alain Prost at Williams, but he was still eager to overtake the backmarkers and continue his charge at the front. The Brazilian overtook Ervine with ease, as the rookie driver ran wide. However, Senna was struggling to overtake Hill.
Irvine saw this as an opportunity to unlap himself by overtaking Senna around the outside of a chicane. While Senna had no trouble getting around the rookie when he ran wide again later in the lap, Irvine had landed himself on Senna’s bad side. To add insult to injury, Irvine overtook Senna again to unlap himself in the closing stages of the race. Senna still cruised home to score his 40th career victory.
Senna was unhappy with the rookie and confronted him after the post-race press conference. Irvine was talking with his race engineer when Senna entered the team’s room and began yelling at the rookie. Eventually, Senna landed a punch on Irvine and then stormed out of the room. The news spread rapidly and the FIA gave Senna a suspended two race ban for the altercation.
Known for his recklessness both on and off the track, this won’t be the first time that James Hunt appears on this list. This particular confrontation followed a collision between Hunt and Patrick Depailler at the 1975 Monaco Grand Prix, the fifth race of the season. While battling late in the race for sixth position, Hunt and Depailler made contact, forcing Hunt into the barriers and ending his race.
A clearly frustrated Hunt climbed from his stricken car, but was determined to show his anger towards Depailler. He waited by his car for Depailler to pass the scene of the accident the following lap. The track marshals were determined to get Hunt over the barriers to safety, but Hunt wasn’t going anywhere. He promptly took a swing at a track marshal who was attempting to force Hunt to walk away from the track.
The marshals left Hunt alone and the Brit stood off of the racing line, shaking his fist in rage as Depailler passed, before angrily walking off of the track and heading back to the team garage. Although the Depailler never endured any of Hunt’s rage, the track marshal may have had a sore face and perhaps a small bruise to show his friends and family after the race.
The 1998 Belgian Grand Prix is best known for the chaotic early crash that involved more than half of the drivers in the race. When the race was restarted, the heavy rain and poor visibility was still an issue at the circuit. Despite the poor conditions, Michael Schumacher had earned himself a commanding lead in the race, coming up to lap Coulthard. Ferrari’s General Manager Jean Todt had marched his way through the rain to the McLaren pit wall to ensure that Coulthard would move aside to let Schumacher through without any issues.
However, Coulthard did not allow Schumacher to pass as soon as he got within range. Eventually, he slowed in an attempt to let Schumacher by, but the poor visibility meant that Schumacher could not see that Coulthard was crawling on the racing line and the German slammed into the rear of the McLaren, ending his race.
Somewhat amazingly, Schumacher was able to make his way back to the team garage on three wheels, followed by Coulthard. Both drivers pulled into their garaged, but Schumacher exited his car and stormed over to the McLaren garage to confront Coulthard about the incident. Several Ferrari personnel chased down their driver and McLaren personnel protected their driver from the angry German. No punches were thrown, but words were exchanged and Schumacher allegedly threaten to kill Coulthard.
Schumacher marched to the stewards to protest the incident, but Coulthard had his rear wing replaced and continued the race without incident.
As promised, James Hunt as on this list for a second time with another altercation involving a track marshal. One year after winning a championship in the iconic 1976 Formula One season, Hunt had a hard time defending his title, falling victim to many race-ending issues throughout the season. In the penultimate race of the season in Canada, Hunt was battling with his teammate Jochen Mass for position.
Hunt committed to the inside of the corner to overtake Mass. However, Mass insisted that he signaled for Hunt to overtake him on the outside. When Mass moved to the inside of the corner to let Hunt around the outside, Hunt collided with the rear of his teammate’s car and came to stop in the grass. Mass continued on. With some assistance from a marshal, Hunt was freed from the damaged car and began walking toward the circuit. The marshal ran over and attempted to stop the clearly disappointed driver and lead him to safety.
With a swift punch from Hunt, the marshal fell flat on his bottom. Hunt was remorseful when he had realized what he had done. They both walked back over the wall. Hunt walked back to his garage, shaking his fist each time Mass drove past. Hunt was later fined $2000 for assaulting the marshal and an additional $750 for walking back to the pit lane.
Perhaps one of the most ironic fights in Formula One history happened at the 1982 German Grand Prix. Starting from fourth on the grid, Piquet quickly made his way to the lead of the race. With a sizable lead over Patrick Tambay, Piquet began to come up to backmarkers that he needed to lap. He came up to the rear of the ATS driver Eliseo Salazar, pulling alongside into the new chicane that had been installed following Patrick Depailler’s fatal accident in that section while testing for the 1980 race.
Piquet was along the right side of Salazar’s car as they entered the chicane. Piquet turned into the chicane, but Salazar had not left him enough space, appearing as though he would have missed the chicane himself. The two climbed from their retired car, with Piquet shouting and waving his arms in anger at Salazar. Piquet approached Salazar, throwing multiple punches to Salazar’s head, which was still protected by his race helmet. Piquet also attempted to kick Salazar, but the Chilean racing driver had already backed away from the confrontation.
The incident was broadcast on live television and has become one of the most well known clips of footage in Formula One history.
