10 Biggest Formula One Controversies
9. 2007 F1 Spygate Scandal: Ferrari V McLaren
In 2007, the title was a four way fight between the McLarens of rookie Lewis Hamilton and defending double world champions Fernando Alonso as well as the Ferraris of Kimi Räikkönen and Felipe Massa. The quartet traded wins all season leaving the 2007 Formula One season an excellent sporting spectacle
At the time, Scuderia Ferrari saw its 'golden era' ending with star driver Michael Schumacher retired and technical director Ross Brawn on a sabbatical. Among the Ferrari team, there was a disgruntled head mechanic named Nigel Stepney who felt aggrieved that he was passed over for the technical director role despite not possessing an engineering qualification.
To simplify a long story, Nigel Stepney had passed some confidential Ferrari documents to McLaren engineer Mike Coughlan (exposed via Coughlan's wife having brought the confidential documents to a local photocopier shop who alerted Ferrari to the leak) whilst also allegedly attempting to sabotage the Ferrari cars from within out of frustration.
Once the dust was settled, the sport's governing authority stripped McLaren of all their points earned from that season and fined them $100 million for corporate espionage (still one of the largest punishments in sporting history). Stepney was fired and eventually found a job in the World Endurance Championship before passing away in a car crash in 2014, whilst Mike Coughlan was fired and eventually found other jobs with Williams and then NASCAR.
The McLaren drivers were given immunity from this punishment but eventually lost the Championship to Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen by a single point.