F1's biggest scandals: Schumacher is investigated for 'attempted murder'

When he started the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Alpine driver Jack Doohan became the 778th driver to start a world championship F1 grand prix. 

Over the course of 1,125 races, a number of drivers have been disqualified from the race result, whether it be Lewis Hamilton for lying to the stewards at the 2009 Australian Grand Prix or Nico Hulkenberg during the 2024 Sao Paulo GP, which in fact was the first in-race disqualification since Felipe Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella at the 2007 Canadian GP. 

The 2024 season was the 75th running of the world drivers' championship - and in that time, only Michael Schumacher has suffered the fate of being disqualified from the championship overall. 

But in a strange twist, the former Kerpen go-karter actually ended up being investigated by German authorities after a member of the public reported him for ‘attempted murder’ of Jacques Villeneuve. 

Michael Schumacher vs Jacques Villeneuve

The 1997 European Grand Prix at Jerez was the title-decider between Ferrari racer Schumacher, already a two-time world champion, and Williams' Villeneuve.

Very simply, it was a winner-takes-all situation, and the race started with the now infamous three-way tie in qualifying where Villeneuve, Schumacher and Heinz-Harald Frentzen all set the same time in qualifying: a 1:21.072.

During the race, Schumacher pulled ahead, with Villeneuve knowing that his only chance to attack would be in the laps just after the pit-stops, with the moment coming on lap 48 at the Turn 6 right-hand hairpin, with Villeneuve lunging to the inside. 

Schumacher initially steered out of the corner, but then, as his brain recognised what was happening, he immediately swung hard-a-starboard and tried to ram the Williams out of the race, and thus title contention.

However, as Martin Brundle immediately picked up on commentary even before Schumacher had come to a stop in the gravel, "That didn't work, you hit the wrong part of him, Michael my friend."

Villeneuve would go onto win the title with Schumacher hauled in front of an FIA disclipinary hearing for his misconduct.

He was allowed to keep his wins, pole positions and points for the season, but Schumacher's runner-up place was expunged from the record books, and also ordered to undertake effective community service on FIA road safety projects.

President Max Mosley, who had threatened severe consequences for anyone who tried to manipulate the title finale, explained that Schumacher's actions were "delibrate but not premeditated."

Mosley was keen to stamp out a worrying trend of F1 drivers' titles being decided by contact after the Ayrton Senna/Alain Prost collisions of 1989 and 1990 and Schumacher and Damon Hill in 1994. 

Schumacher eventually apologised and admitted he had made a mistake as his reputation, especially in German and Italian press took an even bigger battering than the one he tried to give that Williams.

The British media's already low opinion of Schumacher after the 1994 finale where he did successfully eliminate Hill fell even lower.

Mosley's threat appears to have worked even today as after 1997, the world championship has not been decided through contact for the protagonists.

But that's not where this story ends.

Schumacher investigated for attempted murder

With his reputation in tatters, things soon took a different turn for Schumacher as German authorities began to investigate whether he was guilty of attempted murder of Villeneuve.

A citizen of Frankfurt had complained to prosecutors about the incident, with German law allowing Schumacher, who lived overseas and had committed 'the offence' in Spain to be investigated as a German citizen. 

Chief prosecutor Hans Bernhard Jansen explained: "Because of this complaint we are obliged to examine Mr Schumacher's conduct according to the penal code."

Fortunately, a swift investigation in early January 1998 by Jansen found that "an investigation into Schumacher’s behaviour has not revealed that any criminal act was committed."