Formula 1’s Wild Past: 10 shocking stories of excesses and scandals

Formula 1 is now a polished, high-tech spectacle, but its history is steeped in jaw-dropping tales of debauchery, recklessness, and controversy. 

From Christian Horner’s recent text scandal to decades-old stories of drugs, alcohol, and wild behaviour, the sport’s past is a far cry from its modern image. 

Here are 10 outrageous moments from F1’s untamed era, drawn from the sport’s most colourful characters, that reveal just how wild the paddock once was.

James Hunt, the 1976 world champion, embodied Formula 1’s playboy era. Renowned for sleeping with 500 women, he reportedly bedded 35 British Airways stewardesses two weeks before his title win. 

On the eve of the decisive race, he was caught having sex with a fan in the pits, cementing his reputation as a hedonistic icon.

In 2005, a drunken Kimi Raikkonen turned a London strip club into his personal stage. After spending £2,000, the “Iceman” climbed onstage and stripped naked, leaving a bartender to recall him as “drunk as a skunk.” 

A year later, he fell off a stage at Monaco, only to recover with champagne in his yacht’s jacuzzi.

At 89, former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone became the seventh-oldest father in recorded history. 

Known for his controversial friendships, including with Vladimir Putin, whom he said he’d “take a bullet for” post-Ukraine invasion, Ecclestone’s personal life remains as provocative as his political ties.

Gerhard Berger’s mischievous streak took a dark turn when he swapped Ayrton Senna’s passport photo with a picture of his genitals, leading to Senna’s 24-hour detention in Argentina. 

On race day, Berger spiked Senna’s orange juice with sleeping pills, though Senna fortunately didn’t drink it.

Max Verstappen’s father, Jos, has a notorious history. Beyond a karting incident that fractured a rival’s skull, he was charged with attempted murder after running over his ex-girlfriend. 

She later dropped the charges and married him, adding a bizarre twist to his rap sheet.

In 2005, tabloids exposed racing chief Max Mosley for allegedly organizing a Nazi-themed orgy with five dominatrixes. 

Described as “flushed and panting” amid “acres of scarlet behind,” Mosley’s scandal shocked the sport and tarnished his legacy.

Even the disciplined German-born Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher had his moments. 

In 2003, under pressure in Japan, he hopped on a forklift and tossed furniture, including a table and fridge, out a window, proving that even F1’s most focused star could cut loose.

Celebrating a win in Germany, Innes Ireland climbed onto a pub roof and fired his pistol into the air. 

When the bar owner refused service, citing closing time, Ireland knocked him unconscious with a punch, showcasing the sport’s lawless past.

Stirling Moss, an F1 legend, was as meticulous about his romantic conquests as his race results. 

Keeping a “little black book” to track both, he once quipped, “I’m very grateful to homosexuals because the more there are, the more women there are for me.”

Eddie Irvine’s love for nightlife led to trouble in a Milan club’s VIP section. 

A fight over a woman ended with Irvine punching a man in the eye, earning him a six-month jail sentence and proving that Formula 1’s party culture often came with consequences.

These stories, from Hunt’s escapades to Irvine’s brawls, reveal a Formula 1 unrecognisable to today’s fans, a world where excess was as much a part of the sport as speed. 

While the paddock has since cleaned up its act, these tales remain a wild reminder of F1’s rebellious roots.