Seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher won his first title with Benetton all the way back in 1994, a campaign that was filled with controversies. The season had numerous accidents, and banned rules, among other contentious moments. Moreover, some of the rules were also cleverly bent to help Schumacher win the title.
The 1994 F1 season saw Williams take a back seat even though Adrian Newey was the chief architect of the team. The FW16 no longer reflected dominance as it was without active suspension, anti-lock brakes, and traction control as they were all banned. This was the area that Benetton utilized to prove themselves as a strong contender for the title.
Admittedly, Schumacher‘s team cleverly used the traction control system in a way that it did not seem illegal. At the same time, they ensured that it did not conflict with the rule change.
Interestingly, it was Ayrton Senna, who figured out what Benetton were doing. He had a suspicion that resulted in the investigation of a hidden menu in Benetton’s electronics that helped in bending the rule.
William Toet, who worked with Benetton in the 1980s, wrote in his LinkedIn post as per SpeedCafe, “He [Senna] noticed the Benetton appear to stutter coming out of the slower corners which he thought must be traction control. But the way Benetton had achieved it was quite legal. So the controversy starts.”
This is how Benetton developed their car to have traction control even though it was banned. In doing so, they didn’t technically breach the rule but also were able to use it. Nevertheless, the season was overshadowed in the end by the tragic death of Senna and Roland Ratzenberger.
1994 F1 was a season full of controversies
Apart from Benetton and Michael Schumacher’s traction control controversy, the 1994 season saw multiple other moments of contention as well involving the seven-time champion. The German legend was also banned from races and fined in some others.
Michael Schumacher got banned for two races after he and Benetton ignored the black flag a couple of races earlier in Belgium when a speed-limitation device on his car did not meet the requirements. As a result of the incident, he was also disqualified from the race in SPA, one that he had won. This was followed by a fine of $25,000 at the British GP that the former German driver had to pay for not serving a penalty prescribed under technical regulations.
Moreover, there was also a fire at the German GP when Jos Verstappen’s car burst into flames following a leakage in fuel. In the end, it was Schumacher’s on-track tussle with championship rival Damon Hill in Adelaide, Australia, that saw both of them get eliminated from the race. As a result of the incident, the German took the title by just one point.
