Lewis Hamilton caught in FIA crossfire over ILLEGAL F1 car dispute

Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton caught in FIA crossfire over ILLEGAL F1 car dispute

McLaren and Ferrari 'targeted by former FIA president'

Dan Ripley Global Editor

Professional F1 journalist and analyst

Monday 17 February 2025 08:58 Updated: 14:40

Lewis Hamilton’s role in a highly bitter dispute has been revealed following one of the most controversial chapters in Formula 1 history.

These days Hamilton is a seven-time world champion looking to win an unprecedented eighth crown to take him clear of joint record holder Michael Schumacher.

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But back in 2009, the British star was still celebrating his maiden world title with McLaren when he was hit by a huge Formula 1 political sledgehammer that struck the current world constructors’ champions hard as well as long time rivals Ferrari.

Red Bull were also innocently caught up in the scandal that centred on the double diffusers produced by Brawn, Toyota and Williams in the build up to the season.

Adrian Newey was chief designer at Christian Horner’s Milton Keynes team at the time and recalled how he was informed such designs were against the regulations and would be banned ahead of the new season.

Lewis Hamilton was about to defend his F1 title in 2009

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McLaren and Ferrari punished by Mosley

However, Newey has recalled that instead, then FIA president Max Mosley decided to make the double diffusers legal, putting the likes of McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull at a severe disadvantage as a way to punish the former two teams who he had a personal conflict with.

"I would still say it wasn't a matter of was it legal or not because I think you could easily argue either way. I think the real thing was that it became a political tool for [former FIA president] Max Mosley,” Newey told AMuS.

"So before Melbourne but after all teams realised that three teams Brawn, Toyota and Williams had all got a double diffuser I spoke to both Charlie Whiting [Race Director] and to Max Mosley and Max assured me that he would not want to be turning up at Melbourne with a double diffuser.

"He viewed it as illegal, then I think he realised that he was in conflict with both McLaren and Ferrari, and I can't remember exact reasons for the politics, but he wanted to teach them a lesson and so he decided now actually it would be legal to kind of penalise McLaren and Ferrari and unfortunately we [Red Bull] got caught up in the crossfire."

Hamilton lost out heavily despite not being in Mosley’s crosshairs, as McLaren struggled badly in the first half of the season to leave his title defence chances in tatters. McLaren upgrades soon saw him finish the season strongly with wins in Hungary and Singapore.

But he finished well behind eventual champion Jenson Button who took full advantage for the famous one-season wonder Brawn team.