The Most Controversial US Grands Prix in F1 History

Few Formula One venues have such a chaotic and colourful past as the United States. The American rounds of the F1 World Championship, whether they’ve officially carried the “United States Grand Prix” name or not, have been a part of F1 since the very first season in 1950. Yet, if there’s one constant in F1’s American story, it’s that things rarely go smoothly.

From protests and politics to track failures and tyre fiascos, Formula One’s forays across the Atlantic have often teetered on the edge of farce. So, buckle up as we dive into seven of the most controversial US Grands Prix in F1 history.

1961 United States Grand Prix: Watkins Glen’s Nerve-Wracking Debut

Just two months before the inaugural Formula One race at Watkins Glen, there was real doubt that it would even go ahead.

The permanent Watkins Glen circuit, built in 1956, had already hosted a variety of events, but founder Cameron Argetsinger had long dreamed of bringing Formula One to town. Between 1958 and 1960, he ran Formula Libre events. These were looser, less regulated races that served as a kind of audition for F1’s arrival.

The problem was timing. Formula One only confirmed its interest six weeks before the race date, leaving Argetsinger with a frantic deadline to build a pit complex and meet international standards. Miraculously, it came together in time, though not without sleepless nights.

Then came race day, and one glaring absence. American hero and newly crowned World Champion Phil Hill was nowhere to be found. Hill’s Ferrari team had decided to skip the event entirely following the tragedy at Monza, where his teammate and title rival, Wolfgang von Trips, had sadly been killed in a horrific crash that also claimed multiple spectators. Ferrari’s decision robbed Hill of a homecoming celebration, casting a sombre shadow over what should have been a triumphant debut for Watkins Glen.

1961 United States Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	15	Innes Ireland	Lotus Climax	100	2:13:45.800	9
2	12	Dan Gurney	Porsche	100	+4.300s	6
3	5	Tony Brooks	BRM Climax	100	+49.000s	4
4	2	Bruce McLaren	Cooper Climax	100	+58.000s	3
5	4	Graham Hill	BRM Climax	99	+1 lap	2
6	11	Jo Bonnier	Porsche	98	+2 laps	1
NC	19	Roy Salvadori	Cooper Climax	96	DNF	0
7	14	Jim Clark	Lotus Climax	96	+4 laps	0
8	6	Roger Penske	Cooper Climax	96	+4 laps	0
9	16	Peter Ryan	Lotus Climax	96	+4 laps	0
10	3	Hap Sharp	Cooper Climax	93	+7 laps	0
11	21	Olivier Gendebien	Lotus Climax		DNF	0
11	21	Masten Gregory	Lotus Climax	92	+8 laps	0
NC	26	Lloyd Ruby	Lotus Climax	76	DNF	0
NC	17	Jim Hall	Lotus Climax	76	DNF	0
NC	7	Stirling Moss	Lotus Climax	58	DNF	0
NC	1	Jack Brabham	Cooper Climax	57	DNF	0
NC	22	Masten Gregory	Lotus Climax	23	DNF	0
NC	60	Walt Hansgen	Cooper Climax	14	DNF	0
NC	18	John Surtees	Cooper Climax	0	DNF	0

1964 United States Grand Prix: Ferrari’s Colourful Protest

Just three years later, Ferrari once again found itself at the heart of the storm. Enzo Ferrari was locked in a furious standoff with Italy’s national motorsport authority, the Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI).

The issue centred around Ferrari’s 250LM sports car, which the ACI refused to homologate for endurance racing, arguing that not enough road-going versions had been produced. Enzo took this as a personal insult and, in a fit of defiance, surrendered Ferrari’s competition licence.

Technically, this meant the Scuderia couldn’t race in the season finale at Watkins Glen. But, in true Ferrari fashion, there was a loophole. Four cars appeared on the grid under the banner of Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team (NART). The familiar scarlet Ferraris instead appeared in patriotic blue and white, the racing colours of the United States.

It was a symbolic protest as much as a practical workaround, and one of the most striking visual moments in Formula 1 history.

1964 United States Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	3	Graham Hill	BRM	110	2:16:38.000	9
2	7	John Surtees	Ferrari	110	+30.500s	6
3	22	Jo Siffert	Brabham BRM	109	+1 lap	4
4	4	Richie Ginther	BRM	107	+3 laps	3
5	17	Walt Hansgen	Lotus Climax	107	+3 laps	2
6	12	Trevor Taylor	BRP BRM	106	+4 laps	1
7	2	Mike Spence	Lotus Climax		SHC	0
7	2	Jim Clark	Lotus Climax	102	DNF	0
8	14	Mike Hailwood	Lotus BRM	101	DNF	0
NC	6	Dan Gurney	Brabham Climax	69	DNF	0
NC	23	Hap Sharp	Brabham BRM	65	+45 laps	0
NC	8	Lorenzo Bandini	Ferrari	58	DNF	0
NC	1	Jim Clark	Lotus Climax		SHC	0
NC	1	Mike Spence	Lotus Climax	54	DNF	0
NC	28	Ronnie Bucknum	Honda	50	DNF	0
NC	15	Chris Amon	Lotus BRM	47	DNF	0
NC	16	Jo Bonnier	Brabham Climax	37	DNF	0
NC	9	Bruce McLaren	Cooper Climax	26	DNF	0
NC	5	Jack Brabham	Brabham Climax	14	DNF	0
NC	10	Phil Hill	Cooper Climax	4	DNF	0
NC	11	Innes Ireland	BRP BRM	2	DNF	0

1975 United States Grand Prix: A Prize Fund in Peril

By 1975, Watkins Glen had become a fixture of the calendar, but financial drama erupted just as the circus arrived in upstate New York.

The organisers of the recently cancelled Canadian Grand Prix turned up brandishing a writ to freeze the USGP’s prize fund, demanding compensation for their own event’s collapse. With lawyers circling and bills mounting, the Watkins Glen organisers were forced to carve $130,000 out of the prize fund to cover shipping and other costs.

With the world title already wrapped up and the financial confusion creating chaos, several European teams simply decided the trip wasn’t worth it. What should have been a celebration became a scramble to keep the show alive.

1975 United States Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	12	Niki Lauda	Ferrari	59	1:42:58.175	9
2	1	Emerson Fittipaldi	McLaren Ford	59	+4.943s	6
3	2	Jochen Mass	McLaren Ford	59	+47.637s	4
4	24	James Hunt	Hesketh Ford	59	+49.475s	3
5	5	Ronnie Peterson	Lotus Ford	59	+49.986s	2
6	3	Jody Scheckter	Tyrrell Ford	59	+50.321s	1
7	9	Vittorio Brambilla	March Ford	59	+104.031s	0
8	10	Hans-Joachim Stuck	March Ford	58	+1 lap	0
9	28	John Watson	Penske Ford	57	+2 laps	0
10	30	Wilson Fittipaldi	Fittipaldi Ford	55	+4 laps	0
NC	16	Tom Pryce	Shadow Ford	52	+7 laps	0
NC	6	Brian Henton	Lotus Ford	49	+10 laps	0
NC	25	Brett Lunger	Hesketh Ford	46	DNF	0
NC	31	Roelof  Wunderink	Ensign Ford	41	DNF	0
NC	11	Clay Regazzoni	Ferrari	28	DNF	0
NC	17	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Shadow Ford	19	DNF	0
NC	7	Carlos Reutemann	Brabham Ford	9	DNF	0
NC	27	Mario Andretti	Parnelli Ford	9	DNF	0
NC	23	Tony Brise	Hill Ford	5	DNF	0
NC	15	Michel Leclere	Tyrrell Ford	5	DNF	0
NC	4	Patrick Depailler	Tyrrell Ford	2	DNF	0
NC	8	Carlos Pace	Brabham Ford	2	DNF	0

1984 Detroit Grand Prix: Tyrrell’s Fall from Grace

On paper, the 1984 Detroit Grand Prix looked like a straightforward display of Nelson Piquet’s mastery. The Brazilian dominated from pole to flag, but behind him lay controversy that would shake the paddock to its core.

The Tyrrell-Ford outfit, which had been struggling all season, suddenly found itself back in the spotlight. Stefan Bellof had retired mid-race, but Martin Brundle stunned everyone by finishing second, a huge result for the small team.

Moments after the podium, whispers began to spread. Scrutineers had found something suspicious in the Tyrrell’s water injection system, impurities that shouldn’t have been there, along with lead pellets inside the water bags that might have been used to manipulate the car’s weight.

Although later tests contradicted some of the initial findings, the FIA dropped the hammer. Tyrrell was disqualified from the race and stripped of all points for the 1984 season. It was a scandal that effectively ended the team’s competitive era.

1984 Detroit Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	1	Nelson Piquet	Brabham BMW	63	1:55:41.842	9
2	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus Renault	63	+32.638s	6
3	2	Teo Fabi	Brabham BMW	63	+86.528s	4
4	7	Alain Prost	McLaren TAG	63	+115.258s	3
5	5	Jacques Laffite	Williams Honda	62	+1 lap	2
NC	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	49	DNF	0
NC	6	Keke Rosberg	Williams Honda	47	DNF	0
NC	16	Derek Warwick	Renault	40	DNF	0
NC	15	Patrick Tambay	Renault	33	DNF	0
NC	9	Philippe Alliot	RAM Hart	33	DNF	0
NC	8	Niki Lauda	McLaren TAG	33	DNF	0
NC	12	Nigel Mansell	Lotus Renault	27	DNF	0
NC	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows BMW	27	DNF	0
NC	26	Andrea de Cesaris	Ligier Renault	24	DNF	0
NC	20	Johnny Cecotto	Toleman Hart	23	DNF	0
NC	23	Eddie Cheever	Alfa Romeo	21	DNF	0
NC	19	Ayrton Senna	Toleman Hart	21	DNF	0
NC	22	Riccardo Patrese	Alfa Romeo	20	DNF	0
NC	25	Francois Hesnault	Ligier Renault	3	DNF	0
NC	24	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella Alfa Romeo	3	DNF	0
NC	28	Rene Arnoux	Ferrari	2	DNF	0
NC	10	Jonathan Palmer	RAM Hart	2	DNF	0

1984 Dallas Grand Prix: Meltdown in the Texas Heat

If Detroit was controversial, Dallas was downright chaotic. The event has gone down as one of Formula One’s great calamities.

From the start, organisers and the FIA clashed over logistics. The temporary street circuit was hastily prepared, and under the blistering Texan sun, the tarmac began to break apart. Bernie Ecclestone, keen not to disappoint the 90,000 fans who had packed the stands, insisted the race go ahead despite concerns from drivers and teams.

The result was carnage. Cars slid and bounced across crumbling asphalt in searing heat, with mechanical failures mounting by the lap. The defining image of the day came from Nigel Mansell, who collapsed with exhaustion while heroically trying to push his broken Lotus–Renault across the finish line.

The race was such a shambles that Formula One never returned to Dallas.

1984 Dallas Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	6	Keke Rosberg	Williams Honda	67	2:01:22.617	9
2	28	Rene Arnoux	Ferrari	67	+22.464s	6
3	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus Renault	66	+1 lap	4
4	5	Jacques Laffite	Williams Honda	65	+2 laps	3
5	24	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella Alfa Romeo	65	+2 laps	2
6	12	Nigel Mansell	Lotus Renault	64	DNF	1
7	2	Corrado Fabi	Brabham BMW	64	+3 laps	0
8	14	Manfred Winkelhock	ATS BMW	64	+3 laps	0
NC	8	Niki Lauda	McLaren TAG	60	DNF	0
NC	7	Alain Prost	McLaren TAG	56	DNF	0
NC	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows BMW	55	DNF	0
NC	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	54	DNF	0
NC	17	Marc Surer	Arrows BMW	54	DNF	0
NC	19	Ayrton Senna	Toleman Hart	47	DNF	0
NC	10	Jonathan  Palmer	RAM Hart	46	DNF	0
NC	1	Nelson Piquet	Brabham BMW	45	DNF	0
NC	15	Patrick Tambay	Renault	25	DNF	0
NC	20	Johnny Cecotto	Toleman Hart	25	DNF	0
NC	26	Andrea de Cesaris	Ligier Renault	15	DNF	0
NC	21	Huub Rothengatter	Spirit Hart	15	DNF	0
NC	22	Riccardo Patrese	Alfa Romeo	12	DNF	0
NC	16	Derek Warwick	Renault	10	DNF	0
NC	23	Eddie Cheever	Alfa Romeo	8	DNF	0

2005 United States Grand Prix: The Six-Car Disaster

Even among all the chaos of Formula One’s American adventures, nothing compares to Indianapolis in 2005.

The race was set on the infield road course of the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But during the build-up, teams running Michelin tyres discovered a catastrophic issue: their tyres were failing under stress on the circuit’s final banked corner.

Michelin’s Pierre Dupasquier pleaded with FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting to intervene. He warned that the tyres were unsafe beyond ten laps and proposed various solutions, a slower corner, a chicane, or even turning the event into a non-championship race. The FIA refused every suggestion.

Faced with an impossible situation, all the Michelin-equipped teams withdrew after the formation lap, leaving just six Bridgestone-shod cars to take the start. The fans erupted in fury, booing as the pit lane filled with parked cars.

The event remains one of the shadiest days in Formula One history, its reputation tarnished beyond repair.

2005 United States Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	73	1:29:43.181	10
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	73	+1.522s	8
3	18	Tiago Monteiro	Jordan Toyota	72	+1 lap	6
4	19	Narain Karthikeyan	Jordan Toyota	72	+1 lap	5
5	21	Christijan Albers	Minardi Cosworth	71	+2 laps	4
6	20	Patrick Friesacher	Minardi Cosworth	71	+2 laps	3
NC	16	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	0	DNF	0
NC	9	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren Mercedes	0	DNF	0
NC	3	Jenson Button	BAR Honda	0	DNF	0
NC	6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault	0	DNF	0
NC	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	0	DNF	0
NC	4	Takuma Sato	BAR Honda	0	DNF	0
NC	7	Mark Webber	Williams BMW	0	DNF	0
NC	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber Petronas	0	DNF	0
NC	10	Juan Pablo Montoya	McLaren Mercedes	0	DNF	0
NC	11	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber Petronas	0	DNF	0
NC	17	Ricardo Zonta	Toyota	0	DNF	0
NC	15	Christian Klien	RBR Cosworth	0	DNF	0
NC	8	Nick Heidfeld	Williams BMW	0	DNF	0
NC	14	David Coulthard	RBR Cosworth	0	DNF	0
Note – all seven Michelin teams withdrew after the formation lap on tyre-related safety grounds.

2023 United States Grand Prix: Scrutineering Strikes Back

Even in the modern era, the United States Grand Prix continues to deliver controversy. The 2023 edition at the Circuit of The Americas was the first sprint weekend at the venue, and drivers had already raised alarms about the circuit’s rough, bumpy surface.

Those concerns proved justified. After the main race, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were both disqualified for excessive plank wear, a breach of the regulations governing the car’s underfloor skid blocks.

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Mercedes and Ferrari argued that the additional running during the sprint weekend had exaggerated the wear, but the FIA held firm. Both drivers were stripped of their top-ten finishes.

At least one American had reason to smile: Logan Sargeant scored his first Formula One points, promoted to tenth place thanks to those disqualifications. It was a small silver lining on another stormy weekend in the US.

2023 United States Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT	56	1:35:21.362	25
DQ	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	56	+2.225s	0
2	4	Lando Norris	McLaren Mercedes	56	+10.730s	0
3	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	56	+15.134s	0
4	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT	56	+18.460s	0
DQ	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	56	+24.662s	0
5	63	George Russell	Mercedes	56	+24.999s	0
6	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine Renault	56	+47.996s	0
7	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes	56	+48.696s	0
8	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri Honda RBPT	56	+74.385s	0
9	23	Alexander Albon	Williams Mercedes	56	+86.714s	0
10	2	Logan Sargeant	Williams Mercedes	56	+87.998s	0
11	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Haas Ferrari	56	+89.904s	0
12	77	Valtteri Bottas	Alfa Romeo Ferrari	56	+98.601s	0
13	24	Zhou Guanyu	Alfa Romeo Ferrari	55	+1 lap	0
14	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas Ferrari	55	+1 lap	0
15	3	Daniel Ricciardo	AlphaTauri Honda RBPT	55	+1 lap	0
NC	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes	49	DNF	0
NC	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren Mercedes	10	DNF	0
NC	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine Renault	6	DNF	0
Note – Tsunoda scored an additional point for setting the fastest lap of the race. Albon received a five-second time penalty for track limits infringements. Hamilton and Leclerc disqualified for technical infringements.

A Tradition of Trouble

From Watkins Glen to Dallas and Indianapolis to Austin, America’s relationship with Formula One has been as volatile as it is passionate. Each controversial race, in its own way, has shaped how the sport approaches its American ventures.

Perhaps that unpredictability is part of the appeal. After all, no matter where Formula One goes in the United States, the only certainty is that it will be unforgettable, and with three races on the calendar, stateside, in recent seasons, 2024 and 2025, there may be more to come.