F1: 5 of the most controversial moments of Schumacher's career

#1 Another Championship-deciding crash at the 1997 European Grand Prix

Michael Schumacher was disqualified from the 1997 championship

The 1997 European Grand Prix at Jerez was the last race of the season, and much like 1994, was the championship-deciding race.

Coming into the race, Michael Schumacher led Jacques Villeneuve by a single point and needed to finish higher than the Canadian to win the championship. After a hotly contested qualifying session, the top-three drivers, Villeneuve, Schumacher and Frentzen, finished the session by posting the same time on the board.

Eventually, Villeneuve started the race from pole while his adversary started the race from the second place. Villeneuve and Schumacher traded places and fought fiercely for the top spot for the better part of the race.

However, on lap 48, when Jacques Villeneuve attempted to pass Schumacher by braking late, the German deliberately swerved his car into the back of the Williams, which resulted in his immediate retirement. Despite the damage, the Canadian driver continued and claimed the championship.

Michael Schumacher was not so lucky this time, as the investigation that followed the race established that the crash was deliberate. The German was disqualified from the 1997 drivers' championship.

Interestingly, till 2018, he is the only Formula One driver to be disqualified from the championship.

Video: Collision between Jacques Villeneuve and Michael Schumacher