5 F1 drivers who were arrested for breaking the law

The best drivers. Fast cars. Glamorous lifestyles. On-track and off-track rivalries. Insane fandoms. This is the public perception of F1 drivers that the world loves and follows.

Beyond their charismatic public personas, however, fans know very little about their favorite drivers. These days, drivers are carefully managed to portray themselves as someone who only lives to win – who sacrifice their lives, training 24x7 and away from their families to become the best in their field.

F1 drivers weren't always so disciplined and free of controversy in their private lives. If anything, their carefully manufactured public images are a relatively new phenomenon. In the not-so-distant past, drivers getting into trouble for their behavior both on and off-track was pretty common.

This could be anything from civil disputes such as lawsuits, sponsorship disputes, and criminal cases that threatened potential jail time.

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Here are 5 F1 drivers who spent time in jail for breaking the law

#5 Jean Alesi

In a career spanning nearly a dozen years, Jean Alesi raced for some of the biggest names in F1 between the late eighties and the early noughties. This included a five-year-long stint at Scuderia Ferrari, during which time he took his only career victory.

Often considered an unrated driver, the Frenchman was known for his mercurial emotions and his supreme car control in the wet.

Late last year, Alesi, along with his son Giuliano and a friend, were arrested by French police after they set off a “large firework bought in Italy” in front of an architecture firm.

The incident, which Alesi subsequently labeled as “a joke that went wrong”, led to him spending nearly 24 hours in police custody before being released.

The former Ferrari driver, however, wasn’t too downbeat about his stay in the jail. He later revealed that he had spent all night talking about F1 with his custodians, having a decent time.

#4 Jos Verstappen

The father of reigning world champion Max Verstappen, Jos raced in F1 between 1994 and 2001 for various teams, the most prominent being for Benetton alongside the legendary Michael Schumacher.

Despite his obvious talent, Verstappen didn’t have luck on his side and was increasingly saddled with bad cars that limited his potential. Nevertheless, he managed to score two podiums and 17 career points from 107 total race starts before retiring from the pinnacle of motorsport.

Despite his success, Jos Verstappen’s motorsport career was marred by controversy — the Dutchman was accused of assault on multiple occasions. In 2000, he settled out of court after being accused of fracturing a person’s skull at a karting track two years prior.

Eight years later, he was arrested for alleged assault on his then-wife Sophie Kumpen. He was later arrested again after violating a restraining order preventing him from going near Kumpen, which earned him a suspended three-month sentence.

In 2012, he was accused of attempted murder against his former girlfriend, but the charges were later dropped.

#3 Adrian Sutil

While Adrian Sutil has been associated with many F1 teams over his nearly decade-long career in the sport, he was most successful with Force India. Between 2008 and 2011, the German driver made nearly 80 starts for the team and scored consistent points.

During his final year with the team in 2011, he was involved in an incident during the F1 Chinese GP, when one of his former backers accused him of assault. Sutil reportedly smashed up a champagne bottle and used the broken shards from the bottle to cause “bodily harm” to the CEO of Genii Capital, Eric Lux, at a local nightclub in Shanghai.

Lux subsequently sued Sutil, which led to the latter’s conviction, earning him a 18-month suspended sentence. It also led to Sutil losing out on his seat at Force India.

#2 Bertrand Gachot

After spending years in junior formulae hoping to get into F1, Bertrand Gachot joined the highest echelon of motorsport in 1989 with the newly formed Onyx team before losing his seat by the end of the year. The following season, he switched teams and raced for another doomed outfit, the Coloni team.

Despite lacking funding, the Frenchman was highly regarded within the F1 paddock and was swiftly snatched up by Eddie Jordan for the 1991 season to race for his newly formed eponymous team.

It looked as if Gachot’s fortunes had taken a turn for the better, as he managed to impress with his performances. By mid-season, however, he was involved in a criminal case that led to his arrest, paving the way for one of the most successful drivers the sport has ever seen — Michael Schumacher — to make his debut.

Gachot was accused of assaulting a taxi driver and carrying a prohibited weapon during a road rage incident the previous year and earned himself a 18-month prison sentence.

He was released after serving two months of his sentence following an appeal and promptly returned to F1 for the Japanese GP.

#1 JJ Lehto

JJ Lehto joined F1 as Bertrand Gachot’s replacement at Onyx but was soon without a drive after the team folded. He then returned to the sport three years later in 1992 with another short-lived outfit, Scuderia Italia. While his performances were decent, an accident in 1993 ruled him out of four races that year. By the time he managed to recover, he had been replaced, cutting short his career at the pinnacle of motorsport.

More than fifteen years later, Lehto was charged with reckless driving, manslaughter, driving, and influence after being involved in a boating accident, which saw his friend being killed.

Lehto was caught going at nearly 120 kmph in a restricted zone with speed limits of less than 20 kmph. He was promptly convicted of all charges and received 28 months in prison. In 2012, he successfully managed to appeal his conviction and had all the charges against him cleared.