Racing For A Common Goal? Not So With These Guys
Rivalries among different race car manufacturers are not uncommon. Think Ford V Ferrari. But what about inter-team rivalries between different drivers? Let's explore some of the most contentious rivalries that existed, and still exist, between teammates in Formula One.
Hamilton V Rosberg
Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg locked horns on Team Mercedes between 2013 and 2016 in what became known as "The Silver War". Let's dive into one of the most storied rivalries at Mercedes in recent memory.
Andrew Locking, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Background
In September 2012, Lewis Hamilton shockingly left McLaren to join Mercedes, where Nico Rosberg was already racing—he signed a three-year contract. Not long after signing, the first signs of tension in the team would show at the Malaysian Grand Prix when Mercedes gave orders to Rosberg to hold behind Hamilton, allowing him to finish on the podium ahead.
Thomas Ormston, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Different Upbringings
One of the many theories about why Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton were so contentious with each other is that they had very different upbringings and personalities. Rosberg is the son of Keke Rosberg, a wealthy Formula One champion in his own rights, whereas Lewis Hamilton's father had to work multiple jobs to sustain his son's career.
Hans van Dijk, Wikimedia Commons
Former Teammates In Karting With Different Approaches
Both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg got their starts racing karts in Europe—and were in fact teammates in the year 2000, under Mercedes-McLaren in Formula A. Their former kart racing instructor once said that Hamilton was always faster, whereas Rosberg was more analytical.
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Rosberg Makes A Daring Play
As the pair's competitive streaks began to show, with Rosberg winning at the Australian Grand Prix and the tension heating up, it was revealed that after Hamilton won the Bahrain Grand Prix, Rosberg had been using engine modes banned by Mercedes to try and usurp his teammate.
Raimond Spekking, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Hamilton Responds—Twice
Later that year, Lewis Hamilton did the same thing, using a banned engine mode to beat Rosberg to the podium in Monaco. Then, in 2015, at the US Grand Prix, Hamilton cut Rosberg off on a turn to take the lead, pushing him wide. Rosberg threw his racing cap at Hamilton at the end of the race and declared the move "one step too far".
35mmMan, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Rosberg Retires, Ending The Rivalry
In the end, it would be Lewis Hamilton who would have the last laugh in this rivalry. In the final push by Nico Rosberg in 2016 in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton needed to not let Rosberg win, if he was to claim another title. At the closing of the race, he slowed down dramatically, not allowing Rosberg to pass him, instead allowing Vettel and Verstappen to pass them both—securing another championship for Hamilton and screwing Rosberg over in the process. Nico Rosberg retired from Formula One racing a few days later.
Martin Lee, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Senna V Prost
One of the most famous rivalries in Formula One history is Ayrton Senna V Alain Prost at McLaren-Honda between 1998 and 1999. Like with the previous pairing, the two racers dominated the field, with McLaren-Honda winning 15 out of 16 races and Senna edging Prost with eight race victories to his seven.
Angelo Orsi, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Senna Ignores A Team Agreement In 1989
In 1989, McLaren-Honda had come up with a team agreement not to fight for victories among each other. With Prost leading Senna into the last corner at the San Marino Grand Prix, Senna overtook Prost on that corner to claim a victory. So much for not fighting each other.
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A Title Showdown In Japan
Later that year at the Japanese Grand Prix, Prost was again leading Senna in Lap 46 of 53 of the race, when Senna attempted to overtake—but Prost closed the gap and the drivers collided. Senna's car was repaired in the pits, while Prost's car was too badly damaged. Senna was disqualified from the race for re-entering the track illegally, meaning Prost took the title. Prost departed for Ferrari in 1990, thus ending the intra-team rivalry.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Mansell V Piquet
The England-Brazil national rivalry isn't confined to soccer—it also reared its head in Formula One in 1986 while Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet were teammates at Williams Racing.
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The Background
It's thought that Nelson Piquet usurped Nigel Mansell a little bit when he arrived on the scene at Williams in 1986, and words were exchanged between the pair before the season even got underway. Honda, who'd allowed Piquet to leave for Williams, were reportedly paying a portion of his salary and were disappointed that Mansell was being allowed to win races ahead of their star Brazilian.
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The Rivalry Turns Bitter In 1987
The rivalry between Mansell and Piquet became even more bitter in 1987, as Mansell lost the F1 title by a whisker to Alain Prost, leading Piquet to contend that he might have been able to beat the Frenchman. Mansell once said of his teammate: "We have no relationship whatsoever, not even a professional one".
Jerry Lewis-Evans, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Money Talks, Piquet Walks
After struggling further in the 1987 season, Honda decided they would switch engine suppliers, from Williams to McLaren. Meanwhile, their starlet racer (whom they were partially paying for) jumped ship from Williams to Lotus, who used Honda engines.
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Pironi V Villeneuve
Didier Pironi and Gilles Villeneuve were teammates at Ferrari in 1982 for a short but fiery time. Pironi signed for Ferrari in 1981, quickly making friends with senior management and other drivers, except for the Canadian Gilles Villeneuve.
Hans van Dijk, Wikimedia Commons
The 1982 San Marino Grand Prix
In 1982 at the San Marino Grand Prix, Gilles Villeneuve was leading the Frenchman on lap 44, which led to Ferrari issuing team orders for the pair to slow down. Villeneuve believed that this meant they were to hold their positions in the pack, meanwhile Pironi raced by him, causing the pair to pass each other multiple times throughout the race. On the final lap, Pironi again overtook, going on to win the race—infuriating Villeneuve.
Martin Lee, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
"I Will Never Speak To Him Again".
The furious Villeneuve, believing Pironi had acted recklessly to one-up him, vowed in the post-race interview, "I will never speak to him again. I have declared war... It’s war. Absolute war".
A Tragic End To The Rivalry
In the weeks that followed the incident at San Marino, the Belgian Grand Prix was held. In attempting to beat Pironi's qualifying time, Gilles Villeneuve was tragically killed in a crash.
ideogibs, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Alan Jones V Carlos Reutemann
In early 1981, Alan Jones and Carlos Reutemann were both drivers for Williams, the British racing outfit. Having just arrived at the team a year prior, and with Jones as the ruling World Champion, there was plenty of attention on the newcomer and ensuring that he respected the already-established pecking order.
Racing Magazine No. 776, Wikimedia Commons
Reutemann Refuses To Move Over
In the second round of qualifying for a Grand Prix, having just joined the team, Carlos Reutemann refused to move over for Alan Jones, which prompted Jones to chastise Reutemann for being "short-sighted". Perhaps it was this rivalry which proved too great of a distraction for both drivers, as they missed out on the championship, which was claimed by Nelson Piquet instead.
Revista Corsa N.° 776, Wikimedia Commons
Prost V Arnoux
Alain Prost was doubtlessly one of Formula One's greatest-ever drivers. But he didn't start at the top—he had to work his way through the ranks of Renault, where he crossed paths with René Arnoux, an already-established French driver for Renault.
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Renault's Finish At The 1982 French Grand Prix
Fitting though it might have been to see a French team, led by French drivers, perform well at the French Grand Prix, the already-bitter rivalry between Prost and Arnoux meant that was impossible. Handing Renault their first one-two finish, Prost finished ahead of Arnoux. This enraged the elder Frenchman, who thought that Prost had not kept to the agreed team orders established before the race began. Prost contended that no orders had been given and he was free to "race his own race".
Martin Lee, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Arnoux Leaves For Ferrari
More tension was piled on the pairing after Arnoux suffered a high-speed crash at the 1982 Dutch Grand Prix and lost a wheel going into a tricky corner. Frustrated and blaming Prost for his poor season, Arnoux left Renault for Ferrari in 1982. Prost went from strength-to-strength at Renault and McLaren, while Arnoux faded into obscurity.
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Alonso V Räikkönen
Another rivalry for the ages involved Fernando Alonso and Kimi Räikkönen, while both drivers were with Ferrari in the mid-2010s. They were no stranger to each other, having climbed the ranks of Formula One together, including participating in a 2005 title fight prior to their partnership at Ferrari.
Morio, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Alonso Outperforms Räikkönen
In 2014, the pair were partnered at Ferrari, which saw the Spaniard vastly outperform the Finn, winning 159 points to Kimi's paltry 54 points. At the time, Räikkönen opined on that 2014 season, stating: "As a teammate, I'm kind of certain that there was something odd happening, like between us". Although no fists flew or harsh words were exchanged publicly, the 2014 season saw Fernando Alonso take over as the star of the show.
Hamilton V Button
In 2010, experienced British racer Jenson Button joined McLaren and was paired with a young upstart named Lewis Hamilton. Expected to be a stabilizing force for Hamilton because of his long career, Hamilton and Button began a rivalry that would last for two years from 2010 to 2012.
Andrew Griffith, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Outscoring The Youngster
The young and inexperienced Hamilton would get his ego checked by Jenson Button, who regularly outscored him during the 2010-11 season. As a veteran driver, Hamilton learned well from Button, coming into his own as a future star in the 2011-12 season.
peter castleton, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Vettel V Webber
One of the greatest rivalries in Formula One history was when Sebastian Vettel squared off against Red Bull teammate, Australian Mark Webber. Webber, the more senior driver of the pair, had been racing with Red Bull since 2006, meanwhile Vettel arrived on the scene in 2009. A rivalry was almost assured from the waving of the checkered flag.
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Jostling For Position Begins
Jostling for position between the pair began almost immediately. Vettel won the Chinese Grand Prix and the British Grand Prix in 2009, with Webber winning in Germany. At the end of 2009, the score was 4-2 in Vettel's favor.
Derrick Noh, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
A Crash In Turkey
One year on from that victorious season for Vettel, the rivalry with Webber seemed to go from contentious to downright dangerous. At the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix, with Webber leading Vettel, the pair were involved in a high-speed collision that saw Vettel retire from the race, while Webber limped to a third-place finish.
Mark McArdle, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Owner's Fury & Webber Lashes Out
Owner and Principal of Red Bull Racing, Christian Horner, was visibly enraged by the crash. Webber responded by saying that Vettel's victories so far, "Weren't bad for a number two driver". Ouch.
Mark McArdle, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Vettel Wins Three In A Row, A Further Spat Occurs
Vettel would go on to win three F1 championships in a row for Red Bull in 2011, 2012, and 2013, putting Mark Webber firmly in his place: behind him. Things boiled over at the Malaysian Grand Prix when Vettel passed Webber for the win, causing Webber to accuse Red Bull's management of "protecting the star".
Mark McArdle, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Dietrich Mateschitz Gets Involved
It's never a good sign when the parent has to get involved in a fight between two siblings. Well, Dietrich Mateschitz—the owner of Red Bull, had to issue a statement after the 2013 Grand Prix, saying that Red Bull supported both drivers equally and that they were every bit as good as each other. Not good enough for Mark Webber, who retired from racing in 2013, as Vettel won his fourth championship in a row.
Mark McArdle, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Alonso V Hamilton
New kid on the block Lewis Hamilton had something to prove in 2007, meanwhile Fernando Alonso was already a seasoned veteran on the McLaren team. Already a two-time world champion with McLaren, perhaps Alonso didn't take kindly to the young man sweeping the outside lane from his world champion teammate in his very first lap in F1.
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The Hungarian Grand Prix Incident
Alonso held a commanding lead during qualifying laps at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2007. Not to be outshone by Hamilton again, he held up the British racer during a pit stop for a tire change. Hamilton had to wait 14 seconds for Alonso to get out of the way so that his tire change could begin—a process that normally takes 2.5 seconds. Alonso disregarded the signal from members of the team to move out of the way, holding onto that precious qualifying time that Hamilton might otherwise have beaten.
Alonso V Ocon
In 2021, Fernando Alonso's new partner, Esteban Ocon, was helped by his fellow driver to victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix, when Alonso held off a late charge by Lewis Hamilton. But things would go south in 2022, with Alonso departing the Alpine F1 team for Aston Martin—but not before taking a few public shots at his teammate.
Lukas Raich, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Contact In Brazil
After the pair had collided in the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix, Alonso would make the following statement: "It’s far from ideal when it’s your teammate, but it’s been a little like this all year long. It’s one more race and then it’s over, finally". Ocon responded by saying there was "no need for the criticism".
Senna V De Angelis
Ayrton Senna may have been a Formula One darling and one of the greatest racers ever to get behind the wheel, but early on in his career, he wasn't exactly well-liked. Particularly by one Elio de Angelis, who had signed for Lotus five years prior.
Hans van Dijk, Wikimedia Commons
Crossing The Garage
If there's one thing you don't do in F1, it's steal mechanics from your teammates. But that's exactly what Ayrton Senna did in 1985, requesting that de Angelis' engineer Neil Stepney and a couple of other mechanics come to his side of the garage. De Angelis' car became less reliable as a result. Later that year, the two had to be physically separated after Senna dangerously passed de Angelis in a race.
Dima Moroz, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Which Was Your Favorite F1 Rivalry?
Tell us about your favorite inter-team rivalry in the comments below! Who did you root for and why?
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