Formula One has, in its long history of running races around the world, seen a number of classic rivalries between drivers and by extension teams. We look at five of the fiercest.
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Formula One, like any sport, is often built on and remembered due the rivalries that take place between the drivers who duke it out for the world championship. The sport has been in existence since the early 1920s and as it has spread to parts of the world – either through races being held in different countries or through the power of TV – a growing fan-base and the rise of top drivers over time have led to a number of rivalries dominating the sport. Here we take a look at five of the best and most fierce rivalries to have ever been witnessed in F1 racing.
Nelson Piquet vs Nigel Mansell
Mansell, like many drivers of his time, was firm in the belief that he should be the undisputed number one driver in the side. However, when two-time world champion Piquet joined Williams in 1986, the Brazilian believed he should be the driver the side was built around.
Determined to show the team his worth, Mansell would match Piquet on the track which prompted the latter to stop sharing technical data with his teammate. To make matters worse, the driver’s championship that year was won by Alain Prost. Tensions between Piquet and Mansell reached such a boiling point that the former walked away from the team after two years.
Interestingly, Mansell would have a similar feud with Prost during the two years they shared at Ferrari.
Michael Schumacher vs Damon Hill
This was a rivalry that lasted three seasons and was dominated by the then-young German upstart but which wasn’t without its flashpoints. It began in 1994 after the tragic death of Ayrton Senna at the San Marino Grand Prix. His death meant the title rivalry boiled down to teammate Hill and Schumacher.
Schumacher dominated the early parts of the season but the two went into the final race at Australia with Hill just a point behind in the standings. A controversial finish ensued: Schumacher’s Benetton ran off the track and hit a wall but when Hill went to overtake, Schumacher tried to re-enter the race but crashed into Hill’s Williams, forcing both to retire and handing Schumacher the title in controversial circumstances.
Schumacher dominated the 1995 season although there were collisions between him and Hill during the season, notably at Belgium and Italy. 1996 saw Hill win his one and only world championship as Schumacher joined a struggling Ferrari side.
Hill would then drop out of title contention after leaving Williams to drive for Arrows (1 season) and Jordan (2 seasons) before retiring. Interestingly, his teammate at Jordan for the first season was Ralf Schumacher, Michael’s younger brother.
Michael Schumacher vs Mika Hakkinen
Schumacher’s next major rival would be McLaren’s Mika Hakkinen, with the two duking it out for the championship from 1998-2000. Hakkinen won the 1998 world title after a close battle with Schumacher and many expected the rivalry to continue into the next season. However, Schumacher’s leg fracture suffered at Silverstone in the British GP meant it was Ferrari’s no. 2 driver Eddie Irvine who fought it out against Hakkinen but finished in second.
2000 saw the rivalry finally swing Schumacher’s way as he won the title – it was Ferrari’s first driver’s championship in 21 years. This set off a period of dominance that lasted till 2004 and ended the rivalry with Hakkinen, who retired in 2001. Nevertheless, the rivalry between these two was strictly on the track; Schumacher has said that he respected Hakkinen the most out of all his rivals.
Lewis Hamilton vs Nico Rosberg
Without question the most bitter rivalry in the recent history of the sport was between Mercedes teammates Hamilton and Rosberg. They became teammates in 2013 when Hamilton jumped ship from McLaren but that year passed with minimal tension as Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel claimed the title, the last of his four world championships.
Rosberg and Hamilton would duke it out for the title in 2014, with the latter emerging victorious although controversies in Hungary and Belgium – Hamilton refused team orders in Hungaroring and Rosberg caused a clash at Spa-Francorchamps – set the stage for their rivalry to hit the next level.
2015 was a less controversial affair as Hamilton claimed the title with three races to spare – although the US GP saw tensions flare again as an aggressive takeover move by Hamilton on Lap 1 forced Rosberg very wide, with the Brit going on to claim the win. Rosberg actually threw his cap at Hamilton on the podium after the race.
2016 saw the end of this rivalry in the most thrilling manner possible: Rosberg led the championship by 12 points going into the final race in Abu Dhabi and, despite Hamilton defying team orders and putting the Red Bulls in a position to overtake Rosberg, the German finished second and won the title. He then retired from the sport days later.
Ayrton Senna vs Alain Prost
Considered by many as the greatest ever rivalry in the history of F1 racing, this was a rivalry that was built upon two teammates – both of whom considered themselves the top dogs – trying to outdo one another in their respective McLaren cars but which ended long after their time as teammates ended.
1988 saw Senna win the first round of their rivalry as he secured the world championship thanks to some relentless racing. However, 1989 saw tensions drive to the boiling point when in the final race of the season at Japan, a collision took place when Senna tried an overtaking manoeuvre with only a few laps remaining. Prost closed the door for the takeover and the resulting crash eventually handed the Frenchman the title; Senna’s re-entry to the race was deemed illegal by the FIA.
1990 saw a similar controversy again in Japan; Senna needed to finish the race ahead of Prost or a double retirement to secure the championship. Senna would crash into Prost’s Ferrari and be crowned champion, later admitting it was deliberate retaliation for last year.
1991 saw McLaren and Senna beat an underperforming Prost and Ferrari, whereas in 1992 Nigel Mansell was crowned champion. Prost had taken a year off from the sport in ’92 after a falling out with Ferrari cost him his seat but returned for a final year with Williams in 1993 and won the championship, retiring for good after the season. Interestingly the final race of that season in Adelaide saw Prost and Senna share a hug on the podium.
