Five Intra-Team Battles That Rocked Formula One

Teammate rivalries are something that occasionally comes to fruition within the world of motorsport. Whether they're racing for the top spot or for the final points paying position; the tension can build up between drivers with it, in some cases, eventually exploding. And, although this can make for fantastic racing and viewing for the fans, the teams may have other opinions.

In Formula One, rivalries between teammates isn't anything new, with many pairings throughout the history of the popular motor racing championship coming head to head. In the current F1 season, it look's as if we're being treated to yet another fantastic intra-team battle with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez at Red Bull Racing. (You can read my article about their dwindling teammate relationship here.) And this got me thinking. From the past to the present, which driver pairings have been the most intense; and, in one way or another, have managed to rock the world of F1? Let's take a look.

Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna (1988-1989)

1988 was a dominant season for McLaren and their drivers; Prost and Senna. Between them they won 15 out of 16 races over the course of the season, with Senna securing that year's title. However, in 1989 the animosity between the driver pairing would escalate and come to a complete fruition during the Japanese Grand Prix when the two collided. Although Senna won this race, he would later be disqualified, handing the '89 championship to Prost who then departed the team for Ferrari. Prost would go on to say that "to be honest, I’m quite happy to leave because I think it becomes absolutely impossible to work with Ayrton.” Despite their on-track and off-track differences, the two World Champions eventually reconciled before Senna's untimely death in 1994.

Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi (1981-1982)

This intra-team rivalry has, in the past, been described as one of, if not, the most intense rivalries in Formula One. And, although initially the pairing of Villeneuve and Pironi worked, it didn't take much for their relationship to fall apart, with Villeneuve vowing to never talk to his teammate ever again after they clashed during a race. Later, in 1982, things got worse between the teammates, most notably at the San Marino Grand Prix. Ferrari, the team both Villeneuve and Pironi drove for, requested that both drivers slow down as they had a considerable lead over the rest of the field. The pairing would constantly switch positions with Pironi winning the race on the final lap, a move that left his teammate furious and their relationship non-repairable. Less than two weeks later, Villaneuve was killed during qualifying at Zolder as he supposedly attempted to go faster than Pironi. To this day, opinions are split on what actually happened with the accident but what is known is that Villeneuve was angry with Pironi and that this intra-team battle could have contributed in some way to Villeneuve's demise.

Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber (2009-2013)

The rivalry between Vettel and Webber started in 2007, sometime before they became teammates. It was at that year's Japanese Grand Prix when the two collided behind the safety car. Frustrations were more than understandable as both drivers stood a chance of taking their maiden wins. However, in 2009 any hard-feelings between the two had to be put aside when Vettel joined Webber at Red Bull Racing. And, although 2009 was a successful year for the team, 2010 brought yet another downward spiral between the teammates. At the 2010 Turkish GP, Webber was on course for his third consecutive win that season when Vettel attempted an overtake on him and made contact causing both drivers to spin. After several more incidents throughout 2010, 11 and 12, it's fair to say that the relationship between Vettel and Webber had become non-existent and in 2013 it reached a boiling point after the infamous "Multi-21" incident at the Malaysian Grand Prix. Vettel said of the incident: "the bottom line is I was racing, I was faster, I passed him, I won," a statement that summarised the rivalry between the two. Webber would go on to leave Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel at the end of the 2013 season.

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg (2013-2016)

Despite being childhood friends during their karting years, things turned sour rather quickly when Hamilton and Rosberg teamed up at Mercedes in 2013. From 2014, the year of new regulations, Mercedes created a package that dominated the field and with both drivers vying for the championship, it was inevitable that sooner or later things would come to blows. Their most infamous clash was at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix when Rosberg collided with Hamilton on the first lap resulting in a double DNF for the team. This was a big blow for Hamilton as Rosberg had already won every race that season so far. The rest of the season was full of tension in the Mercedes camp as the relationship between the drivers dissolved into nothing. Rosberg would eventually win the 2016 championship and announce his shock retirement soon after.

Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton (2007)

Although Alonso and Hamilton were teammates at McLaren for only one season, it was enough time for the two to become rivals. In fact, to the surprise of many, Hamilton, fresh out of GP2, took the fight to the more experienced Alonso during the first race of the season before appearing on the podium for nine races in a row. Things started to change during the Monaco Grand Prix when tension grew due to team orders that denied Hamilton the chance to fight Alonso for the win. Later on in Hungary, team orders caused more issues when Hamilton failed to follow them. This frustrated Alonso who then went on to sabotage his teammate's qualifying lap before receiving a grid penalty for his actions. The rest of the season was full of issues between Hamilton and Alonso and, although, both drivers finished the season tied on 109 points, Hamilton was ahead of Alonso. Alonso would leave McLaren at the end of the season with Hamilton taking the championship win the following year.

So there we have it - five teammate rivalries that have manage to rock the Formula One world and it's fair to say that there are plenty more waiting out there. Will the rivalry between Verstappen and Perez in 2023 become one for the history books? Time will tell.

Which teammate rivalries have you enjoyed watching in the past? Let me know in the comments section below!

Opinion: Is Trouble On The Horizon At Red Bull?

It could very well be. After Sergio Perez's dominant drive to victory at this year's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, tension was felt throughout the Red Bull camp as the team packed up and looked ahead to the next race weekend in Australia. Media outlets, however, were going crazy with the prospect of an intense rivalry forming between the two Red Bull drivers, with many predicting that it may not be happy families at the team for much longer. But this isn't the first time tensions have been felt between Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen. How long will it be until things really boil over?

Up until recently things have been relatively calm at the team that is dominating the 2023 season. Perez, the obvious number two driver, most notably helped Verstappen to his first world championship in 2021. The following year, 2022, the cracks started to show.

It was Q3 during qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix. Verstappen was on a hot lap that was looking good enough for pole. Perez, on the other hand, had already posted a quick time before spinning and crashing during his final attempt, bringing out the red flag and ultimately ending the session prematurely. Due to Perez out-qualifying Verstappen, rumours began to circulate that he (Perez) crashed deliberately. The media also started to report that Perez admitted his deliberate mistake to Red Bull team principal; Christian Horner, although this hasn't ever been confirmed. If true, this would later come back to haunt Perez during the Brazilian Grand Prix when Verstappen ignored team orders; supposedly as an act of revenge, to swap places with him on the last lap, a move that eventually cost Perez 2nd position in the World Drivers Championship. Regardless, even though Perez's "deliberate" crash is just a rumour, it looks to have caused quite a bit of friction between the teammates that has translated over to 2023 with Verstappen "stealing" Perez's fastest lap after the team gave them both a set pace at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. This irritated Perez to the point of confronting his teammate in the cool down room infront of the cameras. Awkard. But, are we looking too much into this? It's possible.

It's no secret that Verstappen is the main driver at Red Bull. With back to back World Championships and 36 victories to date, he sets the bar quite high when it comes to teammate rivalries. However, during his time with the Red Bull team, he hasn't necessarily ever been paired with a driver who can compete at his level giving him number one driver status and a huge influence within the team. Come 2023 and things are changing. Red Bull are dominating Formula One and Perez seems to be on good form, despite inconsistencies in previous seasons. Verstappen, on the other hand, is still as strong as ever but it seems as if Perez will try his hardest not to let Verstappen walk away with this season's championship. A deleted tweet from the Mexican driver after his Saudi Arabian victory said:

“It was harder than I thought. But in the end I am happy to achieve my fifth victory in F1. We are going to keep pushing very hard, I want to be a champion.” @SChecoPerez

Of course Perez would like to be champion. Every Formula One driver would like to be champion but after re-posting the above tweet later on, although without the "I want to be champion"line, you can't help but wonder; has the team already intervened?

Regardless, it seems pretty obvious to your average Joe that Perez has no interest in helping Verstappen to championship number three in '23. A lot has happened between the two in the past year and a relationship between them is pretty "non-existent." And, right now, Perez sees an opportunity, possible his only opportunity, to win. The main difference between a champion and good racing driver is selfishness, a quality Verstappen carries well and one we may start to see from Perez on a regular basis.

If Perez can remain consistent and take the battle to Verstappen then things will take a bigger turn in the wrong direction. And, with the amount of influence Verstappen has on the Red Bull team, it could mean trouble for Perez. Should it be like this though? With a such a dominant car shouldn't both drivers be entitled to race for the championship? As we've seen in the past, most recently with Mercedes, two teammates fighting for the championship very rarely has a happy ending. Challenges are definitely on the horizon for Red Bull. Will they reign the teammates in or let it play out? Time will tell but it's looking to be very interesting.

Race Report: Saudi Arabia 2023

Race number two of the 2023 season has been and gone and things didn't really play out as everyone expected. With Red Bull in a world of their own and the Aston Martin's looking speedy, a repeat of the Bahrain Grand Prix was on the horizon. But, this wasn't to be, exactly. So, what did happen in Saudi Arabia? Read on to find out!

Drama during a race weekend in Saudi Arabia isn't unheard of. And, like previous years, it all kicked off during Saturday's qualifying, this time when Max Verstappen's driveshaft failed in Q2 leaving him in P15 for Sunday's race. This was the big story going into Sunday and everyone was eagerly anticipating what the Dutch driver could achieve from here. His teammate; Sergio Perez, would be starting on pole, with Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin beside him in P2.

Race day was upon us with all the cars lined up on the grid ready for their formation lap. Lewis Hamilton and Logan Sargeant would start the race on hard tyres, whereas Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris would go for the opposite - softs. Everyone else opted for mediums. Once the formation lap was complete; it was "lights out and away we go!"

Both Perez and Alonso had quick reactions when getting off the line but ultimately it was Alonso who took the lead into the first corner. His teammate, Lance Stroll, was also making up ground when he overtook the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz for 4th. However, it wasn't a clean start for everyone. Oscar Piastri damaged the front wing of his McLaren and had to pit for a new one at the end of the opening lap.

Onto Lap 2 and Alonso's hard work during the opening lap was about to be undone. He had received a 5 second penalty for being in the wrong position in his grid slot at the start of the race. If you remember, this also caught Esteban Ocon out in Bahrain. Down towards the back end of the field McLaren's woes continued. This time it was Norris in for a pit stop, also with a damaged front wing.

Leclerc, who started out of position down in 12th, was slowly making his way through the field. By lap 7 he had climbed to 8th and was starting to eye up a move on the Mercedes of Hamilton who, on lap 9, would receive a black and white flag for weaving on the start/finish straight. Verstappen was a little further behind Leclerc and Hamilton. On lap 8 passed Zhou Guanyu for the last points paying position in 10th.

After retaking first position on lap 5, Perez found himself out front with a comfortable lead. Alonso stays within DRS range but is no threat to the Red Bull. However, Hamilton, who had been passed by Leclerc, was not as comfortable and was heard complaining over team radio that "the grip sucks on this tyre."

Lap 14 comes around with drivers starting to pit. And, despite Hamilton's complaints about the hard tyre, the majority of drivers now find themselves on it as softs simply wouldn't make it to the end. Ferrari does an excellent job pitting their drivers as both of them manage to jump Stroll in the standings. However, things go from bad to worse for the Aston Martin driver when he's told to pull aside and stop. And, despite pulling into a safe position, the Safety Car is out, triggering even more pitstops including Fernando Alonso who would need to serve his 5 second penalty.

The race is quick to restart after the "unnecessary" safety car period. Perez is still out front with Alonso in P2. George Russell in his Mercedes is in third while Verstappen has climbed all the way to 4th and is waiting to pounce on the top three. Hamilton seems to be more content on the medium tyres and quickly moves into 5th after dispatching the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz. On lap 23, Verstappen makes his move on Russell and finds himself in a podium position. Two laps later, he's up to P2.

Back down the other end of the field, it's the Williams of Alex Albon that is starting to cause problems. With a potential brake issue, the Thai driver slowly limps back to the pits, keeping out of the way of other drivers and ultimately retiring from the race. And, although still running, things aren't much better for Ferrari who have hardly any pace on the hard tyres. In fact, they were going half a lap slower than both of the Mercedes who were in front. This leads Leclerc to say over team radio; "being behind like this is really ****, I don't know what to do."

Perez still has a comfortable lead over teammate; Verstappen, with 5 seconds splitting the two. Both drivers were responding well to one another by consistently setting the fastest laps. A battle that would decided who would be the championship leader. Things couldn't be more different for Haas driver; Nico Hulkenberg, however, who, on lap 35, goes off into a wonder and brushes the wall.

15 laps to go and Verstappen starts to complain about a weird noise that he can hear when driving at high speed. The team reassure him that everything is ok but Verstappen doesn't seem to sure when he anxiously replies over team radio. It then isn't long before Perez also comes onto the team radio complaining of a long break pedal. Again, Red Bull seem happy with how both cars are working.

5 laps to go and things are looking extremely good for Perez who is about to convert his pole to a win for the first time in his F1 career. A battle has brewed down in the midfield between Yuki Tsunoda and Kevin Magnussen over 10th place, with the Dane taking the position from Tsunoda on lap 46. At the back, both McLarens are fighting over the last few positions, but it's Valtteri Bottas bringing up the rear in his Alfa Romeo.

Things a get a little bit confusing in the latter stages of the race when Russell receives a radio message about a possible impending penalty for Alonso who is still running in 3rd. Aston Martin also come onto the radio advising their driver to create a bigger buffer between himself and Russell. Alonso responds well to this, but so does Russell who tells his team that he is "pushing like a mad man."

The chequered flag is flying and Sergio Perez wins in Saudi Arabia. Verstappen finishes in 2nd with the fastest lap. Alonso fends off Russell to finish the podium line up, his 100th in F1. Hamilton finishes 5th with Sainz in 6th and Leclerc in 7th. Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly and Kevin Magnussen round up the points.

However, the drama isn't done with yet, as during the podium celebrations it's confirmed that Alonso is indeed under investigation for serving his 5 second penalty incorrectly. News quickly breaks that the Spaniard has been slapped with a 10 second penalty, dropping him into 4th position with Russell getting promoted to 3rd. UPDATE: Alonso regains 3rd position and his 100th podium stands.

So, there we have it. We were all expecting another Verstappen win today but instead got to see Perez's true potential. Verstappen still leads the championship but by only one point to Perez. Are things about to get spicy between the Red Bull drivers? Can Alonso bounce back from his penalties? And, what about Ferrari? It wasn't too good for them out there today. Well, a two week break is now upon us. See you in Australia.