Home Sport 3 times F1 driver friendships turned sour

3 times F1 driver friendships turned sour

Sport — 12/06/2024 · 0 Comment

F1 is a highly competitive sport where drivers race at eye-watering speeds and try to overtake each other at some of the trickiest tracks in the world. Hence, even if they have a good relationship with each other, their fierce on-track battles could turn their friendship sour. On the other hand, some friendships were severed due to off-track incidents as well.

Here is a list of three driver friendships in F1 that turned sour.

3 instances where friendships between F1 drivers went sideways

#1 Lewis Hamilton & Nico Rosberg

One of the most well-known rivalries in the sport’s history is that between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. The heat between the two has been growing ever since they both joined the sport and raced side by side in Mercedes in 2013. When Hamilton and Rosberg competed against one another for the 2016 F1 World Championship, their rivalry peaked.

But before F1, their relationship was very different. Rosberg and Hamilton were pals in junior racing series before they turned into fierce rivals.

Even though they remained friends after they started racing in the top formula series, their relationship soured when they engaged in a title fight.

#2 Lewis Hamilton & Adrian Sutil

Lewis Hamilton and Adrian Sutil were good friends when they raced in F1. Sutil was already in the sport in 2006, while Hamilton joined a year after. For several years, they had a great relationship with one another off the track.

This, however, did not last for long. In April 2011, Sutil was involved in a fight with Erix Lux, the owner of Lotus F1 team, at a nightclub in Shanghai. Sutil hit Lux with a champagne glass on his neck. Following this, Lux’s lawyers filed a criminal complaint against Sutil.

Hamilton was at the same nightclub with Sutil where the incident took place. Sutil’s lawyers named Hamilton as a defense witness, but the Brit did not show up to court since he was occupied with the launch of his team’s new car. Hamilton stated that he wouldn’t be able to attend the retrial as well since he would be occupied with other formalities. This was where Sutil’s friendship with the now-seven-time world champion ended.

#3 Didier Pironi & Gilles Villeneuve

Didier Pironi used to race for Ligier in 1980 when Enzo Ferrari signed him for his own team. In 1981, Pironi arrived at the Italian giant and was paired with Gilles Villeneuve. Despite Villeneuve having strong connections with Ferrari, he welcomed Pironi with open arms and treated him as an equal in all aspects. In his first year, Pironi built his own connection with the senior members of the team.

Their friendship was great until the 1982 F1 San Marino GP. It was clear that Ferrari would win that race, so the team ordered both drivers to slow down and save fuel. Villeneuve slowed down and expected Pironi to do the same. However, the latter overtook him, surprising Villeneuve in the process. Both engaged in a tussle for the win, with Pironi eventually emerging victorious.

While Villeneuve was frustrated and complained that Pironi broke the rules, the French driver argued that the team orders were only that they slow down and not that they maintain position. Following this incident, Gilles Villeneuve vowed never to speak to Didier Prioni ever again.