3 F1 teammate rivalries that could get out of hand
In F1, the first driver one has to beat on the grid is one's teammate, as they drive the same car. Throughout the history of the sport, there have been multiple examples of teammates clashing with one another - Lewis Hamilton-Fernando Alonso and Ayrton Senna-Alain Prost, to name a few.
There are multiple instances of teammates not getting on with each other. F1 has seemingly bucked the trend in the last few years, with the likes of Lando Norris-Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen-Daniel Ricciardo being a tad too friendly and jovial with each other.
However, in F1, one is never too far away from a pair of teammates falling out during the season. On that note, here's a look at three teammate rivalries that could get out of hand during the 2022 F1 season:
#1 Lewis Hamilton and George Russell (Mercedes)
Helmut Marko says that an intra-team battle at Mercedes between George Russell and Lewis Hamilton could play right into Red Bull's hands in 2022. f1i.com/news/429290-ru…
George Russell is moving to Mercedes to replace Valtteri Bottas. However, in essence, the young driver is not going to the team to take on the role the Finnish driver was fulfilling. Russell is not going to Mercedes to be a supporting cast to Lewis Hamilton.
He's going to Mercedes to be the next team leader. While Hamilton currently enjoys that position, Russell does seem like a significant upgrade on Bottas. If that is the case, the two drivers could try to establish supremacy in the team early in the season.
If there's a title at stake as well, the two drivers might butt heads throughout the season, much to the detriment of Mercedes and their hopes of a peaceful partnership.
#2 Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin (Haas F1)
#F1 “It was my fault..."
Mazepin apologises for sending Schumacher into a spin during Sunday's race at Monza
#ItalianGP 🇮🇹 #F1
f1.com/ITA_Haas_Race_…
Nikita Mazepin ruffled a few feathers last season because of his driving style. There were complaints in the grid from multiple drivers about the way Mazepin handled himself in wheel-to-wheel situations.
One of the biggest critiques of Mazepin was his teammate Mick Schumacher. The German was on the receiving end of some dangerous drives by his teammate in Baku, Monza and Zandvoort.
As a result, tempers flared among the teammates occasionally, and team principal Guenther Steiner had to intervene. With the stakes being too small for the backmarker Haas in the 2021 F1 season, their rivalry didn't cause too many problems.
However, in a season where Haas is targeting a strong midfield finish, the rivalry between the two could be detrimental to their hopes. In the 2022 F1 season, if Mazepin keeps up his antics in races, the battle between the two teammates could go out of hand.
#3 Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
🤩… It can only mean one thing 
@Charles_Leclerc @Carlossainz55😱🤩… It can only mean one thing 👀
#essereFerrari 🔴 @Charles_Leclerc @Carlossainz55 https://t.co/gTOdIBwJTB
One of the biggest surprises of the 2021 F1 season was the competitiveness of Carlos Sainz against Charles Leclerc at Ferrari. What was even more surprising was the fact that Sainz ended up outscoring Leclerc at the end of the season.
In a team where Sainz was supposed to be the de-facto number two driver, the Spaniard made an immediate impact. What kind of a psychological impact would that have on Leclerc?
It's difficult to answer, but one thing is for sure: Leclerc will look to reassert his dominance in the team. In that case, the young driver could turn the wick up in terms of intensity.
With the stakes rising, the Ferrari duo that has been given a free pass to compete among themselves might get embroiled in a rivalry that could be difficult to control for the Italian team.