Motorsports bring tension. The adrenaline and rush that comes from winning is unlike anything else. When someone blocks this opportunity to win, it can cause some major issues.
From opposing teams, to teammate rivalries – feuds can destroy relationships amongst drivers, team principals, and even fans. Throughout motorsport history there have been some crazy ones.
Brocedes
The story behind Brocedes is fairly tragic. Teammates Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton were once friends – really close friends. That was until rivalry tore them apart.
Their well-known competitiveness combined with the need for more wins got the better of both racers. They weren’t really speaking with one another and were barely next to each other on podiums. It was both sad and confusing to see.
Since then, it doesn’t seem to have got any better. Every interaction between the two is cold, despite them alluding to a better relationship now.
Over the years, Hamilton has said many things indirectly about the Brocedes era, for example that he is a “better teammate now.” Rosberg has said many positive things about Hamilton overall. Most recently
whilst he was commentating at the Belgian Grand Prix.
During this, he spoke about the “neutral relationship” they have now. He was asked by others on whether he missed Lewis – he just laughed this off. They still live in the same apartment building and Hamilton even sends gifts to Rosberg’s daughter every year.
No one quite understands what is going on.
Ford and Ferrari
A list of rivalries in motorsport cannot be complete without this iconic one.
It goes back to when the teams were going to have an alliance. During the deal, Enzo Ferrari backed out despite the promise of some serious cash. This enraged Henry Ford II, and he vowed to beat Enzo in racing, one of his favourite past times, at Le Mans. Ultimately, Ford ended up doing so in 1966.
The argument made waves in racing. What a rivalry.
Keselowski and Edwards
In modern NASCAR, intense rivalries are not very common. However, the drama between Keselowski and Edwards was pure chaos.
In 2009 Keselowski tangled with a well-known and fan favourite driver, Carl Edwards. As a result of the issue, Edwards flipped over violently. Over the course of 1 year, the two had a few more bumps. This infuriated Edwards.
In 2010, Edwards purposely pushed Keselowski into the fence, then into a wall again later. It was when the rookie’s father spoke up that he came to a stop. Bob Keselowski said that he was sick and tired, and that he would take care of it, saying “He ain’t going to kill my boy.”
After this, the rivalry seemingly died and never came back. We don’t know if this was because of the scared Father, however thankfully it was over.
Overall, motorsport is never just about racing. If people are there, drama is too!
What do you think of our picks? Did we miss any of your favourite rivalries? Let us know and read more blogs here!