The Top F1 Teammate Clashes in 2024 So Far

Today, let’s delve into three of the most compelling intra-team battles and offer some insights into how the drama might unfold throughout the season.

During the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz Jr. was sidelined due to a severe case of appendicitis, leading to a slight haze in our interpretation of the internal Ferrari rivalry between Sainz and his teammate Charles Leclerc. Nonetheless, the season opener in Bahrain provided a captivating spectacle. Sainz delivered a stellar performance, clinching a podium finish. However, upon stepping out of his car to celebrate third place with Ferrari, he found the team absent in parc fermé.

Notably, Ferrari has already finalized its 2025 lineup, omitting Sainz from the equation; instead, Leclerc will team up with seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton. While this decision may not immediately spark a Sainz-Leclerc clash, the Spanish driver is certain to put up a fierce struggle to prove his value to potential future suitors by outshining his teammate. Expect yet more riveting performances from Sainz in the upcoming Australian Grand Prix.

Alpine finds itself in dire straits. Despite receiving numerous injections of capital from notable personalities like actor Ryan Reynolds and NFL player Travis Kelce, the French outfit struggles to find its footing, with a rapid turnover of key personnel. A significant portion of the team’s challenges likely stem from the undeniable animosity between teammates Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon.

The origin of the conflict dates back several years to the 2009 Bridgestone Cup kart race, where Gasly made a daring move on Ocon at the final corner of the race to secure third place. Despite maintaining a veneer of professionalism and respect in their interactions, the underlying tension persists. Considering Alpine’s bewilderment at the consistent underperformance of their car, one can’t help but question the level of collaboration between Gasly and Ocon. Are they truly pooling resources to enhance the team’s car, or is there a clandestine hoarding of data within their side of the garage?

While the Gasly-Ocon saga hasn’t reached its crescendo, as both drivers vie for vital points amidst the team’s struggles, a clash between them appears inevitable.

The battle between Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda at Visa Cash App RB (formerly known as AlphaTauri) unquestionably stands out as the most heated within the teams.

Following the Bahrain Grand Prix, Tsunoda reluctantly complied with a team directive instructing him to yield to Ricciardo for 13th place, as the team believed Ricciardo had a better chance of overtaking Kevin Magnussen’s Haas directly ahead. Despite not being able to pass Magnussen, Ricciardo’s request to reverse the order was denied by RB. After crossing the finish line, Tsunoda aggressively overtook Ricciardo twice on the cooldown lap, nearly sparking a collision. Ricciardo criticized Tsunoda’s impulsiveness, while Tsunoda faced renewed scrutiny over his tendency towards hot-headedness in piloting high-performance F1 cars.

Although tensions appeared to ease during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with both drivers finishing 15th and 16th, the undercurrent of animosity suggests that the Tsunoda-Ricciardo saga will persist throughout the season. Both drivers have faced uncertainties about their F1 future due to the notorious Red Bull Racing driver development program, known for swiftly replacing drivers—setting the stage for a season-long narrative.

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