Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel or even Ayrton Senna and Gerhard Berger. In the history of Formula 1 there have been many friendships between famous drivers, similar to those between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris today. But after the Austrian GP the relationship crumbled slightly. We take a look at existing and destroyed friendships between Formula 1 drivers.
Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg
The negative example of friendships in Formula 1 is probably Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. The two met in karting and drove against each other in all junior categories. However, they always remained friends.
It was only at Mercedes that the bond of friendship between the two broke. Nico Rosberg had been driving for the team since the 2010 season – the return of the Silver Arrows to the premier class. Lewis Hamilton replaced Michael Schumacher in 2013.
The escalation followed in 2014 in the world championship battle and the two years that followed. After that, Rosberg ended his Formula 1 career. “It [der Niedergang der Freundschaft] happened when we were fighting for the world championship, not before. But that’s what happens: when you fight for success in every race, it doesn’t work anymore,” Nico Rosberg told Eurosport.
But now the relationship seems to be at least partially intact again. “Lewis and I have repaired our friendship. Every Christmas my daughters get a big box full of presents from him,” says Nico Rosberg in an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Ayrton Senna and Gerhard Berger
A more positive example would be Ayrton Senna and Gerhard Berger. The two met in Formula 3 and moved up to Formula 1 at almost the same time. Senna made his debut in 1984, while Berger also made his debut a few races later at his own home GP, in Austria.
In 1990, the old Formula 3 colleagues finally became teammates at McLaren after Alain Prost left the team. On the track, Berger was rarely able to win the team-internal duel in their three years together.
The two also duelled off the track – in the form of pranks. For example, Berger threw Senna’s briefcase out of the helicopter and scattered frogs around his hotel room. In Gehard Berger’s words to Motor Sport Magazine: “We trusted each other. And I taught him to have fun.”
Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel
Another positive example is Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen. The two had already duelled on the track in the years before their time together at Ferrari, but they only really got to know each other in Maranello.
From 2015 to 2018, the two drove together for the Scuderia before Ferrari replaced Raikkonen with Charles Leclerc. The Finn then moved to Alfa Romeo Sauber.
“There were no problems with Kimi right from the start. It’s a shame that Kimi is now gone because we get on well,” Vettel said, regretting Raikkönen’s departure. At first, the two world champions seemed very different: party animal Raikkönen and the more quiet Vettel.
“We had a good time together, we already knew each other. It was closer with Sebastian,” said Raikkönen in an interview with the TZ. Both world champions now live in Switzerland – together with their families.