What were the greatest rivalry eras for you?

[raymondu999]

Hey all. Just wondering. What were the greatest rivalry eras for you? I don't mean something quite like Hamilton-Alonso's 2007 rivalry. I meant like the 1998-1999 Hakkinen Schumacher battles... Senna-Prost... Alonso-Schumacher in 2005-2006... For me personally the greatest one recently was 2005-2006. I was hoping to see another "golden rivalry" by Schumi vs Alonso vs Hamilton vs Vettel, but it isn't happening so far. lol.

What's your favorite?

[CMSMJ1]

Has to be 1986-1992 - Senna, Mansell, Piquet, Prost.

not many people were as fast as Nigel some days..

Senna was sublime

Prost was masterful

Piquet was a cunning sod!

Saying that, I enjoyed the 1998-2000 Mika vs Michael battles

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

It has to be the Senna-Prost 80s battles.


The Hakkinen-Schumacher battles were great fun too, a close second to the other 2

[mnmracer]

Bumping an old topic perhaps, but two years later, do you guys feel we are now seeing and Alonso vs Hamilton vs Vettel rivalry era? And are we enjoying it?

[raymondu999]

I probably would enjoy it if we saw it - but I don't think we're seeing it. It seems that at any one time there's only, at most, two of them at the front.

[N12ck]

the one year between Hamilton and Alonso at McLaren, brought back the days of Senna vs Prost

[Neno]

the one year between Hamilton and Alonso at McLaren, brought back the days of Senna vs Prost

I agree. Watching Hamilton in his rookie year in team battle with Alonso, brought tears in my eyes

[Speedster]

I probably would enjoy it if we saw it - but I don't think we're seeing it. It seems that at any one time there's only, at most, two of them at the front.

Yeah, a few races back it was mentioned that they've never even been on the podium together, which surprised me.

I don't think we're seeing a big rivalry at the moment. Rivalry for me is 2 or 3 drivers on a level way above the pack fighting it out nearly every race. I'm not seeing that at the moment.

[raymondu999]

Coming into 2010 (when I thought Brawn and Red Bull would fall back to the midfield) I thought Hamilton Alonso would see the new FerrariMcLaren Hakkinen/Schumacher rivalry. I guess I was wrong. Lol

[Nando]

I really liked the Alonso - Hamilton battle.

First ever F1race for young Hamilton, Ron probably told him to take it easy, first corner, Hamilton goes round the outside of Heidfeld and Alonso like he´s been doing this stuff for years...

The start of an incredible championship between 2 very competitive drivers.
You could make a movie about it really.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

There doesnt appear to be any frostiness between today's protagonists.
Alonso and Hamilton had that for a year after he left McLaren, but they appear bosom buddies now.

To see real rivalry, you need a very aligned set of circumstances. Team-mates, with equal billing as in Senna v Prost, or 2 teams fairly evenly matched over a few seasons as in Hakkinen/Schumacher.
We have seen red bull being the most consistent team as well as the fastest. Ferrari and McLaren have had a patchy 3 years only able to win battles and not wars.

Pre senna days I'm not to sharp on, but in the 50s and 60s, rivalry was not gentlemanly. It existed, but I'm sure it was not anywhere near the level of what happened after.

[zyphro]

From what I watched: Hakk vs Schu; two men with the utmost respect for each other, fighting tooth and nail.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

From what I watched: Hakk vs Schu; two men with the utmost respect for each other, fighting tooth and nail.

Yes very much so. Their rivalry was also set in the backdrop of a huge war between Ferrari and McLaren.
I wonder how these 2 would have fared as team mates....

[PlatinumZealot]

I only starting watching F1 in 2000 or 2001. so I only got the Schumacher snoozefest, and the Kimi, Schu.. and the Alonso Schu but the Alonso Hamilton really stands out as those two are really born Nemeses to each other.

My list though I am relatively new to F1.

Senna Prost

Schumacher Mika (sort of, were they even enemies? Can Mika even hate somebody?)

Alonso Hamilton - 2007 to continues

Massa Hamilton (sort of a cheesy rivalry - but they hated each other's guts). - 2008, 2010 to 2011.

[mx_tifoso]

I don't have a favorite but this is certainly up there;

Nuvolari vs Varzi

In 1947 he drove his last great race in a 1000cc Cistalia. The Mille Miglia. Against far more powerful cars he led the race until his engine cut because of rain. Clemente Biondetti swept by to win.

'I did not win,' admitted Boindetti later, 'I merely finished first. The just and deserving winner is Nuvolari, the greatest racing driver in the world.'

'Tazio was a phenomenon,' says Dreyfus. 'It may be a cliche but I think he was born to drive. He was so instinctive, his reflexes were uncannuy and he seemed to do everything right. We all tried to emulate him a little, but it didn't work.

'Only Tazio could be Tazio.'

http://www.grandprix.com/ft/ft00365.html