5 Most Ardent F1 Rivalries to Keep Your Eyes On in 2023

Sure, nothing will come close to how dramatic the 2021 season was. But there were a lot of key moments on the grid in 2022 as well.

Whether it's between racing drivers in the same team fighting for titles or on rival teams, there are a lot of interesting pairings to watch ahead of the new season. We piled up a list of the five most ardent rivalries in the upcoming Formula 1 World Championship.

Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly

Pierre Gasly will be racing alongside Esteban Ocon at Alpine this season. Their rivalry goes way back and the two have one of the most complicated relationships on the grid. Both are 26 years old and were born in Normandy, France. Their lives and careers have been intertwined for two decades, and they were very close until their teenage years.

That changed when they started competing professionally. Incidents on the track put an end to their friendship, leaving an ardent competition that often ended with one hitting the other.

In the last few statements, both Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon agreed they will never be friends, but they have high hopes they can be professional and work together at Alpine.

Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen

This fall, Haas F1 surprised everyone when they terminated Mick Schumacher's contract and decided to bring Nico Hulkenberg back on the grid. Especially when they paired him with Kevin Magnussen.

The two have completed a combined 322 Grand Prix together, so one would expect them to be professional and capable of working together. But they have a longtime feud, which reached its peak in 2017 after colliding on track and exchanging rough words after the race.

A few years have passed since, and the drivers say they can laugh about it now. But we're sure they're bound to clash over the upcoming season.

Max Verstappen vs Charles Leclerc

The third spot was a difficult one to choose because we had several options. First, there are the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team drivers, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. The two famously got along very well in 2022. But that might change if W14 proves to be championship-worthy and they have to fight for titles.

Then, there's the other option between Scuderia Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. The two are very close and get along great. But the dynamics might change once Vasseur takes over. We hardly doubt there will be something dramatic, though.

So, the only valid option remained Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. The latter was a great World Champion contender at the beginning of the 2022 season and, despite all the Ferrari issues, managed to secure himself the second spot in the Championship. He will probably be ready to fight for the first position, challenging Verstappen again.

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez

Another team might lock horns this year and that one is Red Bull. There is no change on the grid as to its drivers, as two-time Max Verstappen will continue racing alongside Sergio Perez. But the last few races of the 2022 season saw some friction between them.

Perez played a key role in Max Verstappen winning several races (and, as the Mexican driver puts it, his championship), but, when push came to shove, the Dutch didn't do the same for him. Hint, hint: Sao Paolo Grand Prix.

In an interview in the final races of the 2022 Formula 1 season, Perez said that his teammate "showed who he really is," and we're hoping that will motivate the former on the grid this  year.

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton

Photo: Formula 1

Tale as old as time: Verstappen and Hamilton. One of the most famous rivalries of all time, the two have a combined World Title count of nine championships and 138 wins.

Their competition reached an all-time high at the final race in 2021 in Abu Dhabi, and everyone expected Hamilton to fight back for the title in 2022.

Unfortunately, Mercedes' car, the W13, was not able to keep up with Red Bull's RB18 rocket. But, over the season, it improved a lot, giving us some classic Verstappen-Hamilton moments. And crashes.

Verstappen and Hamilton will have a chance to push each other again if Mercedes-AMG Petronas produces a Championship-worthy car.

Not to ignore

Photo: Instagram / Scuderia Ferrari

This season, the competition between Scuderia Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz could become dramatic. Mercedes-AMG Petronas' Russell and Hamilton, too.

Besides drivers, Team Principals have clashed in the past. Toto Wolff and Christian Horner come to mind, are some of the fiercest competitors. Their feud might not change this season, either. One thing is for sure, we'll have a lot of fun this season.