title battles betweet team-mates

[Formulahistory]

Now Rosberg and Hamilton are matching for the World Championship title in 2014.

But did we also had exciting battles betweet team-mates for IndyCar titel in the long history of American Car Championship Racing?

[Salamus]

The philosophies between Formula 1 and IndyCar are very different.

In F1, we see teammates as individual drivers racing for the same team. Your teammate is your biggest competitor and the guy/girl you always want to beat. This is because each team uses a different car and the only way to judge a driver is by comparing him to his teammate. And because by season's end, the team has picked a favourite.

In IC, we see teammates as actual teammates. They race for the same team and help that team in anyway. There is less teammate controversy in IC because everyone uses the same car. The rivalries/controversies in IC are more often between teams, especially Penske vs Ganassi.

I guess to answer your question, the biggest teammate battle for the title in recent memory was in 2009 between Franchitti and Dixon. But again, I don't see this as a huge driver rivalry...it was more about Ganassi dominating Penske that year. You probably have to go back to the 80s if you want actual rivalries between teammates for the title.

[NaBUru38]

Well, I think differently. Team orders are very common in F1, even this early in the year. In IndyCar, you would never expect a driver to let his teammate pass until the second-to-last race.

[NaBUru38]

Now, your point is right about car setup and pit strategies. IndyCar teams share that kind of information much more than F1 teams.

[Salamus]

But team orders exist in F1 because of the idea of a "#1 driver vs a "2 driver". F1 teams always pick favourites where as IndyCar teams don't. You don't see Roger Penske getting on the radio or in front of the TV and proclaiming that Power is their #1 and Castroneves is their #2.

When teammates in F1 are allowed to race each other competitively, everyone's mind is blown away with the shock! In IndyCar, there is no shock because each driver is out there to win...since they have the same equipment.

Basically what I'm trying to say is in IndyCar, there is more of a team perspective while in F1, it is all about the driver. It makes sense to me