Your favourite or legendary rivalries over time?

[chunterer]

The Pratt V Coyne thread got me thinking about numerous classic championship/career battles/rivalries in many formulae over the years.

Those two fought out a memorable duel for the major UK FF1600 titles in 1984, but there are tonnes of examples of higher or lesser level scraps going back over time and i'm sure we'll remember many of the same ones.

I'll kick off by posting a list of personal favourites as well as perhaps some legendary ones that were before my time. These may not necessarily be over a single season but a period of time of even a career!

And forgive me in the case where my driver knowledge suffers i'm listing manufacturer scraps (I.E World Sportscars).

F1
Schumacher v Hakkinen
Senna V Prost
Hunt v Lauda
Piquet V Mansell
Piquet v Prost
Piquet v Jones
Stewart v Fittipaldi
Clark v hmmm, maybe not!
Moss v Hawthorn?

GP2/F3000/F2
Montoya v Heidfeld
Bourdais v Pantano v Wilson?
Fittipaldi v Zanardi
Thackwell v Pirro v Danner

CART/IRL
Montoya v Franchitti
Unser v Andretti (juniors)
Rahal v Mears?

F3
Britain (several stand out as it's home country)
Byrne v Mansilla '82
Senna v Brundle '83
Gugelmin v Wallace '85
Wallace v Sandro Sala '86
Brabham v McNish '89
Hakkinen v Salo '90
Rubens v DC '91
Firman v Gavin v Castroneves '95

France
Alesi v Bernard v Comas 1987?

Italy
Modena v Apicella v Larini v TBC 1986?

Germany
Schuey v Frentzen v Wendlinger '89

Sportscars
Jag v Porsche v Mercedes late 80's
Porsche v Ferrari circa 1970

Touring Cars
Rouse v Soper (over several years)
Brock v Johnson (ditto)
Spice v Woodman
TWR v Schnitzer v Eggenberger mid 80's

Other single seaters
Donnelly v Fabi '85 Brit FF2000
McAuley v Spence '92 Brit FFZetec (bit acrimonious!)

Right those are the ones that for me stand out most of all to start the ball rolling!

I am looking forward to discussing other favourites including from futher back in time as well

[alexcaffi]

quite easy: F1- Mansell v senna v piquet v prost 1986

has there ever been such a close championship battle between so many great drivers (11 championships in total-obviously after 1986)

[Dan Rear]

Marshall v Whiting in Special/Super Saloons from 73-76.

[Alan Raine]

Brian Muir v John Fitpatrick v Frank Gardner in GP2 Saloons (More often at Brands & Oulton)

Chico Serra & Andrea De Chesaris in F3

Nigel Mansell & Trevor Van Rooyen in FF1600

Jason Plato & Just about everybody!!!!!!!!

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by alexcaffi

quite easy: F1- Mansell v senna v piquet v prost 1986

has there ever been such a close championship battle between so many great drivers (11 championships in total-obviously after 1986)

Good one, arguably the strongest era in terms of competition between drivers at the top?

Originally Posted by Dan Rear

Marshall v Whiting in Special/Super Saloons from 73-76.

Unfortunately not around to see it first hand but must've been fun - although I never saw Nick race (AFAIR) I certainly saw Gerry in many different machines in the 80's and he was always on it!!

Originally Posted by Alan Raine

Brian Muir v John Fitpatrick v Frank Gardner in GP2 Saloons (More often at Brands & Oulton)

Chico Serra & Andrea De Cesaris in F3

Nigel Mansell & Trevor Van Rooyen in FF1600

Jason Plato & Just about everybody!!!!!!!!

Thanks for these Alan!
As a big touring car fan of days gone, Yogi and Gardner etc must've ensured that you got more than just value for your entry ticket!! I reckon you're going to be a good contributor to this thread
De Crasher was a real hot shot until he lost his composure in F1 wasn't he? Serra promised a lot but strangely flumped when he progressed from F3...

Plato is an interesting choice, (and assuming you aren't just nominating his rivalries for comedy value!) he has always been a very competitive driver hasn't he!

[John Turner]

Originally Posted by chunterer

F1
Clark v hmmm, maybe not!

Take your point, Chunty, but you might just allow Graham Hill in 1962. Of course they were to become good friends, too.

What about Frank Sytner v most of his team mates in saloon cars?

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by John Turner

Take your point, Chunty, but you might just allow Graham Hill in 1962. Of course they were to become good friends, too.

What about Frank Sytner v most of his team mates in saloon cars?

From the little i know Graham was Jim's main competition i guess, but Dan Gurney so I hear/read was considered the fastest of the period, so I suppose we ought to say Clark v Hill v Gurney?!

Plus who else i wonder!!

Ha ha nice one John!!!

Fearless Frank's Bee-em scraps versus first Weaver, second Smith, then Weaver again but this time in the same team?!!!! Outrageous

[Tim 27]

Originally Posted by Dan Rear

Marshall v Whiting in Special/Super Saloons from 73-76.

Great choice Dan, some thrilling racing from these two over the years. Always preferred Nick's yellow Kent Messenger Escort over Baby Bertha for some reason. Peter Baldwin often mixed it with these two in his BDA Mini when it rained or on the twistier circuits.

James Weaver V Jonathan Palmer (79 Formula Ford)
Alfonso Toledano V Enrique Mansilla (81 Formula Ford)
Mark Blundell V Bertrand Gachot (85 FF & 86 FF2000)

Gilles Villeneuve V Alan Jones (81 F1)

Bruno Giacomelli V Rupert Keegan (76 F3)

Rupert Keegan V David Kennedy (79 British F1)

[rloewy]

PT vs. SeaBass in the last couple of years at CCWS is another option.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by rloewy

PT vs. SeaBass in the last couple of years at CCWS is another option.

Versus PT?

Yes that is a good choice!

[driftwood]

FISA v FOCA

[John Turner]

Yeah, nice one, drifty!

[driftwood]

CART V USAC
Indian V Chinese take away?
Beatles v rolling stones
oops wrong thread!!

[ensign14]

Nuvolari v Varzi in the late 20s and early 30s. All the elements of Greek tragedy.

[Gerry Taylor]

I recall in 1973 and 1974 I had a serious rival in Richard Long. Richard and I decided we would get more publicity by acting out this "Rivalry" at every opportunity, even his mechanic Dave Pyke and my own David Neal were in on it, and I must admit it looked pretty real in the paddock. It was always being reported in MN and AS as "Theyre at it again"! I have a feature cutting from Triple C in which Richard tells everyone that "Gerry doesnt have a space frame like we do, as the only space is between his ears"! (all pre-discussed and much fun) I was sponsored by a company called SWISH, and they are an International Plastics manufacturer. One day I was called by the then Marketing Director Jack Knight and told that the fued had to end, as a Mr. Eaton had contacted MN and they had printed a letter by him stating "I shall no longer be buying SWISH Curtain Track for my store as I believe that this rivalry has gone too far and could be dangerous". So, it just goes to show....it DID get us the publicity, but unfortunately not the right kind! Gerry.
PS Where are you Richard "Rupert" Long?

[Alan Raine]

Gerry, I remember the 2 of you racing, although not so much the rivalry, but you always seemed hard at it!!. If it is the Richard Long I'm thinking of, he had a Garage business in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. A mate of mine lived nearby for many years. I'll see if he knows anything, although I have a very vague memory that he may have passed away - I hope I'm wrong.

[Gerry Taylor]

Alan, I do hope that your wrong mate. Please find out if you can. Yes he had a garage, called MOToSERVE I believe. If you do find out whatever happened to him please send me a private e-mail. I suppose we are getting on a bit us old uns. Thanks, Gerry.

[Alan Raine]

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