A rivalry for the ages

James Ducker will be posting on the Formula One weblog while Ed is away on holiday.

THE general consensus in my local is that Lewis Hamilton’s feud with Fernando Alonso already has the makings of one of the most bitter sporting rivalries of the last 50 years.

There may only have been about ten of us who arrived at that conclusion, but given the wide range of topics that tend to be debated every evening in pubs across the country, there is perhaps no better barometer for gauging exactly how popular something has become.

And let’s face it, to all but the most ardent (or blinkered) of petrolheads, Formula One had become about as much fun in recent years as dental surgery without the anaesthetic.

Even Ron Dennis, the McLaren team principal who oversaw the sport’s last great feud, between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost at the same team almost two decades ago, might agree that, for all the trouble it has caused him, the bad blood between Hamilton and Alonso has captured the imagination like side pods and stabilisers never could.

Hamilton doesn’t like Alonso; Alonso doesn’t like Hamilton, and both drivers will do just about anything to get one over the other, even if it costs the team points. Talk about high drama and suspense. Hitchcock would have had a field day.

And so, it seems only fair to ask now, what is the most notorious feud between so-called “team-mates” to have enthralled and appalled the sporting world down the years?

We look forward to reading your posts, but will any really come to match some of the bitter rivalries documented below? So much for there being no “I” in team.

BENNY ‘KID’ PARET v EMILE GRIFFITH
Madison Square Garden, New York City, March 24, 1962. At the weigh ahead of their third, and what, tragically, was to be their final bout for the world welterweight crown, the Cuban Paret branded Griffith, a former milliner from the Virgin Islands, a homosexual and threatened to beat up both him and his “husband”. Griffith did not take kind to the slight, and in the 12th round of their fight, propped Paret on the ropes and unleashed a torrent on unanswered punches. Paret fell into a coma and died several days later.

Rivalry rating – 10/10

TONYA HARDING v NANCY KERRIGAN
Amazing to think now that Harding and Kerrigan, America’s two best ice skaters, were actually friendly rivals. All that changed, of course, in 1994 when an assailant belted Kerrigan on the knee with a piece of lead piping during a practice session just weeks before the Winter Olympics. The attack was orchestrated by Jeff Gilooly, Harding’s on-off husband, allegedly with the approval of Harding. Harding denied it but America, and the world for that matter, was hooked by the ensuing “Skategate” scandal. Incredibly, both skaters still featured in the Games. Harding finished eighth, but Kerrigan recovered sufficiently to take the silver medal. The spat spawned a book, an opera and endless debates. Harding, who apparently still receives hate mail, has since tried her hand at boxing after countless run-ins with the law. Kerrigan recently had a cameo role in the hit film Blades of Glory, a figure skating comedy starring Will Ferrell.

Rivalry rating – 9/10

MUHAMMAD ALI v JOE FRAZIER
A 30-year feud between two of the greatest boxers of all time began in 1971 in the build to the first of their three legendary bouts when Ali called Frazier stupid, inarticulate, “too ugly to be the champ” and “an Uncle Tom”. Frazier, in turn, denounced Ali for dodging the draft and continued to call him Cassius Clay, his birth name. Various attempts at a reconciliation failed, with Frazier announcing in 1996: “They want me to love him, but I’ll open up the graveyard and bury his ass when the good Lord choose to take him.” In March 2001, however, Ali finally apologised, an apology Frazier is said to have accepted.

Rivalry rating – 8/10

JOHN HARTSON v EYAL BERKOVIC – Footballers Behaving Badly 1
In 1998, Hartson was caught on camera attacking Berkovic, his West Ham United team-mate at the time, during a training session. After Berkovic had the audacity to try to tackle the Wales striker, Hartson launched a kick at the Israeli’s head. “John aimed a kick at Eyal that would have taken his head off had he not managed to throw it back,” Harry Redknapp, the former West Ham manager, later opined.

Rivalry rating – 7/10

DENNIS TAYLOR AND ALEX HIGGINS
When Taylor and Higgins, the Northern Ireland team-mates, had an angry bust-up after defeat in the final of snooker’s world team cup against Canada, Higgins used the subsequent press conference to blast his countryman. To say it got political is something of an understatement.

“In my estimation, Dennis Taylor is not a snooker person,” Higgins rapped. “He is a money person. The more he gets, the more he wants. He is not fit to wear this badge, the red hand of Ulster.”

Taylor rose to the bait by later claiming that Higgins had said the following to him: “I come from the Shankill and you come from Coalisland. The next time you’re in Northern Ireland I’ll have you shot.”

Rivalry rating – 6/10

IAN BOTHAM v GEOFFREY BOYCOTT
It's 1978 and a young Botham comes out to bat with Boycott, the England captain, in the second Test at Christchurch. England needed to score quickly to make an early declaration if they were to have any chance of bowling out New Zealand to win, but Boycott was in the midst of one of his trademark slow-scoring innings.

As such, Botham stopped three times en route for what, by any stretch of the imagination, was an absurd single, while making sure that it was Boycott, rather than himself, who was run out. Boycott trudged off, apparently muttering at Botham: “What have you done? You’ve ruined my average.” Botham could barely contain his laughter.

Rivalry rating – 4/10

Comments

[Gerry]

Mr Gorman,

I am new to this blog but am totally facinated by the measure of scorn poured on your comments by some europeans.
It is, without doubt, a classic duel between two very quick team-mates. We have not seen the likes of this in many a year and have, on the contary, had to endure years of subordination from Schumacher's team-mates.
I have read that Alonso can drive and develop cars and Hamilton, on the other hand, can only drive the cars. Part and parcel of becoming twice world champiopn one would imagine and part and parcel of the fact that Alonso's salary is vastly different from Hamilton's.
There have, on many occasions, been team mates whom have copied / shared anothers settings not always with success. All's fair in love and war.

[Augusto Baena]

"Hamilton doesn’t like Alonso; Alonso doesn’t like Hamilton, and both drivers will do just about anything to get one over the other, even if it costs the team points."

Fact 1: LH has broken a "gentlemen's pact" to alternate in the priviledge of doing an extra lap. No "team orders", but a pact. This is admitted by LH and RD.
Fact 2: LH's comments have sparked two investigations on his own team (Monaco and Hungary), the latter costing the team points.

Let's not put as symmetrical something that isn't at all.

- When has Fernando Alonso broken a pact?
- When has Alonso complained to FIA against his own team?

This is not a tit-for-tat, it's one guy breaking pacts and calling the stewards against his own team and another guy who doesn't.

Regards

[Tony]

Lewis Hamilton has bitten the hand that not only feeds him but has educated him, trained him and nourished his talent for over 10 years. Ron Dennis should take him behing the wood shed and give him a damn good thrashing.

[NachoSM]

Mr Ducker,

Don't try to excuse Hamilton's behaviour, please.

I see no possible comparison between "Lewis vs Fernando" and your examples of team-mates rivalry.

As Mr Baena says, Hamilton is the only one in this couple that has damaged both, his team and his team-mate Alonso.

But, imagine for a moment "Lewis vs Hamilton", what would happen then? That would truly be a dishonest rivalry as the ones you mentioned.

Best regards.

[Carlos]

Guys here is the scoop! The following article will give everyone a whole new perspective as to why the McLaren team "favors" newbie Lewis. It will throw light on the actions of the FIA, the Stewards, the fuel load foul up's, the tire warmer foul up's, on being dropped from P1 to P5, not to mention telemetry spygate and setup plagiarism, all of these arrayed against Fernando. Yet despite all that arrayed against him he is only 7 points behind the pampered Brit, who can do no wrong and get away with a simple apology.

When Fernando wins the Championship at the end of the season everyone will know beyond a doubt what is the definition of a World Champion. Check out this article at this url:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=475241

[Michael Wheel]

I agree with Augusto Baena, there is not symmetry in their behaviours, so let´s no take it as a fact.

I believe that the breaking of the pact by Lewis is due to his inferiority as driver, simply, he is taking all the advantages he can, even against his team.

[SueSumers]

the most bizarre news stories

Frank Worrall is a journalist who writes regularly for the Sunday Times and The Sun, and who has written Lewis Hamilton Biography, and it is going to be published next November. According to Mr.Worrall book, "Hamilton won his first world champion in Japan on October 2007".
What's this mean ? Is he a visionary? an optinist fan? any suggestion ??????

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lewis-Hamilton-Biography-Frank-Worrall/dp/1844545431

How can Alonso now get a 'fair' chance to win the Championship
this year when Hamilton is going out with the Boss's daughter -
let's wait to see how many more team orders Hamilton ignores
with obvious impunity.
The higher he climbs the further he will fall.

[marie]

The media both put Alonso and Hamilton in a pedestal just to throw them down. As much as I like the drama element that Hamilton and Alonso's rivalry produce in the current F1 season (I mean who would have funk it, that a promising rookie and the current world champion would fight it out and they're on the same team) I mean I figured if Kimi's move to Ferrari a few years back to serve as a number 2 to Schumi happened, that would have been quite a rivalry but I do not think Kimi would show his emotions the way Alonso and Hamilton did (no offense to Kimi, but I can't imagine him, mouthing off to his boss or his team mate, he just seem to be the stoic look, "you mind your business and I mind mine" type to me):). I just do not like the way they are tearing Alonso and Hamilton down---I mean these are two drivers who are given us a heck of a show this season lets give them a break. Although, I'm still hoping for Ferrari to win the championship on the track.

[Charles]

Lewis Hamilton has bagged himself another trophy but this time it's a new girlfriend - his boss's 18-year-old daughter.

The pair have been enjoying time together along the South of France's exclusive Cote d'Azur, after they met at a VIP disco following Lewis' second place success in the Monaco Grand Prix.

Sara Ojjeh is the daughter of McLaren co-founder, multi-millionaire Mansour Ojjeh.

[Gerry]

Lewis is a guest on Ojjeh's massive yacht. It's rumoured that Fernando will join them shortly for some 'quality' time.

Maybe Big Ron should go too. (He's acting more and more like Inspector Clueso's boss Dreyfus) ;)

[James]

It is funny to see how you all have fallen into the F1 trap. This is just about internal affairs of multimillioners, media and factories, trying to involve normal people all over the world to make them more millioners. Surviving in this unfair world is much more important.

[marie]

to suesumers, the book on hamilton is a mock up --- here's a link to better explain it http://www.f1press.com/view-article.php?newsid=211531

[IDR]

It´s really so incredible for me, how the english press comment the hungarian f1 gran prix affaire.

There are some facts:
1) Hamilton, broke a pact, not "team orders"
2) Hamilton complained to FIA against his own team.
3) Alonso, made the fastest lap of Q3 even not having the extra lap that corresponds to him.

4) It seems that was so clear and sure for every english press, that Hamilton was going to be quicker than Fernando in the final lap that he finally could not made.

I read every daclaration of Fernando Alonso from the very beginning of this F1 season, and NEVER he made any coment related to McLaren behavior or against Hamilton when hamilton has performed better than him.

I must say that I never heard any coment from hamilton before Hungaroring affaire, but english press create a big affaire after monaco gran prix, provoking a FIA investigation.

Then, is the english press that are creating the same problems to Mclaren than hamilton, not Fenando Alonso.

In many ocasions, It seems to me, that to make Hamilton a good driver (I think he is), english press need to make Alonso a bad person and driver.

Lets Alonso and Hamilton to fight in equal conditions on the races and if finally, Hamilton wins the championship, you will have all the time to celebrate, but if not, as I hope, you will not need to made a lot of rectifications about all things you have already written.

[Michael Wheel]

Fernando won´t go to the yacht. Everyone in Spain knows it, he is a proessional driver, he doesn´t need an affair with one of the McLaren owner´s daugther.

I think Lewis get more points out of the track, time will put everyone in his place.

[Paulo]

I am brazilian guy, but I twist for Fernando, only because of his, McLaren came back to be very very strong to the title. Hamilton's Personality does not please me, and also do not think he is that all that are talking, would like to see Hamilton in Williams, for example. It will be that it would be the same thing ? Força Alonso, o povo brasileiro te apóia.

[willy]

Now the birds are shooting back to the shotguns!
I've been watching formula one in donminican republic since the late 80's. senna,prost,lauda,mansel,etc.
back then I used to see rivalry betwen some of this guys. but what's happening now is not the same-thing. Hamilton is not on Fernando's league yet,he doesn't set the car up,he hasn't challenge nobody yet ,the way Alonso has challenge and pass "michael".
This is all hipe and is very good for FIA and Ron Dennis.
But at the end, if mclaren let the fair-play on Alonso will win the championship!!

[SueSumers]

Now, I think Alonso shouldn't obey team orders, Hamilton did so and.... he got the pole (without win de pole) he made Alonso lost five positions and a punishment for his own the team, even he dared to insult the boss.
MacLaren reward Hamilton's excellent behavior with a fantastic holiday in The Côte d'Azur.
Alonso try to do it, You'll see how quick you are in Ferrari, BMW, Reanuld or wherever you want. You can insult Ron Dennis he seems don't mind or maybe yes...

[Isildur]

- From south spain, whith a cold bier , I agree. Long live for break time.

[matt]

Perhaps the times could start moderating comments from Alonso supporters seem to think that posing as John Bull from Villagecester in Englandshire, or, for that matter, prefacing opinion, unsubstantiated information (or sometimes, just downright false information) with "FACT NUMBER ONE:".

Opinions and debate are great, but misinformation just muddies the water.