Five key F1 rivalries to look forward to in 2023

The new Formula 1 season is racing towards us and we can expect some interesting fireworks on track.

Whether it's team-mates competing for supremacy or drivers on rival teams battling for race wins and ultimately the F1 world championship, there are some hugely spicy pairings to zero in on ahead of the new season.

Here we list five key battles to watch out for during the forthcoming campaign.

Verstappen vs Hamilton

After the title joust for the ages between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in the 2021 season, it may be a lot to expect that level of intensity again. In the end, it became a nerve-wracking, controversial and somewhat unfriendly race to the world title, where we all know who came out on top and how it happened.

Last season, we hoped for a repeat of that intense battle, but Hamilton's mediocre W13 and Ferrari's continual flagellation made it a procession for the Dutchman and his RB18.

The Silver Arrows did improve towards the end of the season though and if they have actually taken a stride forward towards Red Bull and Ferrari, perhaps we can expect these two rivals to properly go at it once again.

READ MORE: Verstappen insists no issues with Hamilton

Hulkenberg vs Magnussen

On the face of it, Haas have an extremely mature and experienced line-up for the coming year after the removal of Mick Schumacher.

In Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, they have a pairing who have completed a total of 322 Grands Prix between them so you'd expect level-headedness and groundedness but there remains an elephant looming large in the room, at least to those outside of the team.

The pair's dispute at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2017 was one of the memorable moments of that season.

After hitting each other on track, the two got became embroiled in a dispute during post-race interviews. The German driver went up to Magnussen and called him "unsportsmanlike", to which the Dane, channeling Eric Cartman from South Park, said: "Suck my balls!"

The moment remains etched in the memory of many fans for a long time, but the drivers themselves say that they can now laugh about it and it is behind them. Nevertheless, it is clear that the two will not shy away from confrontation and they will also both want to fight for the leadership role in the team to increase their chances of a longer stay with the American outfit. It will be interesting to see how that unfolds.

Ocon vs Gasly

Formula 1 has a history of fiery Frenchman with Jean Alesi and Alain Prost to name but a couple. Although compatriots in F1 generally get along fine, it has not always been like that with Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon.

The two Alpine drivers were reportedly good friends in their younger years in the past, but over time that veered the other way with the drivers close in age and ability, and therefore frequently pitter up against each other.

Both Gasly and Ocon have said in recent months that any bad blood between them is behind them and that they are moving forward on a professional footing as team-mates. Gasly even suggested that the media are trying to "create a story" when it comes to the rivalry between them.

But, as Murray Walker said: "Anything can happen in Formula 1, and it usually does."

It never takes much to stoke the passions of a dormant rivalry, especially with an entire country's focus zeroed in your competitive partnership and in equal machinery. Can the French pair coexist harmoniously at Alpine or will the French team turn into a spectacle in itself? Let's see.

Hamilton vs Russell

At the moment, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are getting on famously and enjoying a productive relationship as team-mates. In 2022, all seemed well in terms of relations between them. When not Hamilton, but Russell, won the Brazilian Grand Prix for the only Mercedes win of the season, the seven-time world champion also seemed genuinely happy for his team-mate's first victory.

Last yea though, there was no championship at stake. How will things go within the team if the W14 turns out to be a car that can compete for the title? Both Hamilton and Russell undoubtedly hope to be able to go for the world championship if that proves to be the case, but that could cost the team expensive championship points if they start slugging it out. Will a side be chosen in that case or will Toto Wolff allow for a free fight and any consequences that come with it? And, if that happens, how will that affect the relationship between the two?

All is peaceful right now, but under the right circumstances there could be fireworks.

Verstappen vs Leclerc

Finally, we look at another potential combatant who could steal Verstappen's crown – and this is a pairing which delivered some proper racing in the early stages of last season. Verstappen and Charles Leclerc went wheel-to-wheel in some wonderful battles for victory in the first half of the year. The battles on track between the two peers were fierce but fair, resulting in some great overtaking moves and memorable moments on track.

We looked set for a whole season of intense battles of that ilk but Leclerc dropped out of the running more and more towards the latter stages of the season for a variety of reasons. If it wasn't a bumbling call on the Ferrari pit wall in terms of strategy then it would be a long pit stop, or sometimes the buck stopped with the Monegasque himself due to driver error.

It was a pity, in the end, because the promised title fight between Verstappen and Leclerc ultimately failed to materialise. Will we get another chance of seeing that happen properly in 2023 now that Ferrari is led by Fred Vasseur?

We will just have to wait and see!

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