There’s some fantastic premier class line-ups in 2023, so let’s take a look back at some of the fiercest teammate rivalries in recent years
As the saying goes in this phenomenal sport: your teammate is your first rival. Most of the time, you have the same equipment at your disposal, meaning the rider sitting on the other side of the box is competing on a level playing field with you.
In 2023, we’ve got some mega line-ups. Reigning World Champion Francesco Bagnaia is joined by Enea Bastianini in an all-Italian Ducati Lenovo Team outfit; Joan Mir moves alongside eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez at Repsol Honda Team; will Franco Morbidelli rediscover his race-winning form to challenge Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ teammate Fabio Quartararo on a weekly basis? And then there’s the tantalising Brad Binder and Jack Miller line-up at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.
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That’s to name a few. 2023 is shaping up to be an incredible season of Grand Prix motorcycle racing, but will we see some more teammate rivalries etch their name into the history books? Let’s have a look to see some of the inter-team battles we’ve had the privilege of witnessing in recent years.
Nicky Hayden & Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda, 2006-2008
In 2006, Repsol Honda welcomed three-time World Champion Dani Pedrosa to their team to partner Nicky Hayden. Pedrosa was coming off the back of three straight title-winning campaigns and took to MotoGP™ like a duck to water. The Little Samurai claimed three podiums in his opening five races, including a debut win in China.
Meanwhile, a super consistent Hayden was stringing together a title charge – in the opening 11 races, the late, great American finished off the podium just twice. It became a formidable partnership that year, but Pedrosa was a consistent threat to his more experienced competitors, including Hayden. The two came to blows in that infamous Estoril incident when Pedrosa…