Lewis Hamilton is one of the most successful drivers in Formula 1 history and has competed against some fierce teammates.
Hamilton has been at the front of the field since his debut when he finished third at the Australian Grand Prix in 2007.
After a stellar career with McLaren and Mercedes, Hamilton holds the record for the most race victories and pole positions in F1 history.
He is moving to Ferrari next season as he searches for an eighth world championship and will face a battle against teammate Charles Leclerc.
Over his Formula 1 career, Hamilton has been part of some bitter rivalries that have shaped races and championship battles.
With that in mind, F1 Oversteer ranks Hamilton’s six teammates and his new colleague Leclerc at Ferrari, with whom he’ll join forces in 2025.
6. Heikki Kovalainen – McLaren 2008-2009
Heikki Kovalainen was the perfect teammate for Hamilton at McLaren after the drama of Spygate in 2007 and the fractured relationship between the Brit and Fernando Alonso.
The Finnish driver was brought in from the Renault team for 2008, and his cool personality made Kovalainen the perfect character team boss Ron Dennis wanted.
He rarely matched Hamilton for pace, which maintained a harmonious atmosphere at Woking, and the Finn finished fifth on debut in Australia.
The Malaysian Grand Prix was a step in the right direction. He finished in third place, picking up the pieces as Hamilton stumbled to P5.
McLaren’s new driver was only on the podium three times in 2008, but his highlight came at the Hungarian Grand Prix that year, Kovalainen’s one and only race win.
The Finnish driver had a slice of luck as Hamilton got a puncture, and race leader Felipe Massa’s Ferrari engine expired with three laps to go.
Kovalainen’s second season was more difficult as McLaren struggled with the new regulations before the British team signed reigning world champion Jenson Button for 2010.
5. Valtteri Bottas – Mercedes 2017-2021
Valtteri Bottas joined Mercedes in 2017 in the middle of the German team’s era of dominance earlier in the hybrid era.
He became Hamilton’s second Finnish teammate in his career. They partnered up for 2017, and Nico Rosberg retired just days after winning the world title the year before.
Bottas had a very competitive opening season and won his first Grand Prix in Russia that year as he resisted immense pressure in the closing stages from Sebastian Vettel.
He was quick and perfectly played Hamilton’s supporting role by obeying team orders, such as in Germany in 2018 and at the Russian Grand Prix later that year.
Bottas was superb in qualifying as he often matched Hamilton over a single lap, which is incredibly difficult to do.
Bottas’s lack of race pace counts against him, as Hamilton was significantly quicker over a Grand Prix distance. This was highlighted in 2021, as the British driver often battled Verstappen, with Bottas a long way behind.
4. Jenson Button – McLaren 2010-2012
Button’s driving style was distinctly smooth throughout his career. In 2010, he joined McLaren to partner Hamilton in an all-British line-up.
It was a formidable partnership over their three years together, but neither driver managed to beat Vettel and Red Bull to a championship.
Button was a good match for Hamilton at times, particularly in changeable conditions such as Canada in 2011 and a superb win in Hungary later that year.
The 2009 world champion worked well with Hamilton, but Button occasionally was invisible. McLaren won with Hamilton in Montreal in 2012, although his teammate struggled to 17th place, one lap down at the chequered flag.
He was wary of the seven-time world champion’s qualifying speed, but Button feels Hamilton has lost pace over a single lap in 2024.
Button outpaced Hamilton in 2011 as the 2008 world champion made lacklustre errors and had multiple crashes with Massa, but Hamilton had the advantage over the three years.
Hamilton moved to Mercedes for 2013 after he became frustrated at McLaren’s unreliability, a move that rewarded him with six titles.
3. George Russell – Mercedes 2022-2024
George Russell moved into the Mercedes team at the wrong time in 2022, as the British driver replaced Bottas, and they struggled to grasp the ground effect regulations.
They spent three years as teammates, and Russell was sometimes more comfortable with the car than Hamilton, who struggled.
Mercedes had moments of magic as their car was peaky, making for a very inconsistent ride from race to race.
Russell won his inaugural race in Brazil during his first year and defended from Hamilton in a straight fight over the final few laps.
The 2024 campaign was impressive as Russell won in Austria after Max Verstappen and Lando Norris made contact.
He also outqualified Hamilton 19-5 over the 24 rounds and was significantly quicker at some weekends, such as the Qatar Grand Prix.
Russell will now look to lead Mercedes forward alongside 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who is being promoted straight from Formula 2.
2. Fernando Alonso – McLaren 2007
Alonso was only Hamilton’s teammate for 2007 only, which was marred by the tense atmosphere of Spygate during a championship battle.
After winning two world titles at Renault, the Spaniard joined the team, and Alonso was looking for a third crown.
Hamilton showed Alonso he wouldn’t have an easy time by passing the more experienced driver around the outside on the opening lap in Australia.
Their rivalry took a step up at the Monaco Grand Prix, as Alonso won on the streets of Monte Carlo, before another flare-up at Indianapolis when the two-time champion’s emotions weren’t under control.
The pair battled on the track before Hamilton took victory as Alonso weaved on the pit straight, shaking his fist towards the pit wall.
Neither driver was able to win the world championship, and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen kept out of trouble amid McLaren’s squabbles to win the title.
The Alonso-Hamilton line-up was unsustainable. Towards the end of 2007, the teammates’ relationship broke down, and the Spaniard returned to Renault.
| 1 | Kimi Raikkonen | FIN | Ferrari | 110 |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | GBR | McLaren Mercedes | 109 |
| 3 | Fernando Alonso | ESP | McLaren Mercedes | 109 |
| 4 | Felipe Massa | BRA | Ferrari | 94 |
| 5 | Nick Heidfeld | GER | Sauber BMW | 61 |
1. Nico Rosberg – Mercedes 2013-2016
Rosberg and Hamilton were teammates for four seasons at Mercedes, and they battled for three world championships in an ever-deteriorating line-up.
They battled exclusively for titles from 2014-2016 and grew further apart as time went on over their stint at the German team.
Rosberg took to the escape road in qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix in 2014, which caused a yellow flag and prevented anyone from usurping him to pole position. This caused controversy as he went on to win with Hamilton in second place.
Hamilton won that year’s championship despite many unreliability issues, but the following year had some flashpoints.
Hamilton won the title once more in the 2015 season, but the pair touched wheels at the start of the title decider at the United States Grand Prix.
The following year, Rosberg forced Hamilton into errors and eventually clinched his won and only title in 2016 after they made contact in Austria on the last lap while fighting for the lead.
The German driver minimised the damage in the final four rounds, as Hamilton took victory and backed up the pack in Abu Dhabi, although Rosberg did enough to win the title.
It was a brutal rivalry, and Mercedes were unchallenged, leaving Hamilton and Rosberg to fight. They were very close in qualifying, and they battled wheel-to-wheel in Bahrain in 2014 in a superb, karting-style duel.
Charles Leclerc at Ferrari from 2025
Leclerc will present a very tough challenge for Hamilton at Ferrari as he is blisteringly fast in qualifying and during the races.
The Monegasque will likely have an advantage over a single lap, but Leclerc may be nervous about partnering Hamilton.
Ferrari are taking steps in the right direction, as they just lost the Constructors’ Championship to McLaren by 14 points.
Hamilton praised his teammate earlier in his career, and the seven-time world champion feels Leclerc is a superb talent.
He told Sky Sports: “I watched him coming through and what he’s done in the last couple of years was great to see.
“I sit with team bosses and engineers and we watch the lower categories and are always looking out for that shining talent to come through.”
The pair will need to work together effectively to lead Ferrari to championships, but they are so evenly matched that the team may struggle to back one in a title battle.
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