F1 drivers still refuse to speak to one another after 18 years because of bitter rivalry

Two F1 drivers have been feuding for close to two decades and still refuse to speak to one another.

Anyone who's watched an F1 race in their life will know how intense the battles between drivers can be.

Exposure to team radios showcases just how into it everyone gets when trying to seal a place on the podium.

Once everyone's crossed the finishing line, things tend to calm down a bit, with cooler heads prevailing. That's the case for most of the grid, anyway.

There are still two men who can't stand the sight of one another and will do anything to avoid even exchanging pleasantries.

Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Haas driver Esteban Ocon were teammates at Alpine for two seasons with mixed success. Their relationship during that time was strained and a collision in the Australian Grand Prix, which ended both of their races, didn't help matters.

Many suspected they'd patched up their differences after being spotted during a Champions League quarter-final clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool, with Red Bull star Isack Hadjar.

However, Sport Bild say both men were invited to the game by PSG and didn't choose to sit together at the Parc des Princes.

The duo remain 'bitter rivals' and 'don't speak to each other' despite previously being friends in their karting days. Ironically, Gasly and Ocon finished three places apart during the Japanese Grand Prix last month.

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Why Gasly and Ocon fell out for nearly two decades

Gasly and Ocon's rivalry goes back 18 years. The pair raced against one another in karting and Gasly received a disqualification after passing his friend during the final lap.

During an interview for Netflix's Drive To Survive series, Gasly declared: "I have given Esteban many, many chances to make this relationship work, but if someone doesn’t want to be friends, that’s fine with me."

Speaking about his relationship with Gasly before leaving Alpine in 2024, Ocon looked back and admitted they'll always be synonymous with one another. He said: "We've had our stories at times, but it's been incredible to do that last formation lap.

"A lot of flashbacks came back to my memories, when we were racing on the wet in go-karts, when we were young, even in the snow with the slick tyres, we were both racing together and waiting for the podium or the win to come.

"And today, yeah, it tastes a bit like that. So, yeah, beautiful story from where we come from, and that one will for sure forever stay engraved."