2026 F1 Team-Mate Rivalry Overview Following the Italian Grand Prix

The 2026 Formula One season has produced a detailed set of head-to-head statistics that compare every driver pairing within each of the eleven teams, based on their performances in qualifying, sprint events and the main Grand Prix races. These figures give a clear picture of which teammate has been more successful across the different formats and how the championship points have accumulated for each driver.

**McLaren Duo – Lando Norris vs. Oscar Piastri** - **Qualifying:** Norris has out‑qualified Piastri eight times to five.

- **Sprint:** Norris has a perfect record, winning five sprint contests while Piastri has not secured a sprint win. - **Race Results:** In Grand Prix races, Norris leads with seven victories to Piastri’s six, and again dominates the sprint races with five wins to none. - **Championship Points:** Norris sits ahead with 171 points compared to Piastri’s 116. - **Season‑long Placement:** Norris has finished between fourth and seventh place, whereas Piastri’s best finishes have been in the seventh‑to‑tenth range.

- *Note:* No points were awarded for the Chinese Grand Prix because both drivers failed to start the race. **Alfa Romeo Pairing – George Russell vs. Antonio Antonelli** - **Qualifying:** Russell’s record is six wins against seven for Antonelli.

- **Sprint:** Russell leads 3‑2. - **Race:** Russell has taken four Grand Prix victories while Antonelli has nine, but Russell dominates the sprint format with a 4‑1 record. - **Championship Points:** Russell has amassed 267 points, Antonelli 201. - **Placement:** Russell’s season finishes range from second to first place; Antonelli’s are between first and second.

**Red Bull Line‑up – Max Verstappen vs. Hadjar** - **Qualifying:** Verstappen has eight wins to Hadjar’s three. - **Sprint:** Verstappen is unbeaten with four sprint wins, Hadjar none.

- **Race:** Verstappen again leads 8‑3 in Grand Prix wins and repeats the 4‑0 sprint dominance. - **Championship Points:** Verstappen’s total stands at 112, Hadjar’s at 68. - **Placement:** Verstappen finishes between sixth and eighth, while Hadjar’s best results are in the eighth‑to‑tenth bracket. **Red Bull Replacement – Liam Lawson (for Hadjar) in Dutch and Italian Rounds** - **Qualifying:** Verstappen beats Lawson 2‑0.

- **Sprint:** Verstappen wins the sprint 1‑0. - **Race:** Lawson secured a single Grand Prix win against Verstappen’s zero, while Verstappen won two sprint events to Lawson’s none. **Ferrari Match‑up – Charles Leclerc vs. Lewis Hamilton** - **Qualifying:** Leclerc edges Hamilton 7‑6.

- **Sprint:** Hamilton leads 3‑2. - **Race:** Hamilton out‑performed Leclerc with eight finishes to five, while Leclerc won three sprint events to Hamilton’s two.

- **Championship Points:** Leclerc has 155 points, Hamilton 191. - **Placement:** Leclerc’s best finishes are fifth to third, Hamilton’s range from third to first. **Alfa Romeo (formerly Sauber) – Alex Albon vs.

Carlos Sainz** - **Qualifying:** Albon trails Sainz 3‑10. - **Sprint:** Sainz dominates 4‑1. - **Race:** Sainz again leads 8‑5, with Albon winning only one sprint.

- **Championship Points:** Albon’s tally is five points, Sainz’s six. - **Placement:** Albon’s season ends between seventeenth and sixteenth, Sainz between sixteenth and fifteenth. **Williams Pair – Logan Lawson vs.

Oliver Lindblad** - **Qualifying:** Lawson leads 6‑5. - **Sprint:** They are tied 2‑2.

- **Race:** Lawson wins eight Grand Prix events to Lindblad’s three, and also claims three sprint victories to Lindblad’s one. - **Championship Points:** Lawson’s total is 51, Lindblad’s 29. - **Placement:** Lawson finishes between ninth and eleventh, Lindblad between eleventh and thirteenth.

**AlphaTauri – Yuki Tsunoda (substituting for Lawson) in Dutch and Italian Rounds** - **Qualifying:** Lindblad beats Tsunoda 2‑0. - **Sprint:** Lindblad wins 1‑0. - **Race:** Both drivers share a single win each, with Lindblad also taking a sprint win.

**Aston Martin – Fernando Alonso vs. Lance Stroll** - **Qualifying:** Alonso dominates 11‑2. - **Sprint:** Alonso again leads 4‑1.

- **Race:** Alonso’s record is 7‑2, though several races (Australian, Chinese, Barcelona, Dutch) awarded no points because both drivers retired. - **Championship Points:** Alonso has three points, Stroll none. - **Placement:** Alonso’s best finishes are nineteenth to twenty‑first, Stroll’s are similar. **Alpine – Oliver Bearman vs.

Esteban Ocon** - **Qualifying:** Bearman leads 9‑4. - **Sprint:** Bearman wins three to Ocon’s two. - **Race:** Bearman claims eight Grand Prix victories to Ocon’s four; sprint results are split 2‑3. - **Championship Points:** Bearman’s total is 18, Ocon’s three.

- **Placement:** Bearman finishes thirteenth to eighteenth, Ocon fifteenth to twentieth. **Haas – Nico Hülkenberg vs. Bortoleto** - **Qualifying:** Hülkenberg trails 6‑7. - **Sprint:** Hülkenberg loses 2‑3.

- **Race:** Hülkenberg’s Grand Prix record is 5‑8, sprint 1‑3, with a disqualification for Bortoleto in Miami sprint and a non‑start for Hülkenberg. - **Championship Points:** Hülkenberg has six points, Bortoleto ten. - **Placement:** Hülkenberg finishes fifteenth to fourteenth, Bortoleto fourteenth to thirteenth.

**Alpine (second entry) – Pierre Gasly vs. Francesco Colapinto** - **Qualifying:** Gasly dominates 11‑2. - **Sprint:** Gasly wins three to Colapinto’s two. - **Race:** Gasly’s Grand Prix tally is eight to five, sprint 4‑1.

- **Championship Points:** Gasly accumulates 41 points, Colapinto 21. - **Placement:** Gasly finishes tenth to twelfth, Colapinto twelfth to fourteenth. **Mercedes – Sergio Pérez vs.

Valtteri Bottas** - **Qualifying:** Pérez leads 6‑7. - **Sprint:** Pérez wins three to Bottas’s two. - **Race:** Pérez’s Grand Prix record is eight to three, but both drivers retired in the Austrian and Hungarian races, resulting in no points. - **Championship Points:** Both drivers end the season with zero points in this head‑to‑head metric.

- **Placement:** Pérez’s best finish is twenty‑third, Bottas twenty‑second. Overall, the 2026 calendar features a full slate of races that can be streamed live via Sky Sports F1, with the option to watch without a long‑term contract through the NOW platform.

Fans can also follow the season through the official F1 podcast and receive updates via Sky Sports on WhatsApp. The data above provides a concise yet comprehensive snapshot of intra‑team competition, illustrating which drivers have consistently out‑performed their teammates across qualifying, sprint, and race formats, and how those performances translate into championship standings and season‑long placements.