2026 Formula 1 Team‑Mate Head‑to‑Head Comparisons After the Italian Grand Prix

The 2026 Formula 1 season has produced a wealth of head‑to‑head data, showing how each driver within the eleven teams has performed across qualifying, sprint and race sessions. Below is a comprehensive rewrite of the original statistics, expanded with context and analysis to give readers a clearer picture of the intra‑team battles that have shaped the championship so far. **McLaren – Lando Norris vs. Oscar Piastri** In qualifying, Norris has out‑qualified Piastri eight times to five, demonstrating a slight edge on single‑lap speed.

The sprint format has been dominated by Norris, who has won all five sprints against Piastri. In the race‑day tally, Norris holds a narrow lead with seven victories to Piastri’s six, while the sprint results remain unchanged at five‑to‑zero in Norris’s favour.

Across the season Norris has accumulated 171 championship points compared with Piastri’s 116, and his finishing positions have ranged from fourth to seventh, whereas Piastri has typically finished between seventh and tenth. Notably, no points were awarded for the Chinese Grand Prix because both drivers failed to start the race. **Mercedes – George Russell vs. Andrea Antonelli** Russell’s qualifying record stands at six wins to Antonelli’s seven, indicating a very close contest.

In sprint events Russell has a modest advantage, winning three sprints to Antonelli’s two. When the lights go out for the Grand Prix, Russell has claimed four victories while Antonelli has managed nine, suggesting Antonelli has been more successful in the longer format. The championship points reflect Russell’s consistency with 267 points versus Antonelli’s 201, and their final placements have been second for Russell and first for Antonelli in the respective races mentioned.

**Red Bull – Max Verstappen vs. Hadjar** Verstappen’s qualifying supremacy is clear with eight wins to Hadjar’s three.

The sprint sessions have also been one‑sided, with Verstappen winning all four sprints against Hadjar. In race conditions Verstappen again leads 8‑3, reinforcing his status as the team’s leading driver. The points gap is substantial: 112 for Verstappen against 68 for Hadjar, and their finishing positions have ranged from sixth for Verstappen to eighth for Hadjar. **Williams – Liam Lawson (substituting for Hadjar) vs.

Max Verstappen** Lawson stepped in for Hadjar at the Dutch and Italian rounds. In qualifying, Verstappen out‑qualified Lawson 2‑0, but the sprint saw Verstappen win one‑to‑zero.

The race results were more balanced: Verstappen did not finish ahead of Lawson in the Dutch Grand Prix (0‑1), while in Italy Verstappen won two sprints to Lawson’s none. This brief substitution highlights the challenges of stepping into a top‑team seat mid‑season.

**Ferrari – Charles Leclerc vs. Lewis Hamilton** Leclerc has a slight qualifying advantage with seven wins to Hamilton’s six, but the sprint format favours Hamilton, who has won three sprints to Leclerc’s two. In the Grand Prix itself, Leclerc’s record is 5‑8, indicating Hamilton has been more successful in race conditions. The points tally shows Leclerc with 155 points against Hamilton’s 191, and their finishing positions have varied from Leclerc’s fifth place to Hamilton’s third.

**Alfa Romeo – Alex Albon vs. Carlos Sainz** Albon’s qualifying record is modest at three wins to Sainz’s ten, while the sprint sees Albon winning once against Sainz’s four.

In races, Albon has five wins to Sainz’s eight, and the sprint results mirror the earlier pattern (1‑4). Their championship points are close, with Albon earning five points and Sainz six, and their final placements have been 17th for Albon and 16th for Sainz. **AlphaTauri – Liam Lawson vs.

Oliver Lindblad** Lawson’s qualifying edge is six‑to‑five over Lindblad, and in sprint sessions they are evenly matched at 2‑2. In race‑day performance, Lawson leads 8‑3, while sprint results tilt slightly to Lawson at 3‑1.

Lawson has amassed 51 championship points compared with Lindblad’s 29, and their placements range from ninth for Lawson to eleventh for Lindblad. **AlphaTauri (later) – Oliver Lindblad vs.

Yuki Tsunoda** After Lawson’s stint, Lindblad faced Tsunoda. Qualifying saw Lindblad win twice to Tsunoda’s none, and the sprint was 1‑0.

In the Grand Prix the two drivers split the points 1‑1, and the sprint again favoured Lindblad 1‑0. Their overall season points are 15‑10 for Lindblad and 14‑10 for Tsunoda, with final placements of 15th and 14th respectively.

**Aston Martin – Fernando Alonso vs. Lance Stroll** Alonso has dominated qualifying with an 11‑2 record over Stroll, and the sprint format continues this trend at 4‑1. In race conditions Alonso’s advantage narrows to 7‑2, and the sprint remains 3‑2. No points were awarded for the Australian, Chinese, Barcelona and Dutch Grand Prix because both drivers retired from those events.

Their championship points stand at 3 for Alonso and 0 for Stroll, with finishing positions of 19th and 21st. **Alpine – Oscar Bearman vs.

Esteban Ocon** Bearman’s qualifying record is 9‑4 over Ocon, and in sprints he leads 3‑2. In the Grand Prix Bearman again outperforms Ocon 8‑4, while the sprint sees Ocon win 3‑2. No points were given for the Dutch Grand Prix as both drivers retired.

Their points total is 18 for Bearman and 3 for Ocon, with placements of 13th and 18th. **Haas – Nico Hülkenberg vs.

Bortoleto** Hülkenberg’s qualifying record is 6‑7, slightly behind Bortoleto, and the sprint sees him trailing 2‑3. In race results Hülkenberg is 5‑8, and the sprint is 1‑3, with an additional note that no sprint points were awarded at Miami because Hülkenberg failed to start and Bortoleto was disqualified. Their championship points are 6 for Hülkenberg and 10 for Bortoleto, with final placements of 15th and 14th.

**AlphaTauri – Pierre Gasly vs. Lorenzo Colapinto** Gasly dominates qualifying with 11‑2 and wins three of two sprints.

In races Gasly’s record is 8‑5, and the sprint sees him win four‑to‑one. Their points are 41 for Gasly and 21 for Colapinto, with finishing positions of 10th and 12th.

**Alfa Romeo – Sergio Perez vs. Valtteri Bottas** Perez’s qualifying record is 6‑7, and he wins three sprints to Bottas’s two.

In races Perez leads 8‑3, though the sprint results are split 2‑3. No points were awarded for the Austrian and Hungarian Grand Prix as both drivers retired. Their championship points are equal at zero, and their placements are 23rd for Perez and 22nd for Bottas. Overall, the 2026 season offers a detailed look at intra‑team competition, with each pair of drivers showing distinct strengths in qualifying, sprint, and race formats.

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