2026 F1 Team-Mate Rivalries After the Italian Grand Prix

The 2026 Formula One season has produced a fascinating set of intra‑team battles across all eleven entries, with each driver’s performance tracked through qualifying, sprint and race results. Below is a comprehensive overview of how each pair of teammates has fared up to and including the Italian Grand Prix, along with a deeper look at the context behind the numbers, the occasional driver swaps, and the implications for the championship standings. **McLaren – Lando Norris vs. Oscar Piastri** In qualifying, Norris has edged Piastri by eight points to five, while the sprint format shows Norris dominating with a clean 5‑0 record.

Over the race distance Norris holds a narrow 7‑6 advantage, reinforcing his position as the team’s leading driver. Their championship points stand at 171 for Norris against 116 for Piastri, and Norris typically finishes between fourth and seventh place, whereas Piastri’s best results hover around seventh to tenth.

The only blemish in their record is the Chinese Grand Prix, where neither driver started, resulting in no points being allocated. **Mercedes – George Russell vs.

Andrea Antonelli** Russell’s qualifying tally of six points to Antonelli’s seven suggests a tightly contested battle, but the sprint events tell a different story: Russell has won three sprints compared to Antonelli’s two. In race performance, Russell leads with a 4‑9 split, indicating he has finished ahead in four races while Antonelli has been behind in nine. Overall, Russell has amassed 267 championship points against Antonelli’s 201, and his finishing positions range from second to first place, showing a clear edge in consistency and podium potential.

**Red Bull – Max Verstappen vs. Isack Hadjar** Verstappen’s supremacy is evident across the board. In qualifying he leads 8‑3, and in sprint sessions he has a flawless 4‑0 record over Hadjar.

The race results mirror this dominance with an 8‑3 split. Verstappen’s championship haul stands at 112 points compared to Hadjar’s 68, and his race placements typically fall between sixth and eighth, while Hadjar occupies the lower end of the field. Notably, Liam Lawson stepped in for Hadjar at the Dutch and Italian rounds, providing a brief interruption to the head‑to‑head data. **Red Bull (continued) – Max Verstappen vs.

Liam Lawson** When Lawson replaced Hadjar, Verstappen’s qualifying edge narrowed to 2‑0, and in the sprint he maintained a 1‑0 advantage. However, the race results swung the other way, with Lawson beating Verstappen 1‑0 in the Grand Prix and Verstappen reclaiming a 2‑0 lead in the sprint. This short‑term swap highlights how driver changes can temporarily alter the statistical landscape, even within a dominant team. **Ferrari – Charles Leclerc vs.

Lewis Hamilton** The Ferrari‑Mercedes rivalry is captured through a series of close contests. In qualifying, Leclerc leads 7‑6, while Hamilton edges him in sprint qualifying with a 3‑2 advantage. Race outcomes show Leclerc trailing 5‑8, but he turns the tables in sprint races with a 3‑2 lead. Their championship points are 155 for Leclerc and 191 for Hamilton, reflecting Hamilton’s slightly stronger season overall.

Leclerc’s best finishes range from fifth to third place, whereas Hamilton consistently lands on the podium. **Alpine – Alex Albon vs. Carlos Sainz** Albon has struggled against Sainz this year.

Qualifying results are 3‑10 in Albon’s favor, but sprint sessions flip to a 1‑4 deficit. In races Albon scores 5‑8, while Sainz records 1‑4 in sprints, indicating Sainz’s superior pace in the shorter format. Their championship points are almost identical—5 for Albon and 6 for Sainz—yet Albon’s finishing positions are typically around 17th‑16th, whereas Sainz secures slightly better placements.

**Williams – Liam Lawson vs. Jonny Lindblad** Lawson’s qualifying record of 6‑5 gives him a modest edge, and sprint qualifying is dead‑locked at 2‑2.

In race performance Lawson dominates with an 8‑3 lead, and in sprint races he again leads 3‑1. Their championship points tally shows Lawson with 51 points to Lindblad’s 29, and Lawson’s race finishes range from ninth to eleventh, while Lindblad’s are slightly lower. **AlphaTauri – Jonny Lindblad vs. Yuki Tsunoda** After Lawson’s temporary departure, Tsunoda filled his seat for the Dutch and Italian rounds.

Lindblad’s qualifying superiority is 2‑0, and he also leads in sprint qualifying 1‑0. In races the split is even at 1‑1, and sprint races again favor Lindblad 1‑0.

This suggests Lindblad has been the more consistent performer despite the driver swap. **Aston Martin – Fernando Alonso vs. Lance Stroll** Alonso’s qualifying advantage is stark at 11‑2, and he also leads sprint qualifying 4‑1.

In races Alonso continues to dominate with a 7‑2 record, and sprint races show a 3‑2 edge. Their championship points are dramatically different: Alonso has 3 points while Stroll has none, reflecting Alonso’s higher finishing positions (19th‑21st for Stroll versus Alonso’s better placements). Several Grand Prix—Australian, Chinese, Barcelona, and Dutch—did not award points because both drivers retired, emphasizing the volatility of the season.

**Alfa Romeo – Oliver Bearman vs. Esteban Ocon** Bearman leads in qualifying 9‑4 and also in sprint qualifying 3‑2.

Race results give Bearman an 8‑4 advantage, though the sprint at the Dutch GP saw Ocon win 3‑2. Their championship points are 18 for Bearman and 3 for Ocon, with Bearman finishing around 13th‑18th and Ocon lower in the order. **Haas – Nico Hulkenberg vs. Luca Bortoleto** Qualifying sees Hulkenberg ahead 6‑7, while sprint qualifying is 2‑3.

In races Hulkenberg holds a 5‑8 lead, and sprint races are 1‑3. Their championship points are 6 for Hulkenberg and 10 for Bortoleto, indicating Bortoleto’s slightly better overall haul despite fewer qualifying successes. Notably, the Miami GP sprint awarded no points because Hulkenberg failed to start and Bortoleto was disqualified. **AlphaTauri (continued) – Pierre Gasly vs.

Enzo Colapinto** Gasly dominates qualifying with an 11‑2 margin and also leads sprint qualifying 3‑2. Race results are 8‑5 in his favour, and sprint races 4‑1. Their championship points stand at 41 for Gasly and 21 for Colapinto, with Gasly typically finishing around tenth place and Colapinto slightly lower. **Williams (continued) – Sergio Perez vs.

Valtteri Bottas** Perez’s qualifying record is 6‑7, but he improves in sprint qualifying to 3‑2. In races Perez leads 8‑3, though sprint races are close at 2‑3. Their championship points are both listed as zero due to retirements at the Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix, where both drivers failed to finish, resulting in no points awarded. Overall, the 2026 season’s intra‑team statistics reveal clear hierarchies within several teams, occasional parity in others, and the impact of driver changes and race retirements on the points table.

Fans can follow every session live on Sky Sports F1, stream without a contract via NOW, listen to The F1 Show podcast for deeper analysis, and even receive updates through Sky Sports on WhatsApp. The full race calendar remains available for those who wish to track the remaining events and see how these head‑to‑head battles evolve as the season progresses.