2026 F1 Team-Mate Showdowns Following the Spanish Grand Prix

The 2026 Formula One season has produced a wealth of intra‑team battles, with each of the eleven entries pitting their two drivers against one another across qualifying, sprint and race sessions. This summary captures the head‑to‑head statistics up to and including the Spanish Grand Prix, while also offering context on driver swaps, missed starts and the broader race calendar. **McLaren (Norris vs. Piastri)** - Qualifying: Norris out‑performed Piastri nine times to five.

- Sprint: Norris swept all five sprint events, leaving Piastri winless. - Race: In the Grand Prix proper Norris finished ahead eight times, Piastri six. - Overall championship points: Norris accumulated 186 points compared with Piastri's 120.

- Season‑ending positions: Norris sits in fourth place while Piastri is seventh. - Note: No points were awarded for the Chinese Grand Prix because neither driver managed to start the race. **Mercedes (Russell vs. Antonelli)** - Qualifying: Russell edged Antonelli six to eight.

- Sprint: Russell claimed three sprint victories against Antonelli’s two. - Race: Russell finished ahead of Antonelli four times, while Antonelli managed ten better finishes.

- Points tally: Russell leads with 211 points, Antonelli trails with 292. - Final standings: Russell is second in the drivers' championship, Antonelli currently tops the list.

**Red Bull (Verstappen vs. Hadjar)** - Qualifying: Verstappen dominated, winning eight of eleven sessions against Hadjar’s three.

- Sprint: Verstappen took all four sprint events; Hadjar did not win any. - Race: Verstappen again out‑scored Hadjar 8‑3 in Grand Prix finishes. - Points: Verstappen amassed 145 points, Hadjar 71. - Positions: Verstappen sits sixth, Hadjar eighth.

**Driver Substitutions – Lawson and Hadjar** Liam Lawson stepped in for Isack Hadjar at the Dutch, Italian and Spanish rounds. During those events: - Qualifying: Verstappen beat Lawson 3‑0. - Sprint: Verstappen won the sole sprint against Lawson. - Race: Verstappen finished ahead twice, Lawson once.

- Points: Verstappen added two more points to his total, while Lawson earned a single point. **Ferrari (Leclerc vs. Hamilton)** - Qualifying: The pair were evenly matched, each winning seven sessions. - Sprint: Leclerc secured two sprint wins, Hamilton three.

- Race: Leclerc finished ahead six times, Hamilton eight. - Championship: Leclerc collected 167 points, Hamilton 191.

- Placement: Leclerc is currently fifth, Hamilton third. **Alpine (Albon vs.

Sainz)** - Qualifying: Albon’s four wins balanced Sainz’s ten. - Sprint: Albon managed a single sprint win against Sainz’s four.

- Race: Albon finished ahead six times, Sainz eight. - Points: Albon earned five points, Sainz six. - Season ranking: Albon sits 17th, Sainz 16th. **Williams (Lawson vs.

Lindblad)** - Qualifying: Lawson edged Lindblad six‑to‑five. - Sprint: Both drivers split the two sprint events evenly.

- Race: Lawson finished ahead eight times, Lindblad three. - Points: Lawson accumulated 59 points, Lindblad 31. - Positions: Lawson is ninth, Lindblad eleventh. **Driver Swap – Tsunoda and Lawson** Yuki Tsunoda replaced Lawson for the Dutch, Italian and Spanish rounds.

In those outings: - Qualifying: Lindblad beat Tsunoda three‑to‑zero. - Sprint: Lindblad won the lone sprint against Tsunoda. - Race: Lindblad finished ahead twice, Tsunoda once. **Aston Martin (Alonso vs.

Stroll)** - Qualifying: Alonso dominated with twelve wins to Stroll’s two. - Sprint: Alonso won four sprints, Stroll one.

- Race: Alonso’s eight victories outweighed Stroll’s two. - Points: Alonso earned three points, Stroll none. - Placement: Alonso is 19th, Stroll 21st. - Note: No points were given for the Australian, Chinese, Barcelona and Dutch Grands Prix because both drivers retired in each event.

**Alpine (Bearman vs. Ocon)** - Qualifying: Bearman led nine‑to‑four. - Sprint: Bearman took three sprint wins, Ocon two.

- Race: Bearman secured eight victories, Ocon five. - Points: Bearman added 18 points, Ocon three. - Placement: Bearman is 13th, Ocon 18th.

- Special cases: Bearman missed Spanish qualifying, and both drivers retired at the Dutch GP, resulting in no points for that race. **Haas (Hulkenberg vs. Bortoleto)** - Qualifying: Both drivers were evenly matched, seven wins each. - Sprint: Hulkenberg won two, Bortoleto three.

- Race: Hulkenberg finished ahead six times, Bortoleto eight. - Points: Hulkenberg earned seven points, Bortoleto ten. - Note: No sprint points were awarded in Miami because Hulkenberg failed to start and Bortoleto was disqualified.

**AlphaTauri (Gasly vs. Colapinto)** - Qualifying: Gasly out‑performed Colapinto eleven‑to‑three.

- Sprint: Gasly claimed three sprint wins, Colapinto two. - Race: Gasly finished ahead eight times, Colapinto six.

- Points: Gasly accumulated 41 points, Colapinto 27. - Placement: Gasly is 10th, Colapinto 12th. **Red Bull (Perez vs.

Bottas)** - Qualifying: Both drivers recorded seven wins. - Sprint: Perez won three sprints, Bottas two. - Race: Perez finished ahead eight times, Bottas four.

- Points: Neither driver earned points due to retirements at the Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix, where both cars withdrew. - Placement: Perez is 23rd, Bottas 22nd.

The 2026 calendar spans a global tour of iconic circuits, and Sky Sports F1 offers live coverage of every weekend. Fans can stream races without a long‑term contract via NOW, cancel anytime, and also enjoy supplemental content such as The F1 Show podcast and Sky Sports updates on WhatsApp.

This comprehensive overview underscores how intra‑team rivalries shape the championship narrative, while driver changes and race incidents add layers of intrigue to an already dynamic season.