The 2026 Formula One season has produced a wealth of head-to-head data that pits each driver against his teammate across qualifying, sprint and race performances for every team on the grid. By compiling the results from the first eleven Grand Prix events, a clear picture emerges of which drivers have consistently out‑performed their colleagues, where the margins are tight, and which pairings have seen dramatic swings in form. Starting with McLaren, Lando Norris has built a solid advantage over Oscar Piastri. In qualifying Norris has out‑qualified Piastri nine times to five, while the sprint format has seen Norris win all five of the sprint contests they have entered.
In the race results Norris holds an eight‑to‑six edge, and the points tally reflects his stronger overall season with 186 points compared with Piastri’s 120. Their final championship positions sit at fourth for Norris and seventh for Piastri, confirming Norris as the clear number one driver for the team at this stage. Moving to the Aston Martin camp, the rivalry between George Russell and his rookie teammate Andrea Antonelli is more evenly balanced but still leans toward Russell.
In qualifying the pair are split 6‑8 in Russell’s favour, while the sprint events have produced a 3‑2 record for Russell. In race finishes Russell leads 4‑10, and the points gap is significant: Russell has amassed 211 points against Antonelli’s 292, placing Russell second in the drivers’ standings and Antonelli surprisingly leading the team’s internal leaderboard in first place. This unusual points distribution suggests that Antonelli’s consistency in the latter part of the season has paid dividends. Red Bull’s dominant champion Max Verstappen continues to dominate his teammate Isack Hadjar, who was later replaced by Liam Lawson for the Dutch, Italian and Spanish rounds.
Verstappen’s qualifying record against Hadjar stands at 8‑3, and he swept all four sprint contests. In race performance Verstappen also leads 8‑3, and his points total of 145 dwarfs Hadjar’s 71.
After Lawson stepped in, Verstappen’s head‑to‑head record against Lawson is 3‑0 in qualifying and 2‑1 in races, with the sprint still a clean 1‑0 sweep. This data underscores Verstappen’s relentless pace and the team’s reliance on his scoring power.
Ferrari’s internal duel between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton (who moved to Ferrari for 2026) is tightly contested. Qualifying is dead‑locked at 7‑7, yet Hamilton has a slight edge in sprint events (3‑2). In the race, Leclerc holds a 6‑8 advantage, while Hamilton’s sprint performance is 3‑2.
The championship points are close: Leclerc with 167 points versus Hamilton’s 191, and their final positions are fifth for Leclerc and third for Hamilton. The narrow margins illustrate a genuine battle for the top seat within the team.
Alfa Romeo’s pairing of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz shows a mixed picture. Albon out‑qualified Sainz 4‑10, but the sprint results are reversed with Albon winning one and Sainz taking four. Race results follow a similar pattern, with Albon ahead 6‑8 and Sainz taking the majority of sprint points. Their championship points are nearly identical, 5 for Albon and 6 for Sainz, and they finish the season in 17th and 16th respectively, indicating that both drivers are still finding their rhythm in a developing car.
Williams features Logan Lawson (who later replaced Lawson for certain rounds) and Nikita Lindblad. Lawson’s qualifying edge is 6‑5, and he dominates the sprint with a 2‑2 split. In races Lawson leads 8‑3, and his points tally of 59 surpasses Lindblad’s 31, placing Lawson ninth and Lindblad eleventh overall. This suggests Lawson has been the stronger performer for Williams so far.
The partnership of Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson saw Lawson replaced by Tsunoda for the Dutch, Italian and Spanish events. In qualifying Lindblad (who replaced Lawson) beat Tsunoda 3‑0, and the sprint was 1‑0. Race results show Lindblad ahead 2‑1, with the sprint again favoring Lindblad 1‑0. Their points are modest, reflecting the challenges faced by the team in the midfield.
Alonso and Stroll’s duel for Aston Martin is heavily weighted toward Fernando Alonso. Qualifying shows a striking 12‑2 advantage for Alonso, and sprint sessions add another 4‑1 edge. In races Alonso again dominates with an 8‑2 record, and his points stand at 3 compared with Stroll’s 0, placing them 19th and 21st respectively.
Several Grand Prix, including Australia, China, Barcelona and the Netherlands, saw both drivers retire, resulting in no points for those events. The young talent of Oliver Bearman versus Esteban Ocon at Alpine displays a promising start for Bearman. Qualifying is 9‑4 in Bearman's favour, and sprint sessions are 3‑2. Race results are 8‑5 for Bearman, although he missed the Spanish qualifying session and both drivers retired at the Dutch Grand Prix, meaning no points were awarded for those races.
Their championship points are 18 for Bearman and 3 for Ocon, with final positions of 13th and 18th. Hulkenberg and Bortoleto at Haas have a balanced qualifying record (7‑7) but Bortoleto takes a slight sprint edge (3‑2). In races Hulkenberg leads 6‑8, while the sprint sees Hulkenberg 1‑3.
A notable incident occurred at the Miami sprint where Hulkenberg failed to start and Bortoleto was disqualified, resulting in no points for that session. Their points totals are 7 for Hulkenberg and 10 for Bortoleto, placing them 15th and 14th overall.
Gasly versus Colapinto at AlphaTauri presents a strong showing for Pierre Gasly. Qualifying is 11‑3 for Gasly, and sprint sessions are 3‑2.
In races Gasly leads 8‑6, and the sprint adds a 4‑1 advantage. Their points are 41 for Gasly and 27 for Colapinto, with final positions of 10th and 12th. Finally, the rivalry between Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes is marked by parity in qualifying (7‑7) and a slight sprint edge for Perez (3‑2).
However, both drivers retired in several events, including the Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix, resulting in no points awarded for those races. Their championship points remain at zero, and they finished 23rd and 22nd respectively. Overall, the 2026 season has delivered a rich dataset of intra‑team competition, highlighting emerging talents, established champions, and the impact of driver changes mid‑season. Fans can follow every race live on Sky Sports F1, stream without a contract via NOW, and stay updated with podcasts and WhatsApp alerts for the latest analysis and commentary.