The 2026 Formula 1 season has produced a detailed picture of how teammates have performed against each other across qualifying, sprint and race sessions for each of the eleven entries on the grid. Below is a comprehensive recap that not only lists the raw head‑to‑head figures but also provides context, highlights notable trends and explains the impact of driver swaps and retirements on the overall statistics. **McLaren – Lando Norris vs.
Oscar Piastri** In qualifying, Norris has out‑qualified Piastri nine times to five, while the sprint format shows a clean 5‑0 advantage for Norris. When the race distance is considered, Norris leads eight to six in Grand Prix finishes, with the sprint again favouring him 5‑0.
The championship points tally reflects Norris’s consistency, sitting at 186 compared with Piastri’s 120, and the final positions place Norris between fourth and seventh, whereas Piastri has been classified between seventh and tenth. The only anomaly in the data is the Chinese Grand Prix, where neither driver started, so no points were awarded. **Williams – George Russell vs. Andrea Antonelli** Russell’s qualifying record stands at six wins to Antonelli’s eight, indicating a fairly even split with a slight edge to Antonelli.
In sprint events Russell has a 3‑2 edge. The race results show a more pronounced gap: Russell finished ahead of Antonelli four times, while Antonelli managed ten better finishes. In the championship, Russell has amassed 211 points against Antonelli’s 292, and the final standings show Russell ranging from second to fifth place, while Antonelli has been on the podium, finishing first on at least one occasion.
**Red Bull – Max Verstappen vs. Isack Hadjar** Verstappen dominates this pairing.
In qualifying he has a clear 8‑3 advantage, and the sprint format mirrors that dominance with a 4‑0 record. Race results are identical to qualifying, with Verstappen again out‑scoring Hadjar eight to three.
The points gap is substantial: 145 for Verstappen versus 71 for Hadjar, and Verstappen’s finishing positions range from sixth to eighth, while Hadjar has been placed between eighth and tenth. **Red Bull (temporary) – Max Verstappen vs.
Liam Lawson** Lawson stepped in for Hadjar at the Dutch, Italian and Spanish rounds. Against Verstappen, Lawson’s qualifying record is 3‑0, and in sprint qualifying Verstappen leads 1‑0.
In race conditions Verstappen again holds a 2‑1 edge, and the sprint race remains 1‑0 in Verstappen’s favour. This short‑term pairing underscores Verstappen’s continued superiority even when paired with a substitute driver. **Ferrari vs.
Mercedes – Charles Leclerc vs. Lewis Hamilton** Qualifying shows an even split at 7‑7, but the sprint format gives Leclerc a slight edge (2‑3). In races, Leclerc falls behind with a 6‑8 record, while the sprint sees Hamilton edging Leclerc 3‑2. Points are close: Leclerc 167, Hamilton 191, and the final classifications place Leclerc between fifth and seventh, while Hamilton has been consistently in the top three.
**Alfa Romeo – Alex Albon vs. Carlos Sainz** Albon’s qualifying record is 4‑10, indicating he has been out‑qualified by Sainz in the majority of sessions. The sprint results are reversed, with Albon winning one out of four sprints. In race finishes Albon again trails (6‑8), and the sprint shows the same 1‑4 pattern.
Points are almost identical (5 for Albon, 6 for Sainz), and their final positions are tightly clustered around the mid‑field, with Albon ranging from 16th to 17th and Sainz from 15th to 16th. **AlphaTauri – Oliver Lawson vs.
Adrian Lindblad** Lawson enjoys a modest qualifying edge (6‑5) and a 2‑2 split in sprint qualifying. In race results he leads 8‑3, and the sprint race shows a 3‑1 advantage. The championship points reflect this advantage: 59 for Lawson versus 31 for Lindblad, and final placements put Lawson between ninth and eleventh, while Lindblad sits around the same range. **AlphaTauri (substitution) – Adrian Lindblad vs.
Yuki Tsunoda** When Lawson was unavailable, Lindblad faced Tsunoda. Lindblad’s qualifying record is 3‑0, and he also leads the sprint qualifying 1‑0.
In races Lindblad again beats Tsunoda 2‑1, and the sprint race mirrors this 1‑0 lead. This brief head‑to‑head underscores Lindblad’s consistency when paired with a substitute. **Aston Martin – Fernando Alonso vs. Lance Stroll** Alonso has a dominant qualifying record of 12‑2 over Stroll and a 4‑1 edge in sprint qualifying.
In races, Alonso’s advantage continues (8‑2), and the sprint race shows a 3‑2 lead. However, several Grand Prix events (Australian, Chinese, Barcelona, Dutch) saw both drivers retire, resulting in no points for those rounds. Overall, Alonso has accumulated three championship points, while Stroll has none, placing Alonso between 19th and 21st and Stroll similarly low in the standings. **Alpine – Oliver Bearman vs.
Esteban Ocon** Bearman’s qualifying record is 9‑4, but he missed the Spanish qualifying session, so no score was recorded there. In the sprint, Bearman leads 3‑2. Race results show Bearman ahead 8‑5, though he did not start the Spanish Grand Prix, and Ocon’s sprint performance is 2‑3.
The championship points are heavily weighted toward Bearman (18) compared with Ocon’s three, and their final placements are 13th‑18th for Bearman and 18th‑22nd for Ocon. **Haas – Nico Hülkenberg vs. Antonio Bortoleto** Both drivers are evenly matched in qualifying (7‑7) and the sprint (2‑3 in Hülkenberg’s favour).
In races, Hülkenberg trails 6‑8, while the sprint sees him behind 1‑3. A notable incident occurred at the Miami sprint where Hülkenberg failed to start and Bortoleto was disqualified, resulting in no points for that event. Overall, Hülkenberg has seven points versus Bortoleto’s ten, placing them around 15th‑14th in the final standings. **AlphaTauri – Pierre Gasly vs.
Callum Colapinto** Gasly’s qualifying dominance is clear at 11‑3, and he also leads the sprint 3‑2. In race finishes Gasly holds an 8‑6 edge, and the sprint race further extends his lead to 4‑1. The championship points tally shows Gasly with 41 points to Colapinto’s 27, and their final positions range from 10th‑12th for Gasly and 12th‑14th for Colapinto. **Red Bull – Sergio Pérez vs.
Valtteri Bottas** Both drivers are evenly matched in qualifying (7‑7) and the sprint (3‑2 for Pérez). Race results are split 8‑4 in Pérez’s favour, though both drivers retired from the Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix, resulting in no points for those events.
Consequently, both drivers have zero championship points for the season, and their final placements are 23rd‑22nd respectively. Overall, the 2026 season’s head‑to‑head data provides a vivid illustration of intra‑team dynamics, driver performance consistency, and the influence of retirements and driver replacements on the championship narrative.
Fans can follow every race live on Sky Sports F1, stream without a contract via NOW, listen to The F1 Show podcast, or stay updated through Sky Sports on WhatsApp.