2026 F1 Team-Mate Head-to-Head Summary After the Spanish Grand Prix

The 2026 Formula One season has produced a wealth of intra‑team battles, and the latest data after the Spanish Grand Prix offers a detailed snapshot of how each driver pair has performed across qualifying, sprint events and the main races. Below is a comprehensive rewrite of the original statistics, enriched with context and explanation to give readers a fuller picture of the competition within each of the eleven teams.

**McLaren (Norris vs. Piastri)** - **Qualifying:** Lando Norris has out‑qualified Oscar Piastri nine times to five, showing a clear edge in single‑lap speed. - **Sprint:** Norris dominated the sprint format with a perfect 5‑0 record. - **Race:** In the Grand Prix proper Norris leads 8‑6, while the sprint races again favour him 5‑0.

- **Championship points:** Norris has accumulated 186 points compared with Piastri's 120, placing the British driver in fourth overall and the Australian in seventh. - **Note:** No points were awarded for the Chinese Grand Prix because both drivers were unable to start the race.

**Mercedes (Russell vs. Antonelli)** - **Qualifying:** George Russell trails his teammate Andrea Antonelli 6‑8, indicating the young Italian has been slightly quicker in qualifying sessions. - **Sprint:** Russell turns the tables in the sprint format, winning three out of five sprints against Antonelli’s two.

- **Race:** The race results are more balanced, with Russell finishing fourth and Antonelli tenth, while sprint races see Russell 4‑1. - **Championship points:** Russell leads the championship with 211 points to Antonelli’s 292, reflecting Antonelli’s stronger overall performance despite Russell’s higher race finishes.

Their season‑long placing ranges from second for Russell to first for Antonelli in various events. **Red Bull (Verstappen vs. Hadjar)** - **Qualifying:** Max Verstappen has a decisive 8‑3 advantage over Isack Hadjar. - **Sprint:** Verstappen again dominates with a clean 4‑0 sprint record.

- **Race:** The Grand Prix results mirror qualifying, with Verstappen 8‑3 over Hadjar, and sprint races also 4‑0. - **Championship points:** Verstappen holds 145 points to Hadjar’s 71, and their finishing positions range from sixth for Verstappen to eighth for Hadjar.

- **Driver swap:** Liam Lawson temporarily replaced Hadjar for the Dutch, Italian and Spanish rounds, providing additional data points for the team. **Red Bull (Verstappen vs.

Lawson – substitution period)** - **Qualifying:** Verstappen beat Lawson 3‑0. - **Sprint:** Verstappen again won the sprint 1‑0. - **Race:** In the race Verstappen finished 2‑1 ahead of Lawson, with the sprint again 1‑0. **Ferrari (Leclerc vs.

Hamilton)** - **Qualifying:** Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are evenly matched, each securing seven pole positions. - **Sprint:** Hamilton edges Leclerc 3‑2 in sprint qualifying.

- **Race:** Leclerc finishes six times ahead of Hamilton in the Grand Prix, but Hamilton turns the sprint races to his favour 3‑2. - **Championship points:** Leclerc has gathered 167 points, Hamilton 191, placing Leclerc fifth overall and Hamilton third.

**Williams (Albon vs. Sainz)** - **Qualifying:** Sergio Albon trails Carlos Sainz 4‑10.

- **Sprint:** Sainz dominates the sprint with a 4‑1 advantage. - **Race:** The race results are close, Albon 6‑8 to Sainz, while sprint races again favour Sainz 1‑4. - **Championship points:** Albon’s tally stands at 5 points versus Sainz’s 6, with Albon’s season best finishing 17th and Sainz 16th. **Alfa Romeo (Lawson vs.

Lindblad)** - **Qualifying:** Lawson leads Lindblad 6‑5. - **Sprint:** The sprint sessions are evenly split 2‑2. - **Race:** Lawson’s race record is stronger, 8‑3 over Lindblad, and sprint races 3‑1. - **Championship points:** Lawson holds 59 points, Lindblad 31, placing Lawson ninth and Lindblad eleventh in the overall standings.

- **Driver change:** Yuki Tsunoda stepped in for Lawson during the Dutch, Italian and Spanish events, adding another layer of data for the team. **Alfa Romeo (Lindblad vs.

Tsunoda – substitution period)** - **Qualifying:** Lindblad beats Tsunoda 3‑0. - **Sprint:** Lindblad again wins the sprint 1‑0.

- **Race:** Lindblad’s race advantage is 2‑1, with sprint results mirroring qualifying. **Aston Martin (Alonso vs. Stroll)** - **Qualifying:** Fernando Alonso dominates with a 12‑2 record over Lance Stroll. - **Sprint:** Alonso continues his superiority 4‑1.

- **Race:** In the Grand Prix Alonso wins 8‑2, and sprint races 3‑2. - **Championship points:** Alonso’s points stand at 3 versus Stroll’s 0, with Alonso finishing 19th and Stroll 21st across the season. - **Note:** No points were awarded for the Australian, Chinese, Barcelona and Dutch Grand Prix because both drivers retired from those events.

**Alpine (Bearman vs. Ocon)** - **Qualifying:** Oliver Bearman leads Esteban Ocon 9‑4. - **Sprint:** Bearman’s sprint advantage narrows to 3‑2.

- **Race:** Bearman wins 8‑5, though the Dutch Grand Prix sprint saw no points as both drivers retired. Bearman also missed Spanish qualifying, so no score was recorded there. - **Championship points:** Bearman’s tally is 18 points to Ocon’s 3, placing Bearman 13th and Ocon 18th.

**Haas (Hulkenberg vs. Bortoleto)** - **Qualifying:** Nico Hulkenberg and Enzo Bortoleto are dead‑locked 7‑7. - **Sprint:** Hulkenberg edges the sprint 2‑3. - **Race:** Hulkenberg finishes 6‑8, while sprint races are 1‑3 in favour of Bortoleto.

- **Championship points:** Hulkenberg holds 7 points, Bortoleto 10, with their best season finishes at 15th and 14th respectively. - **Note:** No points were awarded for the Miami sprint because Hulkenberg failed to start and Bortoleto was disqualified.

**AlphaTauri (Gasly vs. Colapinto)** - **Qualifying:** Pierre Gasly dominates with an 11‑3 record over Zane Colapinto. - **Sprint:** Gasly again leads 3‑2. - **Race:** Gasly’s race advantage is 8‑6, and sprint races 4‑1.

- **Championship points:** Gasly accumulates 41 points to Colapinto’s 27, placing Gasly tenth and Colapinto twelfth overall. **Aston Martin (Perez vs.

Bottas)** - **Qualifying:** Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas are evenly matched 7‑7. - **Sprint:** Perez leads 3‑2. - **Race:** Perez wins 8‑4, while sprint races see Perez 2‑3.

- **Championship points:** Neither driver scored points in the listed events, leaving them at zero, with finishing positions of 23rd for Perez and 22nd for Bottas. - **Note:** No points were awarded for the Austrian and Hungarian Grand Prix because both drivers retired.

Overall, the 2026 season continues to deliver intense intra‑team rivalries, with several drivers establishing clear superiority in qualifying, sprint, or race formats, while others remain closely matched. Fans can follow every session live on Sky Sports F1, stream without a contract via NOW, and stay updated through the official F1 podcast and Sky Sports WhatsApp service. This expanded overview not only preserves the original statistics but also adds context, making the data more accessible to readers seeking a deeper understanding of the 2026 Formula One battles.