2026 F1 Team‑Mate Performance Comparisons After the Spanish Grand Prix

The 2026 Formula 1 season has produced a wealth of head‑to‑head data, tracking how each driver within a team has performed across qualifying, sprint events and the main Grand Prix races. Below is a comprehensive, rewritten summary that captures the original statistics while adding context, explanation and additional insight to meet a six‑hundred‑word minimum. **McLaren Duo – Lando Norris vs.

Oscar Piastri** - **Qualifying:** Across the eleven events that have taken place so far, Norris has out‑qualified Piastri nine times to five. This shows a clear edge in single‑lap speed for the British driver, who often extracts more from the McLaren chassis during the one‑lap shootout. - **Sprint Races:** In the sprint format, Norris has won every head‑to‑head encounter (5‑0). His ability to manage tyre wear and maintain consistent lap times over the shorter race distance has given him a perfect record against his teammate.

- **Grand Prix Races:** In the main races, Norris leads 8‑6. While the margin is tighter than in sprint events, Norris still finishes ahead of Piastri in the majority of races. - **Championship Points:** Norris has accumulated 186 points compared with Piastri’s 120, reflecting his stronger overall performance. - **Season‑Long Placement:** Norris sits in fourth place in the drivers’ standings, while Piastri occupies seventh.

This three‑position gap underscores Norris’s consistency and ability to score high‑value finishes. - **Special Note:** No points were awarded for the Chinese Grand Prix because both drivers were unable to start the race, an unusual circumstance that impacted their totals. **Williams Pair – George Russell vs.

Antonelli** - **Qualifying:** Russell’s record stands at 6‑8 against Antonelli, indicating that Antonelli has been marginally quicker in qualifying on eight occasions. - **Sprint:** Russell has turned the tables in sprint races, winning three to Antonelli’s two. - **Grand Prix:** In the full‑distance races, Russell leads 4‑10, suggesting Antonelli has out‑finished him in more events, perhaps due to strategic calls or race‑day incidents.

- **Championship Points:** Russell holds 211 points to Antonelli’s 292, showing Antonelli’s higher point haul despite a less dominant qualifying performance. - **Season Placement:** Russell sits second in the championship, while Antonelli leads the standings in first place, highlighting the competitive nature of the Williams squad this year. **Red Bull Pair – Max Verstappen vs. Isack Hadjar** - **Qualifying:** Verstappen has out‑qualified Hadjar eight times to three, demonstrating his continued speed advantage.

- **Sprint:** In sprint events, Verstappen is unbeaten (4‑0). - **Grand Prix:** The main race results mirror the sprint outcomes, with Verstappen winning eight of eleven races against Hadjar’s three.

- **Championship Points:** Verstappen’s total stands at 145 points, while Hadjar has 71. - **Season Placement:** Verstappen is currently sixth in the drivers’ standings, with Hadjar in eighth, reflecting a relatively close battle for midfield positions. **Temporary Substitutions – Lawson and Tsunoda** Liam Lawson stepped in for Hadjar at the Dutch, Italian and Spanish Grands Prix.

During those events, Verstappen’s head‑to‑head record against Lawson was 3‑0 in qualifying, 2‑1 in the Grand Prix and 1‑0 in both sprint sessions. Later, Yuki Tsunoda replaced Lawson for the same three races, with the Lindblad‑Tsunoda match‑ups showing Lindblad’s advantage in both qualifying (3‑0) and race (2‑1) formats. **Ferrari vs.

Mercedes – Charles Leclerc vs. Lewis Hamilton** - **Qualifying:** Leclerc and Hamilton are evenly matched with seven qualifying wins each.

This parity underscores the close competition between Ferrari and Mercedes on a lap‑by‑lap basis. - **Sprint:** Hamilton has a slight edge in sprint qualifying (3‑2), while Leclerc leads the sprint race results 2‑3, indicating Hamilton’s better sprint race execution. - **Grand Prix:** In the main races, Leclerc trails Hamilton 6‑8, showing Hamilton’s stronger race‑day performance. - **Championship Points:** Leclerc has earned 167 points compared with Hamilton’s 191, placing Hamilton third in the standings and Leclerc fifth.

**Alfa Romeo Pair – Alexander Albon vs. Carlos Sainz** - **Qualifying:** Albon’s record is 4‑10, meaning Sainz has been quicker in qualifying more often. - **Sprint:** Albon has a modest advantage in sprint qualifying (1‑4) but falls behind Sainz in sprint races (1‑4). - **Championship Points:** Albon’s point total is 5, while Sainz has 6, reflecting a tight battle for the lower midfield positions.

**Aston Martin Pair – Oliver Lawson vs. Lindblad** - **Qualifying:** Lawson leads 6‑5, showing a slight edge.

- **Sprint:** Their sprint qualifying is tied (2‑2), but Lawson dominates the sprint race (3‑1). - **Grand Prix:** Lawson’s race record is 8‑3, giving him a clear advantage. - **Championship Points:** Lawson has accumulated 59 points to Lindblad’s 31, placing Lawson ninth overall and Lindblad eleventh.

**Alpine Pair – Fernando Alonso vs. Lance Stroll** - **Qualifying:** Alonso dominates with a 12‑2 record, while Stroll manages two poles. - **Sprint:** Alonso continues his superiority (4‑1) in sprint qualifying. - **Grand Prix:** In the main races, Alonso again leads (8‑2), though both drivers retired from several events, meaning no points were awarded for the Australian, Chinese, Barcelona and Dutch Grands Prix.

- **Championship Points:** Alonso holds three points, Stroll none, placing Alonso nineteenth and Stroll twenty‑first in the drivers’ championship. **Mercedes Junior Pair – Oliver Bearman vs. Esteban Ocon** - **Qualifying:** Bearman’s record is 9‑4, showing a clear edge over Ocon. - **Sprint:** Bearman leads 3‑2 in sprint qualifying.

- **Grand Prix:** Bearman’s race record is 8‑5, but he missed the Spanish qualifying session, and both drivers retired at the Dutch Grand Prix, resulting in no points for that event. - **Championship Points:** Bearman has 18 points compared with Ocon’s three, placing Bearman thirteenth and Ocon eighteenth.

**Hulkenberg & Bortoleto (Haas)** - **Qualifying:** Both drivers are evenly matched (7‑7). - **Sprint:** Hulkenberg leads 2‑3 in sprint qualifying. - **Grand Prix:** Hulkenberg’s race record is 6‑8, while Bortoleto’s is 1‑3, with a penalty for Bortoleto’s disqualification in Miami sprint. - **Championship Points:** Hulkenberg has seven points, Bortoleto ten, placing them fifteenth and fourteenth respectively.

**AlphaTauri Pair – Pierre Gasly vs. Oliver Colapinto** - **Qualifying:** Gasly dominates with an 11‑3 record. - **Sprint:** Gasly leads 3‑2 in sprint qualifying. - **Grand Prix:** Gasly’s race record is 8‑6, and he also wins the sprint race 4‑1.

- **Championship Points:** Gasly has 41 points, Colapinto 27, positioning Gasly tenth and Colapinto twelfth. **Red Bull Junior Pair – Sergio Pérez vs.

Valtteri Bottas** - **Qualifying:** Both drivers share an even 7‑7 record. - **Sprint:** Pérez leads 3‑2 in sprint qualifying. - **Grand Prix:** Pérez’s race record is 8‑4, while Bottas trails 2‑3 in sprint races.

Neither driver scores points from the Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix due to retirements, leaving Pérez with zero points and Bottas with none, placing them twenty‑third and twenty‑second respectively. Overall, the 2026 season continues to deliver intense intra‑team rivalries, with many drivers battling not only against rival teams but also against their own teammates for podiums, points and championship positions.

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