2026 F1 Team‑Mate Match‑Ups Following the Spanish Grand Prix

The 2026 Formula One season has produced a wealth of data on how teammates have performed against each other across qualifying, sprint events, and full Grand Prix races. This summary captures the head‑to‑head statistics for all eleven teams, highlighting wins, points and overall placement after the Spanish Grand Prix, while also offering context on driver changes and race incidents that have shaped the numbers.

**McLaren Duo – Lando Norris vs. Oscar Piastri** - **Qualifying:** Norris out‑qualified Piastri in nine of the fifteen qualifying sessions, while Piastri managed a better position in five.

- **Sprint Races:** Norris dominated the sprint format, winning all five sprints that featured both drivers. - **Grand Prix Results:** In the main races, Norris secured eight victories compared to Piastri’s six, with the sprint results mirroring the qualifying trend – Norris again winning all five sprint events.

- **Championship Points:** Norris accumulated 186 points, comfortably ahead of Piastri’s 120. - **Season‑Long Placement:** Norris’s best finishes ranged from fourth to seventh place, whereas Piastri’s results fell between seventh and tenth. - **Special Note:** No points were awarded for the Chinese Grand Prix because both drivers were unable to start the race due to technical issues. **Williams Pair – George Russell vs.

Andrea Antonelli** - **Qualifying:** Russell posted a slight edge with six better qualifying positions versus Antonelli’s eight. - **Sprint:** The sprint format saw Russell win three of the five sprints, while Antonelli claimed two. - **Race Performance:** Russell’s race record stands at four wins against Antonelli’s ten, though Antonelli turned the tables in sprint races, winning four to Russell’s one.

- **Championship Standing:** Russell earned 211 points, outpacing Antonelli’s 292, reflecting Antonelli’s stronger sprint showings. - **Overall Placement:** Russell’s season-high finishes ranged from second to first place, while Antonelli’s best results were first and second. **Red Bull Pair – Max Verstappen vs.

Isack Hadjar** - **Qualifying:** Verstappen topped the qualifying sheets eight times, while Hadjar achieved three better positions. - **Sprint:** Verstappen swept all four sprint events, leaving Hadjar without a sprint win.

- **Grand Prix:** In the full races, Verstappen again recorded eight victories to Hadjar’s three. - **Points:** Verstappen accumulated 145 championship points compared with Hadjar’s 71. - **Placement:** Verstappen’s finishes spanned from sixth to eighth, while Hadjar’s best results were eighth and tenth.

**Driver Substitution – Liam Lawson for Isack Hadjar** During the Dutch, Italian and Spanish rounds, Lawson stepped in for Hadjar. In those events, Verstappen continued his dominance, beating Lawson 3‑0 in qualifying, 2‑1 in the race, and winning both sprint contests.

**Ferrari vs. Mercedes – Charles Leclerc vs.

Lewis Hamilton** - **Qualifying:** Leclerc and Hamilton each recorded seven equal qualifying performances. - **Sprint:** Hamilton edged Leclerc with three sprint wins to Leclerc’s two. - **Race:** Leclerc secured six Grand Prix victories, while Hamilton achieved eight.

- **Points:** Leclerc gathered 167 points; Hamilton collected 191, reflecting Hamilton’s consistency in both sprint and race formats. - **Season Placement:** Leclerc’s best finishes ranged from fifth to third, whereas Hamilton’s top results were third and first.

**Alpine Pair – Alex Albon vs. Carlos Sainz** - **Qualifying:** Albon out‑qualified Sainz four times, while Sainz had ten better positions. - **Sprint:** The sprint results were split, with Albon winning one and Sainz taking four. - **Race:** Albon earned six race wins compared to Sainz’s eight.

- **Points:** Albon’s total points stood at five, while Sainz accumulated six. - **Placement:** Albon’s season‑long placements were 17th and 16th; Sainz finished 16th and 15th.

**AlphaTauri/Red Bull Junior – Oliver Lawson vs. Nikita Lindblad** - **Qualifying:** Lawson slightly out‑performed Lindblad with six to five better qualifying spots. - **Sprint:** Their sprint results were evenly matched, each securing two wins.

- **Race:** Lawson dominated the main races with eight wins to Lindblad’s three. - **Points:** Lawson amassed 59 points, while Lindblad earned 31. - **Placement:** Lawson’s best finishes were ninth and eleventh; Lindblad’s were eleventh and thirteenth. **Driver Rotation – Yuki Tsunoda for Oliver Lawson** For the Dutch, Italian and Spanish events, Tsunoda replaced Lawson.

Lindblad continued to excel, beating Tsunoda 3‑0 in qualifying, 2‑1 in the race, and winning both sprint contests. **Aston Martin Pair – Fernando Alonso vs. Lance Stroll** - **Qualifying:** Alonso’s qualifying record was impressive, with twelve better positions to Stroll’s two. - **Sprint:** Alonso also led the sprint sessions, winning four to Stroll’s one.

- **Race:** In the main Grand Prix, Alonso secured eight wins compared to Stroll’s two, though several races (Australian, Chinese, Barcelona, Dutch) saw both drivers retire, resulting in no points for those events. - **Points:** Alonso earned three championship points, while Stroll earned none. - **Placement:** Alonso’s best finishes were 19th and 21st; Stroll’s were 21st and 23rd. **Alpine (formerly Alpine) – Oliver Bearman vs.

Esteban Ocon** - **Qualifying:** Bearman out‑qualified Ocon nine times to Ocon’s four. - **Sprint:** Bearman won three sprint events, Ocon took two. - **Race:** Bearman’s race record shows eight victories, Ocon five.

Notably, Bearman missed the Spanish Grand Prix qualifying, and both drivers retired in the Dutch Grand Prix, resulting in no points for those races. - **Points:** Bearman accumulated 18 points, Ocon only three. - **Placement:** Bearman’s season‑end positions were 13th and 18th; Ocon finished 18th and 20th.

**Haas Pair – Nico Hülkenberg vs. Enzo Bortoleto** - **Qualifying:** Both drivers matched each other with seven equal qualifying performances. - **Sprint:** Hülkenberg won two sprints, Bortoleto three. - **Race:** Hülkenberg secured six race wins, Bortoleto eight, though a disqualification for Bortoleto in Miami and Hülkenberg’s failure to start a sprint meant no points were awarded for that event.

- **Points:** Hülkenberg earned seven points; Bortoleto ten. - **Placement:** Hülkenberg’s best finishes were 15th and 14th; Bortoleto’s were 14th and 13th. **Alpine (formerly Alpine) – Pierre Gasly vs.

Francesco Colapinto** - **Qualifying:** Gasly dominated qualifying with eleven superior positions to Colapinto’s three. - **Sprint:** Gasly won three sprints, Colapinto two.

- **Race:** Gasly’s race tally includes eight wins, Colapinto six. - **Points:** Gasly accumulated 41 points, while Colapinto earned 27. - **Placement:** Gasly’s best finishes were 10th and 12th; Colapinto’s were 12th and 14th.

**Red Bull Junior – Sergio Pérez vs. Valtteri Bottas** - **Qualifying:** Both drivers recorded seven equal qualifying positions. - **Sprint:** Pérez won three sprints, Bottas two.

- **Race:** Pérez’s race record shows eight wins to Bottas’s four, though both drivers retired in the Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix, resulting in zero points for those events. - **Points:** Neither driver earned championship points in the recorded data, reflecting the retirements. - **Placement:** Pérez’s final positions were 23rd and 22nd; Bottas’s were 22nd and 21st.

Overall, the 2026 season has been marked by frequent driver swaps, retirements, and occasional non‑starts that have impacted the head‑to‑head tallies. The data above provides a clear picture of which teammates have been more successful in qualifying, sprint, and race contexts, as well as how championship points have accumulated despite the occasional race where no points were awarded. Fans can follow every race live on Sky Sports F1, stream the coverage through NOW without a contract, and stay updated via the F1 Show podcast or Sky Sports on WhatsApp.