The 2026 Formula One season has produced a wealth of data on intra‑team battles, with every qualifying session, sprint shootout and race finish recorded for each of the eleven squads on the grid. Below is a comprehensive recap of how each pair of teammates has fared against one another up to and including the Spanish Grand Prix, along with a broader look at the context behind those numbers. **McLaren (Norris vs. Piastri)** - *Qualifying*: Lando Norris has out‑qualified Oscar Piastri nine times to five.
- *Sprint*: Norris swept the sprint qualifying, winning five to zero. - *Race*: In the main Grand Prix events Norris leads eight to six, while the sprint races again show a perfect 5‑0 record for Norris. - *Championship points*: Norris has amassed 186 points compared with Piastri's 120. - *Season‑long finishes*: Norris has consistently placed between fourth and seventh, whereas Piastri’s best finishes sit around seventh place.
- *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 younger teammate, out‑qualifying him six times to eight. - *Sprint*: The sprint sessions have been tighter, with Russell edging Antonelli three to two.
- *Race*: In the Grand Prix distance events Russell finished ahead of Antonelli four times, while Antonelli managed ten higher placements overall, indicating a mixed performance across the season. - *Sprint race*: Russell again performed better in the sprint races, winning four to Antonelli’s single victory.
- *Championship points*: Russell leads the tally with 211 points versus Antonelli’s 292, reflecting Antonelli’s stronger race results despite fewer qualifying successes. - *Season placements*: Russell’s best overall finish has been second, while Antonelli has already secured a win. **Red Bull (Verstappen vs.
Hadjar)** - *Qualifying*: Max Verstappen has out‑qualified Pierre‑Louis Hadjar eight times to three. - *Sprint*: Verstappen also dominates the sprint qualifying, winning four to zero. - *Race*: The Grand Prix results mirror qualifying, with Verstappen ahead eight times to three. - *Championship points*: Verstappen leads with 145 points, while Hadjar trails with 71.
- *Season placements*: Verstappen’s best finish is sixth place, whereas Hadjar’s best is eighth. - *Driver swap*: For the Dutch, Italian and Spanish rounds, Liam Lawson stepped in for Hadjar, adding another layer to the points distribution.
**Red Bull (Verstappen vs. Lawson)** - *Qualifying*: In the events where Lawson replaced Hadjar, Verstappen qualified three times ahead of Lawson’s zero.
- *Sprint*: Verstappen also won the sprint qualifying once, with Lawson not scoring. - *Race*: Verstappen finished ahead of Lawson twice in the Grand Prix and once in the sprint. **Ferrari (Leclerc vs. Hamilton)** - *Qualifying*: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are dead‑locked in qualifying, each achieving seven pole‑position‑like performances.
- *Sprint*: Hamilton has a slight edge in sprint qualifying, winning three to Leclerc’s two. - *Race*: Leclerc’s Grand Prix finishes are six to eight in Hamilton’s favour, while sprint races see Leclerc winning three to Hamilton’s two. - *Championship points*: Leclerc has gathered 167 points, Hamilton 191, reflecting Hamilton’s marginally stronger overall season. - *Season placements*: Leclerc’s best finish is fifth, whereas Hamilton has already stood on the podium three times.
**Alpine (Albon vs. Sainz)** - *Qualifying*: Fernando Alonso Albon trails Carlos Sainz 4‑10 in qualifying.
- *Sprint*: Sainz dominates the sprint qualifying 4‑1. - *Race*: The Grand Prix results show Albon ahead six times to eight for Sainz, while sprint races again favour Albon 1‑4. - *Championship points*: Albon’s tally sits at five points, Sainz at six, indicating a very close battle.
- *Season placements*: Albon’s best finish is 17th, Sainz’s is 16th. **Williams (Lawson vs.
Lindblad)** - *Qualifying*: Liam Lawson has a slight edge over Oscar Lindblad, 6‑5. - *Sprint*: The sprint qualifying is evenly split 2‑2.
- *Race*: Lawson dominates the Grand Prix distance with eight wins to Lindblad’s three, and also leads the sprint races 3‑1. - *Championship points*: Lawson has collected 59 points, Lindblad 31. - *Season placements*: Lawson’s best overall finish is ninth, Lindblad’s is eleventh.
- *Driver change*: Yuki Tsunoda replaced Lawson for the Dutch, Italian and Spanish rounds, further influencing the statistics. **Alfa Romeo (Lindblad vs. Tsunoda)** - *Qualifying*: Lindblad out‑qualified Tsunoda three to zero.
- *Sprint*: Lindblad also won the sprint qualifying 1‑0. - *Race*: Lindblad finished ahead of Tsunoda twice in the Grand Prix and once in the sprint. **Aston Martin (Alonso vs.
Stroll)** - *Qualifying*: Fernando Alonso has a commanding 12‑2 advantage over Lance Stroll. - *Sprint*: Alonso also leads 4‑1 in sprint qualifying. - *Race*: In the Grand Prix, Alonso is ahead eight to two; sprint races are 3‑2.
- *Championship points*: Alonso’s points total is three, Stroll’s is zero, reflecting Stroll’s retirements. - *Season placements*: Alonso’s best finish is 19th, Stroll’s 21st.
- *Note*: No points were awarded for the Australian, Chinese, Barcelona and Dutch Grand Prix as both drivers retired in those events. **Mercedes‑affiliated (Bearman vs. Ocon)** - *Qualifying*: Oliver Bearman out‑qualified Esteban Ocon nine to four.
- *Sprint*: Bearman leads the sprint qualifying three to two. - *Race*: Bearman’s Grand Prix record is eight to five, while sprint races are 2‑3 in Ocon’s favour. - *Championship points*: Bearman has 18 points, Ocon only three. - *Season placements*: Bearman’s best finish is 13th, Ocon’s 18th.
- *Special cases*: Bearman missed Spanish qualifying, and both drivers retired at the Dutch Grand Prix, resulting in no points for those rounds. **Hulkenberg vs. Bortoleto (Haas)** - *Qualifying*: Both drivers are evenly matched, 7‑7.
- *Sprint*: Hulkenberg leads 2‑3. - *Race*: Hulkenberg finishes ahead six to eight, while sprint races are 1‑3. - *Championship points*: Hulkenberg has seven points, Bortoleto ten. - *Season placements*: Hulkenberg’s best finish is 15th, Bortoleto’s 14th.
- *Note*: No sprint points were awarded at Miami because Hulkenberg failed to start and Bortoleto was disqualified. **Alpine (Gasly vs. Colapinto)** - *Qualifying*: Pierre‑Gasly dominates with an 11‑3 advantage. - *Sprint*: Gasly again leads 3‑2.
- *Race*: Gasly’s Grand Prix record is eight to six, sprint races 4‑1. - *Championship points*: Gasly holds 41 points, Colapinto 27. - *Season placements*: Gasly’s best finish is 10th, Colapinto’s 12th.
**Red Bull (Perez vs. Bottas)** - *Qualifying*: Both drivers are tied at seven each. - *Sprint*: Perez leads 3‑2.
- *Race*: Perez’s Grand Prix record is eight to four, sprint races 2‑3. - *Championship points*: Neither driver earned points due to retirements at the Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix. - *Season placements*: Perez’s best finish is 23rd, Bottas 22nd.
Overall, the 2026 season has highlighted several dominant intra‑team performances—particularly Norris’s sprint supremacy at McLaren and Verstappen’s clear edge over his teammate. At the same time, teams such as Mercedes and Ferrari show tighter battles, indicating that driver line‑ups remain a critical factor in the championship narrative. Fans can continue to follow these evolving duels live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available through NOW without a long‑term contract, and can also catch the weekly F1 Show podcast for deeper analysis.