The 2026 Formula One season has produced a wealth of intra‑team battles, with each of the eleven entries pitting their two drivers against one another across qualifying, sprint and race sessions. After the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the latest head‑to‑head tallies reveal a mosaic of dominance, close calls and occasional reversals, illustrating how the new regulations and driver line‑ups are reshaping the competitive landscape. Starting with McLaren, the Norris‑Piastri rivalry remains tightly contested. In qualifying, Norris has edged Piastri nine times to six, while the sprint format has seen Norris sweep all five attempts.
The race results are almost evenly split, with Norris winning eight of the fifteen Grand Prix encounters and Piastri taking seven. Overall championship points stand at 186 for Norris against 120 for Piastri, and their finishing positions range from Norris securing fourth place to Piastri’s best of seventh. The only blemish in this tally is the Chinese Grand Prix, where neither driver started, meaning no points were allocated.
At the front of the grid, the Russell‑Antonelli pairing for Mercedes (or the team now known under a new banner) shows a different pattern. Russell has a slight qualifying advantage at seven wins to Antonelli’s eight, but the sprint sessions have flipped the script, with Russell claiming three victories to Antonelli’s two. In the race arena, Russell’s five wins contrast with Antonelli’s ten, indicating Antonelli’s strength in longer formats. Their championship points diverge sharply: Russell has amassed 236 points while Antonelli trails with 302, and their final race placements swing from Russell’s second‑place finishes to Antonelli’s occasional podiums, including a first‑place finish.
Red Bull’s star driver continues to dominate his teammate. Verstappen’s qualifying record of eight to Hadjar’s four demonstrates his raw speed, and the sprint sessions have been a clean sweep for Verstappen (four‑zero). In the Grand Prix races, Verstappen’s nine wins dwarf Hadjar’s three, and the championship points gap is stark—163 for Verstappen versus 86 for Hadjar. Their best finishing positions range from Verstappen’s sixth place to Hadjar’s eighth, underscoring the Dutchman’s role as a support driver in the new era.
A mid‑season driver shuffle saw Liam Lawson step in for Isack Hadjar at the Dutch, Italian and Spanish rounds. In those events, Verstappen’s superiority persisted, with a 3‑0 qualifying record and a 2‑1 race record against Lawson, plus clean sweeps in both sprint sessions.
This brief substitution further cemented Verstappen’s lead in the team hierarchy. Ferrari’s internal duel between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton (now driving for a different constructor) has been a seesaw affair. Leclerc holds an eight‑to‑seven edge in qualifying, while Hamilton leads the sprint contests three‑to‑two. Race outcomes are almost mirrored, with Leclerc winning seven times and Hamilton eight.
Their championship points are close—179 for Leclerc and 199 for Hamilton—reflecting a season where both have traded podiums and occasional setbacks. Their finishing positions range from Leclerc’s fifth place to Hamilton’s third, indicating Hamilton’s slightly higher consistency in the latter stages of races.
Albon and Sainz, representing the Alpine squad, have experienced a more lopsided rivalry. Albon’s qualifying record of four wins to Sainz’s eleven shows the Spaniard’s edge, while sprint results also favor Sainz (four‑one). In races, Albon’s six victories are outnumbered by Sainz’s nine, and the championship points tally mirrors this disparity—5 for Albon against 7 for Sainz. Their best finishing positions are Albon’s eighteenth and Sainz’s seventeenth, highlighting the midfield struggle for points.
The Lawson‑Lindblad partnership (Lawson now driving for another team after a brief stint) demonstrates a competitive balance. Lawson’s qualifying record of seven‑to‑five and a sprint split of two‑to‑two illustrate a near‑even match. However, Lawson’s race performance (eight‑to‑four) gives him a clear advantage, and the championship points stand at 59 for Lawson versus 37 for Lindblad. Their finishing positions range from Lawson’s ninth place to Lindblad’s eleventh, confirming Lawson’s slight edge.
When Yuki Tsunoda filled in for Lawson during the same three Grand Prix, the Lindblad‑Tsunoda head‑to‑head was again dominated by Lindblad, who posted a perfect qualifying record (three‑zero) and a sprint win (one‑zero). In race action Lindblad won two to Tsunoda’s one, reinforcing his consistency when given the opportunity. Alonso and Stroll’s rivalry is marked by a dramatic qualifying swing: Alonso’s thirteen wins to Stroll’s two illustrate his raw pace, while sprint sessions still favor Alonso (four‑to‑one).
Race results are similarly one‑sided, with Alonso winning eight times to Stroll’s two, though several events—including the Australian, Chinese, Barcelona, Dutch and Azerbaijan Grands Prix—saw both drivers retire, resulting in no points for those rounds. Their championship points stand at 3 for Alonso and 0 for Stroll, with final placements of nineteenth for Alonso and twenty‑first for Stroll. The Bearman‑Ocon duel has its own quirks. Bearman’s qualifying advantage (ten‑to‑four) is offset by a mixed sprint record (three‑to‑two).
Race outcomes are close, with Bearman winning eight to Ocon’s six, though Bearman missed the Spanish qualifying session and both drivers retired in the Dutch Grand Prix, leading to no points for those events. Their championship points are 20 for Bearman and 7 for Ocon, with final positions of thirteenth for Bearman and sixteenth for Ocon.
Hulkenberg versus Bortoleto presents a narrative of mutual struggle. Qualifying sees Hulkenberg ahead (seven‑to‑eight), while sprint sessions tilt toward Bortoleto (three‑to‑two).
Race results are evenly split (seven each), but a notable incident occurred at the Miami sprint where Hulkenberg failed to start and Bortoleto was disqualified, leaving both without points for that session. Their championship points tally at 7 for Hulkenberg and 10 for Bortoleto, with final placements of fifteenth and fourteenth respectively.
Gasly and Colapinto have delivered exciting battles. Gasly’s qualifying record (twelve‑to‑three) is dominant, and sprint sessions favor him two‑to‑one. In races Gasly has eight wins to Colapinto’s six, earning 41 championship points versus 27 for his teammate.
Their finishing positions range from Gasly’s tenth place to Colapinto’s twelfth. Both drivers retired at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, meaning no points were awarded for that event.
Finally, the Perez‑Bottas matchup has been largely uneventful. Perez leads in qualifying (eight‑to‑seven) and sprint (three‑to‑two), but race results show Perez with nine wins to Bottas’s four.
However, both drivers suffered retirements at the Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix, resulting in zero championship points for those rounds. Their final placements are Perez’s twenty‑third and Bottas’s twenty‑second. Overall, the 2026 season’s intra‑team statistics paint a picture of both expected hierarchies—such as Verstappen’s clear superiority over his teammate—and surprising reversals, like Antonelli’s race‑day resilience against Russell.
Fans can follow every weekend 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. The data above offers a comprehensive snapshot of how each driver pair has fared across the varied formats of qualifying, sprint and race, providing insight into the evolving dynamics of Formula One’s newest era.