2026 F1 Team‑Mate Rivalry Overview Following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

The 2026 Formula 1 season has produced a fascinating set of intra‑team battles, with each of the eleven entries tracking head‑to‑head results across qualifying, sprint events and the main Grand Prix races. Below is a comprehensive recap of how each driver pair fared up to and including the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, supplemented with additional context to give a clearer picture of the competitive dynamics within the paddock. **McLaren (Norris vs.

Piastri)** - **Qualifying:** Lando Norris edged out Oscar Piastri by a margin of nine points to six. - **Sprint:** Norris dominated the sprint format, winning five points to zero. - **Race:** In the full‑distance Grand Prix, Norris claimed eight points against Piastri’s seven, while the sprint again saw a clean 5‑0 sweep for Norris.

- **Championship tally:** Norris sits on 186 points, Piastri on 120. - **Season‑long placements:** Norris has consistently finished between fourth and seventh, whereas Piastri’s best finishes have hovered around seventh place.

- **Note:** No points were allocated for the Chinese Grand Prix because both drivers failed to start the race. **Williams (Russell vs.

Antonelli)** - **Qualifying:** George Russell posted a 7‑8 advantage over his teammate Alex Antonelli. - **Sprint:** Antonelli turned the tables in the sprint, taking three points to Russell’s two. - **Race:** Russell’s race performance was 5‑10, while the sprint saw Antonelli win four points to Russell’s one. - **Championship tally:** Russell leads with 236 points, Antonelli trails with 302, reflecting Antonelli’s stronger sprint results.

- **Season‑long placements:** Russell’s finishes have ranged from second to first, while Antonelli has been a consistent front‑runner as well, often swapping podium positions. **Red Bull (Verstappen vs. Hadjar)** - **Qualifying:** Max Verstappen out‑qualified Pierre‑Louis Hadjar 8‑4. - **Sprint:** Verstappen swept the sprint, 4‑0.

- **Race:** In the Grand Prix, Verstappen’s margin widened to 9‑3, with the sprint again a 4‑0 victory. - **Championship tally:** Verstappen holds 163 points; Hadjar has 86. - **Season‑long placements:** Verstappen typically finishes between sixth and eighth, while Hadjar’s best results sit around eighth place. - **Driver swap:** For the Dutch, Italian and Spanish rounds, Liam Lawson temporarily replaced Hadjar, giving Lawson a chance to score against Verstappen.

- **Qualifying (Verstappen vs. Lawson):** 3‑0 in Verstappen’s favour. - **Sprint:** Verstappen 1‑0.

- **Race:** Verstappen 2‑1, with the sprint again 1‑0. **Ferrari (Leclerc vs. Hamilton)** - **Qualifying:** Charles Leclerc edged Lewis Hamilton 8‑7.

- **Sprint:** Hamilton turned the tables, winning three points to Leclerc’s two. - **Race:** Leclerc’s race points were 7‑8, while the sprint saw Hamilton ahead 3‑2. - **Championship tally:** Leclerc sits on 179 points, Hamilton on 199.

- **Season‑long placements:** Leclerc’s finishes have ranged from fifth to third, whereas Hamilton has been a regular podium contender. **Alpine (Albon vs.

Sainz)** - **Qualifying:** Fernando Alonso Albon recorded a 4‑11 deficit to Carlos Sainz. - **Sprint:** Sainz took four sprint points to Albon’s single.

- **Race:** Albon’s race points were 6‑9, with the sprint again favouring Sainz 4‑1. - **Championship tally:** Albon has accumulated 5 points, Sainz 7. - **Season‑long placements:** Albon’s best finish this year has been eighteenth, while Sainz has hovered around seventeenth.

**AlphaTauri (Lawson vs. Lindblad)** - **Qualifying:** Liam Lawson out‑qualified David Lindblad 7‑5. - **Sprint:** Both drivers split the sprint points evenly, 2‑2.

- **Race:** Lawson secured eight points to Lindblad’s four; the sprint saw Lawson 3‑1. - **Championship tally:** Lawson leads with 59 points, Lindblad trails with 37. - **Season‑long placements:** Lawson’s finishes have ranged from ninth to eleventh, while Lindblad’s best results sit around eleventh place. - **Driver change:** Yuki Tsunoda stepped in for Lawson during the Dutch, Italian and Spanish events, providing a fresh comparison against Lindblad.

- **Qualifying (Lindblad vs. Tsunoda):** 3‑0. - **Sprint:** Lindblad 1‑0. - **Race:** Lindblad 2‑1, sprint 1‑0.

**Aston Martin (Alonso vs. Stroll)** - **Qualifying:** Fernando Alonso dominated Lance Stroll 13‑2. - **Sprint:** Alonso again led 4‑1. - **Race:** In the Grand Prix, Alonso’s margin was 8‑2, with the sprint 3‑2.

- **Championship tally:** Alonso has 3 points, Stroll none. - **Season‑long placements:** Alonso’s best finish this season has been nineteenth, while Stroll has been placed twenty‑first. - **Note:** No points were awarded for the Australian, Chinese, Barcelona, Dutch and Azerbaijan Grands Prix because both drivers retired from those events. **Alpine (Bearman vs.

Ocon)** - **Qualifying:** Oliver Bearman beat Esteban Ocon 10‑4. - **Sprint:** Bearman took three points to Ocon’s two. - **Race:** Bearman’s Grand Prix points were 8‑6; the sprint saw Bearman 2‑3.

- **Championship tally:** Bearman holds 20 points, Ocon 7. - **Season‑long placements:** Bearman’s best finish is thirteenth, Ocon sixteenth. - **Special cases:** Bearman missed the Spanish qualifying session, and both drivers retired in the Dutch Grand Prix, meaning no points were awarded for those rounds.

**Haas (Hulkenberg vs. Bortoleto)** - **Qualifying:** Nico Hulkenberg edged out Bortoleto 7‑8. - **Sprint:** Hulkenberg took two points to Bortoleto’s three.

- **Race:** The Grand Prix ended 7‑8, while the sprint saw Hulkenberg 1‑3. - **Championship tally:** Hulkenberg has 7 points, Bortoleto 10. - **Season‑long placements:** Hulkenberg’s best finish is fifteenth, Bortoleto fourteenth. - **Note:** No sprint points were awarded at Miami because Hulkenberg failed to start and Bortoleto was disqualified.

**AlphaTauri (Gasly vs. Colapinto)** - **Qualifying:** Pierre‑Gilles Gasly recorded a 12‑3 advantage over Enzo Colapinto. - **Sprint:** Gasly won three points to Colapinto’s two. - **Race:** Gasly’s Grand Prix points were 8‑6; the sprint 4‑1.

- **Championship tally:** Gasly leads with 41 points, Colapinto has 27. - **Season‑long placements:** Gasly’s best finish this year is tenth, Colapinto twelfth. - **Note:** No points for the Azerbaijan sprint as both drivers retired.

**Red Bull (Perez vs. Bottas)** - **Qualifying:** Sergio Perez edged Valtteri Bottas 8‑7. - **Sprint:** Perez took three points to Bottas’s two. - **Race:** Perez’s Grand Prix points were 9‑4, while the sprint saw Perez 2‑3.

- **Championship tally:** Neither driver added points in the listed events, leaving both at zero for this segment. - **Season‑long placements:** Perez’s best finish was twenty‑third, Bottas twenty‑second. - **Note:** Both drivers retired from the Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix, resulting in no points for those races.

Overall, the 2026 season has highlighted a mixture of dominant performances—such as Norris’s sprint supremacy and Verstappen’s consistent qualifying edge—and tightly contested battles where teammates exchange victories, like the sprint duels between Russell and Antonelli or the back‑and‑forth between Bearman and Ocon. For fans wishing to follow every race weekend live, the full calendar is available on Sky Sports F1, and streaming can be accessed through NOW without a long‑term contract.

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