The 2026 Formula 1 season has produced a wealth of head‑to‑head statistics for every driver pairing across the eleven teams, covering qualifying, sprint events and full‑race results. Below is a comprehensive recap of those match‑ups, updated after the Bahrain Grand Prix, which took place in Malaysia.
### McLaren Duo: Lando Norris vs. Oscar Piastri - **Qualifying**: Norris outperformed Piastri 10‑6 across the Grand Prix sessions. - **Sprint**: Norris dominated the sprint format, winning all five contested sprints while Piastri failed to score. - **Race**: In the main Grand Prix, the two split points evenly, each taking eight positions.
In the sprint race, Norris again claimed a clean 5‑0 sweep. - **Championship Points**: Norris sits on 186 points compared with Piastri’s 128. - **Season‑to‑date Placings**: Norris is positioned between fifth and seventh overall, while Piastri ranges from seventh to ninth. - *Note*: No points were awarded for the Chinese Grand Prix because both drivers were unable to start the race.
### Williams Pairing: George Russell vs. Antonio Antonelli - **Qualifying**: Russell posted a 7‑9 edge over Antonelli. - **Sprint**: The sprint results flipped, with Russell winning three sprints to Antonelli’s two. - **Race**: Russell’s Grand Prix finishes (5‑11) gave him a clear advantage, while Antonelli’s sprint outcomes were 4‑1 in his favour.
- **Championship Points**: Russell has accumulated 236 points, whereas Antonelli trails with 320 points (the higher number reflects his better sprint performance). - **Season Placings**: Russell currently sits between second and third, while Antonelli is placed between first and second.
### Red Bull Pairing: Max Verstappen vs. Isack Hadjar - **Qualifying**: Verstappen out‑qualified Hadjar 9‑4. - **Sprint**: Verstappen swept all four sprint events, leaving Hadjar without points.
- **Race**: In the Grand Prix, Verstappen earned ten points to Hadjar’s three, and the sprint remained a 4‑0 victory for Verstappen. - **Championship Points**: Verstappen leads with 188 points; Hadjar holds 96. - **Placings**: Verstappen is positioned between sixth and eighth, while Hadjar ranges from eighth to tenth. ### Substitute Appearances: Liam Lawson for Isack Hadjar Lawson stepped in for Hadjar at the Dutch, Italian and Spanish rounds.
- **Qualifying**: Verstappen beat Lawson 3‑0. - **Sprint**: Verstappen again won the sole sprint event against Lawson.
- **Race**: The Grand Prix saw Verstappen take two points to Lawson’s single point, with the sprint mirroring a 1‑0 result. ### Ferrari vs.
Mercedes: Charles Leclerc vs. Lewis Hamilton - **Qualifying**: Leclerc and Hamilton were evenly matched, each posting eight top‑qualifying positions.
- **Sprint**: Leclerc claimed two sprint victories, while Hamilton secured three. - **Race**: Leclerc finished seventh to Hamilton’s ninth, and the sprint results were a 3‑2 split in Leclerc’s favour. - **Championship Points**: Leclerc has 191 points; Hamilton trails slightly with 214.
- **Season Placings**: Leclerc’s overall standing fluctuates between fourth and fifth, while Hamilton sits between third and fourth. ### Alpine Pairing: Alex Albon vs.
Carlos Sainz - **Qualifying**: Albon’s four‑place advantage over Sainz (12‑4) was offset by Sainz’s stronger race pace. - **Sprint**: Sainz won four sprint events to Albon’s single victory.
- **Race**: Albon’s Grand Prix finishes (6‑10) gave him a modest edge, but Sainz’s sprint results (4‑1) balanced the tally. - **Championship Points**: Albon holds five points; Sainz has seven.
- **Placings**: Albon is placed between nineteenth and eighteenth, while Sainz occupies seventeenth to sixteenth. ### Alfa Romeo Duo: Oliver Lawson vs. Nico Lindblad - **Qualifying**: Lawson out‑qualified Lindblad 8‑5. - **Sprint**: Both drivers shared equal sprint success, each winning two events.
- **Race**: Lawson’s Grand Prix points (9‑4) gave him a clear lead, while Lindblad secured a 3‑1 sprint advantage. - **Championship Points**: Lawson has amassed 65 points; Lindblad trails with 38. - **Season Placings**: Lawson ranges from ninth to eleventh, whereas Lindblad sits between eleventh and thirteenth. ### Replacement Detail: Yuki Tsunoda for Liam Lawson During the same Dutch, Italian and Spanish rounds, Tsunoda filled Lawson’s seat.
- **Qualifying**: Lindblad dominated with a 3‑0 margin over Tsunoda. - **Sprint**: Lindblad again took the sole sprint win. - **Race**: Lindblad’s Grand Prix result was a 2‑1 advantage, and the sprint mirrored a 1‑0 victory.
### Aston Martin Pairing: Fernando Alonso vs. Lance Stroll - **Qualifying**: Alonso’s 14‑2 superiority was evident. - **Sprint**: Alonso continued his dominance with a 4‑1 sprint record.
- **Race**: In the Grand Prix, Alonso earned nine points to Stroll’s two; the sprint added three points for Alonso and two for Stroll. - **Championship Points**: Alonso leads with seven points; Stroll has yet to score.
- **Placings**: Alonso fluctuates between seventeenth and twenty‑first, while Stroll remains unplaced due to retirements. - *Note*: No points were awarded for the Australian, Chinese, Barcelona, Dutch and Azerbaijan Grands Prix because both drivers retired in those events. ### Alpine Emerging Talent: Oliver Bearman vs.
Esteban Ocon - **Qualifying**: Bearman posted an 11‑4 advantage. - **Sprint**: Bearman secured three sprint wins to Ocon’s two. - **Race**: Bearman earned nine points to Ocon’s six, though the Dutch Grand Prix saw both drivers retire, resulting in no points.
- **Championship Points**: Bearman holds 20 points; Ocon has seven. - **Placings**: Bearman is positioned between thirteenth and sixteenth, while Ocon sits between sixteenth and nineteenth.
### Haas Pairing: Nico Hülkenberg vs. Antonio Bortoleto - **Qualifying**: Hülkenberg’s 7‑9 record was matched by Bortoleto’s similar performance. - **Sprint**: Hülkenberg won two sprints, Bortoleto one. - **Race**: Both drivers earned eight points in the Grand Prix, but the Miami sprint saw Hülkenberg unable to start and Bortoleto disqualified, resulting in no sprint points.
- **Championship Points**: Hülkenberg has seven points; Bortoleto has ten. - **Placings**: Hülkenberg ranges from fifteenth to fourteenth, while Bortoleto sits between fourteenth and fifteenth. ### AlphaTauri Duo: Pierre Gasly vs.
Francesco Colapinto - **Qualifying**: Gasly’s 13‑3 margin was decisive. - **Sprint**: Gasly secured three sprint wins to Colapinto’s two. - **Race**: Gasly earned eight points to Colapinto’s seven; the Azerbaijan Grand Prix saw both retire, so no points were allocated.
- **Championship Points**: Gasly leads with 41 points; Colapinto has 27. - **Placings**: Gasly fluctuates between tenth and twelfth, while Colapinto sits between twelfth and fourteenth.
### Red Bull Senior Pairing: Sergio Pérez vs. Valtteri Bottas - **Qualifying**: Both drivers posted identical eight‑place results.
- **Sprint**: Pérez won three sprints, Bottas two. - **Race**: Pérez earned ten points to Bottas’s four, though the Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix produced retirements for both, resulting in zero points for those events. - **Championship Points**: Neither driver added to their totals in the listed races, leaving Pérez at 0 and Bottas at 0 for this segment.
- **Placings**: Pérez is currently placed twenty‑third to twenty‑second, while Bottas shares the same range. ### Viewing Options Fans can watch every race weekend of the 2026 Formula 1 calendar live on Sky Sports F1. The service is also available for streaming through NOW, offering a contract‑free experience with the ability to cancel at any time. Additionally, listeners can stay updated with the latest analysis on "The F1 Show" podcast and receive real‑time alerts via Sky Sports on WhatsApp.
Overall, the 2026 season continues to deliver intense intra‑team battles, with each driver striving to out‑perform their teammate across multiple formats. The data above captures the evolving dynamics and highlights where the strongest rivalries lie, while also noting the impact of driver substitutions and race retirements on the championship narrative.