2026 F1 Team-Mate Comparisons After Bahrain GP in Malaysia

The 2026 Formula 1 season has produced a wealth of head‑to‑head statistics for every driver pairing across the eleven participating teams, covering qualifying sessions, sprint events and full‑race results. Below is a comprehensive recap of the latest figures, expanded with context and analysis to give a clearer picture of how each teammate duo has performed up to the Bahrain Grand Prix, which was hosted in Malaysia. ### McLaren (Norris vs. Piastri) - **Qualifying:** Lando Norris out‑qualified Oscar Piastri by a margin of 10‑6 points.

- **Sprint:** Norris dominated the sprint race, winning all five points while Piastri collected none (5‑0). - **Grand Prix:** In the main race the two were evenly matched, each earning eight points (8‑8). The sprint result mirrored the earlier sprint, with Norris again taking all five points. - **Championship tally:** Norris sits on 186 points compared with Piastri’s 128, reflecting a stronger overall season.

- **Season‑long placements:** Norris has been finishing between fifth and seventh place, whereas Piastri’s best finishes have hovered around the seventh‑place mark. - **Note:** No points were awarded for the Chinese Grand Prix because both drivers were unable to start the race. ### Williams (Russell vs. Antonelli) - **Qualifying:** George Russell recorded a 7‑9 advantage over his rookie teammate Alex Antonelli.

- **Sprint:** The sprint race saw a reversal, with Antonelli edging Russell 3‑2. - **Grand Prix:** Russell’s race performance (5‑11) was significantly better than Antonelli’s, who finished further back. - **Sprint race:** Antonelli again outperformed Russell 4‑1 in the sprint. - **Championship points:** Russell leads the team with 236 points, while Antonelli has accumulated 320, indicating the newcomer’s rapid improvement.

- **Season placements:** Russell has been fighting for second place overall, whereas Antonelli has even reached a team‑leading first place at times. ### Red Bull (Verstappen vs. Hadjar) - **Qualifying:** Max Verstappen posted a 9‑4 edge over Isack Hadjar.

- **Sprint:** Verstappen swept the sprint, taking all four points (4‑0). - **Grand Prix:** In the main race Verstappen earned ten points to Hadjar’s three, and the sprint result remained a clean sweep for Verstappen.

- **Championship points:** Verstappen’s total stands at 188, while Hadjar has 96. - **Season placements:** Verstappen has been consistently finishing between sixth and eighth, whereas Hadjar’s best finishes have been around eighth place. ### Lawson Substitutions (Verstappen vs.

Lawson) Liam Lawson stepped in for Hadjar for the Dutch, Italian and Spanish rounds. - **Qualifying:** Verstappen out‑qualified Lawson 3‑0. - **Sprint:** Verstappen again took all available points (1‑0).

- **Grand Prix:** Verstappen earned two points to Lawson’s one, and the sprint remained a 1‑0 victory for Verstappen. ### Ferrari vs. Mercedes (Leclerc vs.

Hamilton) - **Qualifying:** Charles Leclerc matched Lewis Hamilton 8‑8. - **Sprint:** Hamilton edged Leclerc 3‑2 in the sprint. - **Grand Prix:** Leclerc finished slightly ahead of Hamilton (7‑9), but Hamilton turned the tables in the sprint, winning three points to Leclerc’s two.

- **Championship points:** Leclerc has accumulated 191 points, while Hamilton sits on 214. - **Season placements:** Leclerc’s best finishes have been fourth, while Hamilton has been on the podium, finishing third on several occasions.

### Alpine (Albon vs. Sainz) - **Qualifying:** Pierre Albon secured a 4‑12 advantage over Carlos Sainz.

- **Sprint:** Sainz out‑performed Albon 4‑1. - **Grand Prix:** Albon earned six points to Sainz’s ten, while the sprint again favored Sainz. - **Championship points:** Albon’s tally is modest at 5 points, compared with Sainz’s 7. - **Season placements:** Albon has been running near the back of the field (19th‑18th), whereas Sainz has been slightly higher (around 18th).

### Alfa Romeo (Lawson vs. Lindblad) - **Qualifying:** Lawson beat his teammate 8‑5. - **Sprint:** The sprint was evenly split, 2‑2. - **Grand Prix:** Lawson’s race performance (9‑4) was superior, and the sprint gave him a 3‑1 edge.

- **Championship points:** Lawson holds 65 points, Lindblad 38. - **Season placements:** Lawson’s best finishes have been ninth, while Lindblad’s have been eleventh. ### Replacement Dynamics (Lindblad vs. Tsunoda) Yuki Tsunoda substituted for Lawson during the Dutch, Italian and Spanish events.

- **Qualifying:** Lindblad dominated with a 3‑0 score. - **Sprint:** Lindblad again took all points (1‑0). - **Grand Prix:** Lindblad’s race result was 2‑1, and the sprint remained a 1‑0 victory. ### Aston Martin (Alonso vs.

Stroll) - **Qualifying:** Fernando Alonso out‑qualified Lance Stroll 14‑2. - **Sprint:** Alonso continued his dominance with a 4‑1 sprint win. - **Grand Prix:** In the race Alonso earned nine points to Stroll’s two, and the sprint again favored Alonso 3‑2. - **Championship points:** Alonso has 7 points, Stroll none.

- **Season placements:** Alonso’s best finishes have been 17th, while Stroll has struggled, finishing as low as 21st. - **Note:** No points were awarded for several races (Australian, Chinese, Barcelona, Dutch and Azerbaijan) because both drivers retired. ### Alpine (Bearman vs.

Ocon) - **Qualifying:** Oliver Bearman posted an 11‑4 advantage over Esteban Ocon. - **Sprint:** Bearman took three points to Ocon’s two.

- **Grand Prix:** Bearman earned nine points to Ocon’s six, though Bearman missed the Spanish qualifying session and both retired in the Dutch GP, resulting in no points for that event. - **Championship points:** Bearman’s total is 20, Ocon’s is 7. - **Season placements:** Bearman has been running around 13th‑16th, Ocon around 16th. ### Haas (Hulkenberg vs.

Bortoleto) - **Qualifying:** Nico Hulkenberg edged a 7‑9 result over Bortoleto. - **Sprint:** Hulkenberg took two points to Bortoleto’s three. - **Grand Prix:** Both drivers finished equally with eight points each, though the sprint saw Hulkenberg score only one point while Bortoleto earned three. - **Championship points:** Hulkenberg has 7 points, Bortoleto 10.

- **Season placements:** Hulkenberg’s best finishes have been 15th, Bortoleto 14th. - **Note:** No sprint points were awarded at Miami because Hulkenberg failed to start and Bortoleto was disqualified.

### AlphaTauri (Gasly vs. Colapinto) - **Qualifying:** Pierre Gasly dominated with a 13‑3 score over Colapinto. - **Sprint:** Gasly took three points to Colapinto’s two.

- **Grand Prix:** Gasly earned eight points to Colapinto’s seven, and the sprint saw Gasly win four points to Colapinto’s one. - **Championship points:** Gasly has 41 points, Colapinto 27. - **Season placements:** Gasly has been finishing around tenth place, while Colapinto’s best finishes are twelfth. - **Note:** No points were awarded for the Azerbaijan GP as both drivers retired.

### Red Bull (Perez vs. Bottas) - **Qualifying:** Sergio Perez matched Valtteri Bottas 8‑8. - **Sprint:** Perez took three points to Bottas’s two. - **Grand Prix:** Perez earned ten points to Bottas’s four, and the sprint again favored Perez 2‑3.

- **Championship points:** Both drivers currently have zero points recorded for the season due to retirements. - **Season placements:** Perez’s best finishes have been 23rd, Bottas 22nd. - **Note:** No points were awarded for the Austrian and Hungarian GPs as both drivers retired.

Overall, the 2026 season continues to deliver intense intra‑team battles, with several rookies already challenging established stars. Fans can watch every weekend live on Sky Sports F1, stream without a contract via NOW, and stay updated through the official F1 podcast and Sky Sports WhatsApp channel.