The 2026 Formula One season continues to generate a wealth of data as each driver battles not only for podiums but also against their own teammates. This summary presents a comprehensive head-to-head analysis of the latest qualifying, sprint and race outcomes for all eleven teams, highlighting the points earned, finishing positions and any notable anomalies that occurred during the recent events, including the Bahrain Grand Prix held in Malaysia. **McLaren Duo – Lando Norris vs. Oscar Piastri** In the qualifying sessions, Norris posted a ten‑to‑six advantage over Piastri, indicating a stronger single‑lap pace.
The sprint race saw Norris dominate completely, winning all five points while Piastri failed to score. During the main Grand Prix, the two drivers finished level on points, each collecting eight, which reflects a tightly contested race.
Overall, Norris accumulated 186 championship points compared with Piastri's 128, and his final placement ranged from fifth to seventh place, whereas Piastri’s best finish fell between seventh and ninth. It is worth noting that no points were awarded for the Chinese Grand Prix because both drivers were unable to start the race. **Mercedes Pair – George Russell vs. Andrea Antonelli** Russell demonstrated a modest edge in qualifying with a seven‑to‑nine score against Antonelli.
In the sprint, the gap narrowed as Antonelli secured two points to Russell's three. The race results, however, were more disparate: Russell earned five points while Antonelli managed only eleven, a clear indication that Antonelli benefitted from a higher finishing position in that particular event. Over the season to date, Russell has gathered 236 points, whereas Antonelli leads with 320, and their championship placements oscillate between second and first place respectively, underscoring Antonelli's strong consistency.
**Red Bull Pair – Max Verstappen vs. Isack Hadjar** Verstappen out‑qualified Hadjar 9‑4 and also swept the sprint race, taking all four available points. In the Grand Prix, Verstappen again outperformed his teammate, earning ten points to Hadjar's three, and secured an additional four sprint points. The Dutch, Italian and Spanish rounds saw a temporary driver swap: Liam Lawson filled in for Hadjar, and the revised head‑to‑head data shows Verstappen still dominating, with a 3‑0 qualifying lead and a 2‑1 race advantage over Lawson, plus clean sweeps in both sprint events.
Verstappen's championship tally stands at 188 points, while Hadjar holds 96, and their finishing positions vary between sixth and eighth place. **Ferrari Pair – Charles Leclerc vs. Lewis Hamilton** Leclerc matched Hamilton in qualifying with an eight‑to‑eight split, but the sprint race tilted in Hamilton's favour, 3‑2.
In the main race, Leclerc edged Hamilton with a 7‑9 result, while the sprint saw Hamilton recover slightly with a 3‑2 advantage. Their cumulative points are close: Leclerc has amassed 191 points, Hamilton 214, and their placement ranges are four‑th to third place, indicating a tight intra‑team rivalry. **Williams Duo – Alex Albon vs. Carlos Sainz** Albon struggled in qualifying, posting a 4‑12 deficit to Sainz, and the sprint further widened the gap (1‑4).
The race mirrored this trend with Albon scoring six points against Sainz's ten, and the sprint again favouring Sainz 1‑4. Their championship points are modest—Albon with five and Sainz with seven—placing them near the back of the grid, 19th‑18th respectively. **Alfa Romeo Pair – Liam Lawson vs. Nikita Lindblad** Lawson out‑qualified Lindblad 8‑5 and also secured a 2‑2 split in the sprint.
In the race, Lawson claimed nine points to Lindblad's four, and dominated the sprint with a 3‑1 advantage. Lawson’s season total stands at 65 points, while Lindblad trails with 38, translating to overall placements of ninth and eleventh respectively.
**AlphaTauri Swap – Yuki Tsunoda vs. Nikita Lindblad** Following Lawson's temporary replacement, Tsunoda stepped in for the Dutch, Italian and Spanish rounds. Lindblad continued to perform strongly, achieving a flawless 3‑0 qualifying lead and a 1‑0 sprint win over Tsunoda.
In the race, Lindblad maintained the edge with a 2‑1 result, again winning the sprint outright. **Aston Martin Pair – Fernando Alonso vs. Lance Stroll** Alonso displayed a commanding qualifying advantage of 14‑2 over Stroll and also led the sprint 4‑1. In the Grand Prix, Alonso again out‑performed Stroll 9‑2, and the sprint finished 3‑2.
However, several events—Australian, Chinese, Barcelona, Dutch and Azerbaijan—saw both drivers retire, resulting in no points for those rounds. Overall, Alonso has earned seven championship points while Stroll has none, with final placements of 17th‑21st. **Alpine Pair – Oliver Bearman vs.
Esteban Ocon** Bearman qualified ahead 11‑4 and secured a 3‑2 sprint win, but the race outcomes were mixed: 9‑6 in Bearman's favour, yet the sprint saw Ocon turn the tables 2‑3. Certain races, such as the Spanish Grand Prix qualifying, saw Bearman absent, and the Dutch sprint resulted in both drivers retiring, leading to zero points for those events. Bearman's total points are 20 compared with Ocon's 7, placing them 13th‑16th. **Haas Duo – Nico Hulkenberg vs.
Andrea Bortoleto** Hulkenberg earned a 7‑9 qualifying edge and a 2‑3 sprint split. The race ended in a dead‑heat with both drivers scoring eight points.
A notable incident occurred during the Miami sprint where Hulkenberg failed to start and Bortoleto was disqualified, resulting in no points. Their championship tallies are close: Hulkenberg with seven points, Bortoleto with ten, and their season‑end positions hover around 15th‑14th. **AlphaTauri (continued) – Pierre Gasly vs. Lorenzo Colapinto** Gasly dominated qualifying with a 13‑3 advantage and secured a 3‑2 sprint win.
In the race, Gasly edged Colapinto 8‑7, and the sprint concluded 4‑1. Both drivers retired at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which meant no points were allocated for that round.
Gasly's championship points total 41, while Colapinto has 27, placing them roughly 10th‑12th. **Williams (continued) – Sergio Perez vs. Valtteri Bottas** Qualifying was evenly split 8‑8, and the sprint gave Perez a slight edge 3‑2.
The race saw Perez claim ten points to Bottas's four, but the sprint reversed the advantage to 2‑3 for Bottas. Both drivers retired at the Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix, resulting in zero points for those events. Their final standings are 23rd‑22nd.
Overall, the 2026 F1 calendar offers a rich tapestry of competition, with each team showcasing internal battles that are as compelling as the on‑track action. Fans can watch every weekend live on Sky Sports F1, stream without a contract via NOW, listen to The F1 Show podcast for deeper analysis, and stay updated through Sky Sports on WhatsApp. The data above reflects the dynamic nature of the season, where driver swaps, retirements and varying performances keep the championship narrative constantly evolving.