Two team-mates went into the final round of last season fighting for the world championship — and it increasingly looks like a repeat this year.
With most teams keeping the same line-ups for the 2026 F1 season, the intra-team battles are where much of the season’s intrigue lies. Which pairings are closest, and which drivers are clearly out-performing their team-mates? Here’s the state of play after the first four rounds.
McLaren: Norris vs Piastri
On paper the McLaren pairing that battled for the title last year still looks tightly matched. Oscar Piastri has shown a slight edge in qualifying so far, but when sprint sessions and race performances are included the head-to-head is level. Both drivers have demonstrated strong pace at different points, leaving this rivalry poised to be one of the season’s defining contests.
| AUS | CHI | JAP | MIA | ||
| Norris | Q | ||||
| R |
Unrepresentative comparisons omitted. Negative value: Norris was faster; Positive value: Piastri was faster
Mercedes: Russell vs Antonelli
George Russell’s greater experience suggests he should hold a clearer advantage over rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, yet the head-to-head is surprisingly competitive. Russell has been hampered by bad timing with Safety Cars and a qualifying issue in China, and a lacklustre Miami weekend cost him points. That inconsistency has kept the intra-team battle closer than many expected.
| AUS | CHI | JAP | MIA | ||
| Russell | Q | ||||
| R |
Unrepresentative comparisons omitted. Negative value: Russell was faster; Positive value: Antonelli was faster
Red Bull: Verstappen vs Hadjar
Max Verstappen’s new team-mate Isack Hadjar looked closer to Verstappen early on under the new regulations, but a significant Red Bull upgrade introduced in Miami shifted the balance. Verstappen’s package leapfrogged the field and Hadjar’s qualifying disqualification in Miami further limited his opportunities to challenge. The pairing still shows promise, but Verstappen regained the upper hand with the update.
| AUS | CHI | JAP | MIA | ||
| Verstappen | Q | ||||
| R |
Unrepresentative comparisons omitted. Negative value: Verstappen was faster; Positive value: Hadjar was faster
Ferrari: Leclerc vs Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton appears more at ease with this generation of cars, but Charles Leclerc still holds a slight overall advantage. Leclerc’s dramatic finish to the most recent race and the resulting penalty trimmed his points lead, however the pair remain closely matched and their battle will be central to Ferrari’s season.
| AUS | CHI | JAP | MIA | ||
| Leclerc | Q | ||||
| R |
Unrepresentative comparisons omitted. Negative value: Leclerc was faster; Positive value: Hamilton was faster
Williams: Albon vs Sainz
Carlos Sainz Jnr, a relative newcomer at Williams, finished last season strongly and has carried that momentum into 2026. Alexander Albon remains a consistent performer, but Sainz has increasingly shown the stronger racecraft and qualifying pace, even as Williams fight for points rather than podiums.
| AUS | CHI | JAP | MIA | ||
| Albon | Q | ||||
| R |
Unrepresentative comparisons omitted. Negative value: Albon was faster; Positive value: Sainz Jnr was faster
Racing Bulls: Lindblad vs Lawson
Arvid Lindblad’s sensational opener in Australia hasn’t been repeated, partly due to misfortune in subsequent rounds. That allowed teammate Liam Lawson to accumulate points and move ahead for now. The pairing remains competitive and both drivers have shown they can score when circumstances align.
| AUS | CHI | JAP | MIA | ||
| Lindblad | Q | ||||
| R |
Unrepresentative comparisons omitted. Negative value: Lindblad was faster; Positive value: Lawson was faster
Aston Martin: Stroll vs Alonso
Despite Aston Martin’s difficult start with zero points, the team’s internal pecking order is clear. Fernando Alonso continues to outperform Lance Stroll in qualifying, extending a long streak of out-qualifying his team-mate. Alonso’s consistency remains a cornerstone for the team even in tougher races.
| AUS | CHI | JAP | MIA | ||
| Stroll | Q | ||||
| R |
Unrepresentative comparisons omitted. Negative value: Stroll was faster; Positive value: Alonso was faster
Haas: Ocon vs Bearman
Oliver Bearman built momentum late last season and has carried that into 2026, steadily asserting himself against veteran team-mate Esteban Ocon. Bearman’s strong start means he now accounts for one of the higher shares of his team’s points, making this one of the more notable young-versus-experienced match-ups.
| AUS | CHI | JAP | MIA | ||
| Ocon | Q | ||||
| R |
Unrepresentative comparisons omitted. Negative value: Ocon was faster; Positive value: Bearman was faster
Audi: Hulkenberg vs Bortoleto
Gabriel Bortoleto’s ninth place in the season opener represents all of Audi’s points so far, which inflates his lead over Nico Hülkenberg in raw points terms. Bortoleto has shown encouraging qualifying pace and is building on last year’s promise, but Audi’s reliability issues make it difficult to draw firm conclusions about the intra-team pecking order yet.
| AUS | CHI | JAP | MIA | ||
| Hulkenberg | Q | ||||
| R |
Unrepresentative comparisons omitted. Negative value: Hulkenberg was faster; Positive value: Bortoleto was faster
Alpine: Gasly vs Colapinto
Franco Colapinto deserved better in China after contact from Esteban Ocon, then delivered a strong points haul in Miami when team-mate Pierre Gasly suffered misfortune. The points distribution between Gasly and Colapinto broadly reflects their on-track performances so far, and both drivers have shown they can add value when events go their way.
| AUS | CHI | JAP | MIA | ||
| Gasly | Q | ||||
| R |
Unrepresentative comparisons omitted. Negative value: Gasly was faster; Positive value: Colapinto was faster
Cadillac: Perez vs Bottas
Newcomers Cadillac have yet to score points, but Sergio Perez is the slight favourite within the team to deliver their first points given his experience and early form. Valtteri Bottas remains a steady benchmark, and the intra-team battle will be closely watched as Cadillac seek to find performance and consistency.
| AUS | CHI | JAP | MIA | ||
| Perez | Q | ||||
| R |
Unrepresentative comparisons omitted. Negative value: Perez was faster; Positive value: Bottas was faster
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