Antonelli dominates Russell at Mercedes, Hamilton beats Leclerc in races and Verstappen crushes Hadjar. In the midfield, Gasly, Bearman and Sainz lead their teammates.
The first half of the 2026 Formula 1 season has left fascinating internal duels in every team. The qualifying and race numbers reveal who has had the advantage in each team, and in some cases the differences are abysmal. Kimi Antonelli has been the absolute dominator at Mercedes, beating George Russell in seven of the eleven qualifying sessions and in the same number of races. The Italian has won six Grands Prix and has turned his dominance into a comfortable championship lead.
At Ferrari, the battle has been much closer: Charles Leclerc has beaten Lewis Hamilton in qualifying by 6-5, but the Briton has been better in races, with six wins in direct duels against five for the Monegasque. Both have won one race each, and Hamilton leads in podiums (5-4), proving that the SF-26 has found a balance between its two drivers.
At McLaren, Lando Norris dominates in qualifying (7-4) but they are tied at five in races. Both have suffered retirements, and Norris has achieved the team's only win in Hungary. Oscar Piastri, despite his talent, has not been able to match the Briton's pace, although the difference is not abysmal.
Max Verstappen has been ruthless with Isack Hadjar at Red Bull. The Dutchman has won in eight of the eleven qualifying sessions and in the same number of races. Hadjar has had a solid start to the season, but Verstappen's superiority is unquestionable. The Frenchman has scored points regularly, but the four time champion is in another league.
In the midfield, Liam Lawson has led Arvid Lindblad at Racing Bulls with an 8-3 advantage in races. The New Zealander has been the team's reference, which has scored five double points finishes. At Alpine, Pierre Gasly has dominated Franco Colapinto in qualifying (9-2) and in races (7-4). The Frenchman has been the team's most consistent driver, although the Argentine has improved in the second part of the season.
At Haas, Oliver Bearman has beaten Esteban Ocon in qualifying (8-3) and in races (7-4). The Briton has been the team's fastest driver, although both have had reliability issues. At Audi, the statistic is divided: Nico Hülkenberg dominates in qualifying (6-5), but Gabriel Bortoleto does so in races (7-4). The Brazilian has been more consistent on Sundays.
At Williams, Carlos Sainz has crushed Alex Albon in qualifying (9-2), but in races the difference is tighter (6-5). The Spaniard has scored the team's points, although the FW48 remains uncompetitive.
At Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso has beaten Lance Stroll in qualifying (9-2) and in races (6-2). The Spaniard has scored the team's only point.
Finally, at Cadillac, Sergio Pérez has beaten Valtteri Bottas in qualifying (6-5) and in races (6-3). The Mexican has been the fastest driver on the debutant team, although both have suffered reliability issues.
