Formula 1: The head-to-head battles you need to be looking out for in 2026

With 2026's crop of Formula 1 cars hitting the track for the first time this week, the championship is once again starting to come alive ahead of a packed season and new era for the sport. While Formula 1 is known for its fierce inter-team battles as big names compete to shave seconds off lap times in the world's most thrilling development race, the drivers within those teams face battles of their own, with the head-to-head battle between drivers who share machinery one of the key measures of performance as each tries to prove himself. 

We take a deep dive into the intra-team battles you need to be watching out for in 2026...

McLaren: Norris vs. Piastri 

Coming into the 2026 season as the reigning champions of both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship, McLaren will face a dynamic that is new to both drivers.

Throughout 2025, the battle between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri was fierce, with both leading the championship at different points as the season progressed. However, it was Norris who ultimately emerged victorious in claiming his maiden Drivers’ title.

While Norris’ victory in 2025 has proven something for the Brit who went winless for 110 races, for Piastri, who looked the favourite for the title until the final half of the season, the Australian will be hoping to show the team and the world that he is of championship quality.

In 2025, the teammates came close to blows amid incidents such as that in Canada and the implementation of team orders throughout the season.

If McLaren finds itself at the front of the field under the new regulations, there is no doubt the teammate battle will continue to develop, bringing intense on-track battles as Norris hopes to defend his title and Piastri looks for retribution.

Mercedes: Russell vs. Antonelli 

Last season, the dynamic at Mercedes was mentor-mentee with the silver arrows employing George Russell, who made his debut in 2019, and Kimi Antonelli, who was in his rookie year at just 18. 
However, with new regulations creating a more level playing field, and Mercedes rumoured to have all the markings of a competitive car, Antonelli will look to showcase the generational talent that secured his place in F1.

For Russell, who has seven seasons under his belt, consistently besting his young teammate will be key to showing that experience trumps young talent.

Antonelli’s focus will be on consistency, aiming to eliminate the mid-season slump he suffered in 2025. At the same time, Russell’s focus will be on becoming a title contender, something that has eluded him so far in his career. 

Red Bull: Verstappen vs. Hadjar 

Hadjar impressed in his rookie season, taking a podium and securing his place in the main Red Bull team for 2026. Becoming Max Verstappen’s teammate comes with a unique rulebook and expectations which Isack Hadjar will face for the first time this year.  

A seat at Red Bull comes with different expectations. Time and again, Red Bull has shown they aren’t afraid to replace an underperforming driver, with the only acceptable result being on par or just behind Max Verstappen.

For the Verstappen, he finds himself in a peculiar situation: entering the 2026 season without being the reigning champion. Racing without car number 1 for the first time since 2021, Verstappen will be on the hunt for the top spot once again.

Verstappen on a mission in a Red Bull is a difficult task to contend with, and Hadjar will be tested to see if he is up to the challenge of trading blows with the four-time world champion and securing a long-term spot in the Milton Keynes team. 

Ferrari: Hamilton vs. Leclerc 

Despite representing one of the most promising driver line-ups on the grid in 2025, the addition of Lewis Hamilton to the Prancing Horses fell short. With the car failing to compete with the 2024 model’s competitive showing, the 7-time world champion swapped fighting for wins for fighting to get out of Q1.

In comparison, Charles Leclerc, who joined Ferrari in 2020 and has long since adjusted to the Italian team, found himself able to make the best of the struggles. Collecting a slew of podiums throughout the year.

The 2026 season offers an even playing field, thanks to the new regulations. It will be a vital year in Hamilton’s career as he faces off allegations that his career is at its end, as he nears 20 years in the sport, while Leclerc battles once again for a title with the Maranello team that has evaded him since joining the project.

The duo will compete for the top spot within the team, with Hamilton's experience pitting him against Leclerc, the team’s golden boy.

Williams: Sainz vs Albon 

Alex Albon has been with Williams since the 2022 season. Growing with the backmarker team and slowly pulling them through the order.

In the past few seasons, he’s taken up the mantle of the first driver in the team, with the Grove team moulding itself around the Thai driver.

However, 2025 saw Carlos Sainz introduced to the mix. The driver who had achieved strong results in McLaren and Ferrari was now making the move to the team. With this move came the belief that the team would quickly move to support the Spaniard.  

While Albon had a level of consistency that Sainz struggled with throughout the year, Sainz managed to take two podiums for the team, a feat that hadn’t been achieved since 2021.

For Albon, 2026 will be an essential year to fend off those who see the future of the team being led by Sainz, while the Spaniard will be looking to continue his impressive display and cement his place within the team. 

Racing Bulls: Lawson vs Lindblad 

Liam Lawson faces a vital season in 2026. After being demoted from Red Bull to Racing Bulls at the start of 2025, the Kiwi driver was consistently outperformed by his rookie teammate, Isack Hadjar.

Passed over for the promotion back to the Red Bull team for 2026, Lawson finds himself once again competing against a rookie. This time, without the excuse of his own inexperience.

While Arvid Lindblad is coming into the Racing Bulls with a significant amount of pressure, he will have the benefit of the doubt that comes with being a rookie in the sport.

With Red Bull team members such as Helmut Marko lauding the young rookie as the next Max Verstappen, the result will be expected and expected quickly.

Both Lindblad and Lawson will be fighting for a future Red Bull seat, with Lawson no doubt also fighting for his place in the team in years to come as Racing Bull's primary purpose is to nurture young talents, not house underperforming drivers. 

Aston Martin: Stroll vs Alonso 

With Adrian Newey joining the team in 2025 to work on the new regulations and moving into the role of team principal for 2026, the Silverstone-based team has high expectations for the coming F1 season.

Keeping the same line-up they’ve had for many seasons, Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso won’t have the same adjustment period as a new driver coming into a team.

However, if the team finds itself competitive in 2026, it may look to a future with more competitive drivers.

In previous years, Alonso has been the clear frontrunner among the duo, his experience showing as he reached a high of second with the team in 2023. Yet, since then, his performance has dipped alongside his enthusiasm as the team struggled.

While Stroll seemed to achieve higher peak performance than Alonso in 2025, he hasn't reached the potential of his early career while at Aston Martin.

Both drivers will need to demonstrate higher-level performance not just to keep pace with the car but to outperform it, especially in the Newey-designed machine in 2026.
 

Haas: Ocon vs Bearman 

With the mix between the talented rookie Ollie Bearman, who turned heads with his Ferrari debut in 2024, and the steady, consistent driver Esteban Ocon, Haas went into the 2025 season with a new line-up.

Both drivers on the team enter 2026 with different goals. Bearman is constantly looking to impress, desperate to find a place at Ferrari in the coming season.

While Ocon is looking for a team to call his own, hoping to pull Haas forward and onto the podium, potentially even a win in the future.  

Yet, despite having different long-term goals, they use the same method to get there.

For Bearman, the key to impressing other teams on the grid is to consistently outperform his teammates and achieve results like his fourth-place finish in Mexico.

Ocon must not let himself get shown up by his much younger counterpart and continue to find consistently strong results with the American team, especially with their new technical partnership with Toyota Gazoo Racing adding pressure to perform. 

Audi: Hulkenberg vs Bortoleto 

Facing an identity change for the 2026 season, Audi will be looking to hit the ground running with their line-up remaining the same from 2025’s Sauber team.

They feature a similar mix of drivers to many other teams: a talented but inexperienced younger driver with an older, experienced teammate, which gives them a balance of impressive results and essential consistency.

Bortoleto aims to score points, a goal he achieved when he first joined the team during his rookie year. With Hülkenberg acting as a mentor to the Brazilian driver, he is expected to keep improving.

For Hülkenberg, his role in the team as they find their new identity as Audi is to be consistent. He was consistently ahead of Bortoleto last season, though that gap closed as the season went on.

To hold his future in the team, he will be expected to stay ahead and on par with the young Brazilian. 

Alpine: Gasly vs Colapinto 

It will be a crucial season for Franco Colapinto. After running pointless in the 2025 season, Flavio Briatore will be breathing down the neck of the young Argentine as he settles into his second year.

Though he managed to secure his place despite struggles in 2025, there’s no guarantee of the future, and with Paul Aron and a host of Alpine Junior drivers on the wings, Alpine have shown with Jack Doohan they aren’t afraid to replace drivers at short notice.

Pierre Gasly faces a simple task for the season of continuing the performance he had in 2025. For a team that finished last, every point belonged to him, with Colapinto missing the mark in comparison.

On a few occasions in 2025, we saw Colapinto resist team orders against the more experienced Gasly, as the Argentine grew more desperate.

If 2026 picks up from 2025, these cracks may continue to grow as the weight of the future looms on Colapinto’s shoulders. 
 

Cadillac: Bottas vs Perez

As a brand-new team on the F1 grid, Cadillac will have many heads turning in its direction. The team’s goal will be quickly find their feet and try to fight for points from the outset.

However, the main plot point within the brand-new team will be the drivers. The American team has opted for two experienced racers, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, both with years of experience in championship-winning teams.

However, it’s clear that they intend to put younger, untapped talent in the seat in the future. With their test-driver Colton Herta departing IndyCar in favour of F2 in hopes of collecting the necessary super licence points to compete in F1, the team will be keen to place this American talent in one of their cars.

This leaves only one seat free for the future if Herta is granted a super licence. Leaving this season as potentially the only year the two veterans will get to add a few more seasons to their illustrious careers, instead of being left to retire. 

Don't miss the chance to witness the action for yourself at the 2026 Formula 1 British Grand Prix! 

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