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<\/p>\nWhen Formula 1 resumes in the Netherlands this weekend, some drivers will be hoping three weekends without racing will have been enough to change their fortunes.<\/p>\n
The stop-start first half of the season under these new regulations was illuminating, with some clear patterns forming not only of the overall competitive order but of the internal dynamics of each team.<\/p>\n
The most important indicator of performance in motorsport is whether or not you can beat your teammate. Beat them regularly, and beat them comprehensively, and inevitably you can keep your future in your own hands.<\/p>\n
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Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship\u2122 LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\n Be beaten, however, and your place in Formula 1 can look very risky very quickly.<\/p>\n Internally teams have a good idea of how their drivers are performing relative to each other. From the outside we can analyse some key metrics to build the picture of teammate dominance.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll look at five key performance metrics. In qualifying we\u2019ll look at the head-to-head count as well as the qualifying differential \u2014 how many places there are on the grid between the teammates \u2014 and the time differential, which is about one-lap speed.<\/p>\n Then we\u2019ll look at the race head-to-head count and the race differential, which tells us how many places are between the teammates at the chequered flag.<\/p>\n MORE FORMULA 1<\/p>\n DRIVER RANKINGS: Where Piastri sits as new reality sinks in<\/a><\/p>\n REPORT CARD: Humiliating moment exposes true biggest flop; Piastri puzzle<\/a><\/p>\n WINNERS AND LOSERS: Painful Piastri truth as young gun breaks Ricciardo curse; debt Max must pay<\/a><\/p>\n We\u2019ll also look at the points gap between drivers. To keep things fair between the frontrunners and the backmarkers, we\u2019ll calculate the gap as a percentage of the team\u2019s total score rather than using the raw numbers printed below.<\/p>\n The number in brackets beside each statistic reveals how dominant the driver is in that particular metric. A rank of 1st means they\u2019re the most dominant, a rank of 22nd means they\u2019ve been dominated. A rank of 11th or 12th means they\u2019ve very closely matched.<\/p>\n Who’s to blame over Brown car fiasco? | 01:24<\/p>\n MOST DOMINANT TEAMMATES<\/p>\n These are the drivers crushing their teammates by almost every metric \u2014 and the teammates who desperately need to find some form in the second half of the season to prevent annihilation.<\/p>\n 1. PIERRE GASLY IS ANNIHILATING FRANCO COLAPINTO (ALPINE)<\/p>\n Qualifying head to head: Gasly leads 8-3 (4th)<\/p>\n Qualifying differential: Gasly ahead 2.5 places (1st)<\/p>\n Time differential: Gasly faster by 0.317s (2nd)<\/p>\n Race head to head: Gasly leads 7-3 (5th)<\/p>\n Race differential: Gasly ahead 3.2 places (1st)<\/p>\n Points: Gasly ahead 42-19 (4th)<\/p>\n Pierre Gasly rocketed to fifth in our mid-season driver rankings<\/a>, and for good reason: not only is he spearheading Alpine\u2019s rejuvenation, but he\u2019s also obliterating teammate Franco Colapinto, even as the Argentine rediscovers some of the form that made him such hot property in late 2024.<\/p>\n Gasly\u2019s place at the top of this list is built on him dominating two telling metrics.<\/p>\n The first is that he\u2019s qualifying further up the grid than his teammate compared to any other driver: 2.5 places, meaning the Alpine duo is often split by more than just one row on the grid.<\/p>\n The other is how much further ahead Gasly is finishing in the races: 3.2 places. With the top four teams usually locking out eight of the 10 points-paying positions, 3.2 places is the difference between scoring and not scoring \u2014 as the growing points margin between them demonstrates.<\/p>\n Colapinto isn\u2019t locked in for next year yet. Though he\u2019s more likely than not to be retained, these numbers leave him vulnerable if the driver market suddenly comes to life and a higher ranked driver becomes available.<\/p>\n 2. MAX VERSTAPPEN IS UNDIMMED BY ISACK HADJAR (RED BULL RACING)<\/p>\n Qualifying head to head: Verstappen leads 8-2 (2nd)<\/p>\n Qualifying differential: Verstappen ahead 2.1 places (2nd)<\/p>\n Time differential: Verstappen faster by 0.159s (5th)<\/p>\n Race head to head: Verstappen ahead 6-0 (1st)<\/p>\n Race differential: Verstappen ahead 3.2 places (2nd)<\/p>\n Points: Verstappen ahead 109-68 (6th)<\/p>\n This is perhaps the least surprising entry on this list. Max Verstappen has been the unquestioned top dog at Red Bull Racing for almost a decade, dating back to Daniel Ricciardo quitting the team. Though Isack Hadjar is markedly closer to Verstappen than any teammates since the Australian<\/a>, he\u2019s still not really anywhere near the Dutchman.<\/p>\n Verstappen is yet to be beaten by Hadjar in a race both have finished, and though the Frenchman became the first teammate to outqualify him since 2024 Azerbaijan, his rare blips this season have had far more to do with the car than his vice-like grip on the team.<\/p>\n That said, with Hadjar in only his second season and improving, there\u2019s no real risk to his seat. Instead all the talk is about whether the team can keep hold of Verstappen<\/a> \u2014 one case of a dominant driver on this list seeing their results as being above the team.<\/p>\n Raul Fernandez dominates British MotoGP | 00:39<\/p>\n 3. OLIVER BEARMAN COULD SEND ESTEBAN OCON TO RETIREMENT (HAAS)<\/p>\n Qualifying head to head: Bearman leads 8-3 (4th)<\/p>\n Qualifying differential: Bearman ahead 0.5 places (8th)<\/p>\n Time differential: Bearman 0.223s faster (4th)<\/p>\n Race head to head: Bearman leads 7-1 (2nd)<\/p>\n Race differential: Bearman ahead 2.8 places (3rd)<\/p>\n Points: Bearman ahead 18-3 (2nd)<\/p>\n Oliver Bearman\u2019s domination of Esteban Ocon has disaster written all over it for the Frenchman.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a trend that began in the second half of last season, when Bearman began erasing all his rookie weaknesses and piecing together some strong and occasionally giant-killing performances in his lowly Haas car. This year Ocon has barely got a look-in from the opening race.<\/p>\n It\u2019s what Ferrari expected of him as the heir to Lewis Hamilton\u2019s seat, but it puts Ocon in a world of pain as Haas weighs up potential replacements for next season.<\/p>\n If he can\u2019t find form against his teammate \u2014 Bearman is in just his second season, while Ocon is in his ninth full-time campaign \u2014 he\u2019ll almost certainly find himself out of work in 2027.<\/p>\n 4. FERNANDO ALONSO IS QUIETLY OBLITERATING LANCE STROLL (ASTON MARTIN)<\/p>\n Qualifying head to head: Alonso leads 8-2 (2nd)<\/p>\n Qualifying differential: Alonso ahead 1.1 places (7th)<\/p>\n Time differential: Alonso faster by 0.375s (1st)<\/p>\n Race head to head: Alonso leads 2-1 (6th)<\/p>\n Race differential: Alonso ahead 0.7 places (7th)<\/p>\n Points: Alonso ahead 1-0 (1st)<\/p>\n Fernando Alonso observers will know instinctively that he really should be higher on this list.<\/p>\n Alonso has done nothing but belt teammate Lance Stroll for as long as he\u2019s been at Aston Martin, but the woeful state of the car so far this year means he\u2019s had little chance to continue that run. The AMR26 has been by far the slowest car almost all season, which means the best Alonso has been able to qualify is 21st and the furthest forward he\u2019s been able to finish is second last \u2014 hence his differential rankings aren\u2019t particularly eye-popping.<\/p>\n But the telling statistic is his one-lap time differential: 0.375s, the largest between any two teammates, which is also borne out by his 8-2 qualifying head-to-head stat.<\/p>\n They\u2019re the only metrics where Alonso can make the difference, even in a substandard car \u2014 and it\u2019s where he\u2019s proving he\u2019s still clearly got what it takes to go around again next year if he chooses.<\/p>\n Bezzecchi Smashes British Lap Record | 01:00<\/p>\n 5. ANDREA KIMI ANTONELLI IS BOSSING GEORGE RUSSELL (MERCEDES)<\/p>\n Qualifying head to head: Antonelli leads 7-4 (6th)<\/p>\n Qualifying differential: Antonelli ahead 1.2 places (5th)<\/p>\n Time differential: Antonelli faster by 0.136s (6th)<\/p>\n Race head to head: Antonelli leads 5-3 (7th)<\/p>\n Race differential: Antonelli ahead 0.8 places (6th)<\/p>\n Points: Antonelli ahead 219-160 (8th)<\/p>\n Andrea Kimi Antonelli isn\u2019t smashing teammate George Russell, but the domination of his more experienced teammate is comprehensive.<\/p>\n The young Italian leads the older Briton comfortably on every key metric, which in the fastest car on the grid has translated into a handsome 50-point title lead at the mid-season break.<\/p>\n It underlines the scale of the work Russell must undertake in the second half of the season. There\u2019s no one particular weakness or single fault in his flailing campaign; he\u2019s been roundly beaten as Antonelli makes better use of the car and gets a better grip on the new regulations.<\/p>\n 6. CARLOS SAINZ CONTINUES TO RISE OVER ALEX ALBON (WILLIAMS)<\/p>\n Qualifying head to head: Sainz leads 9-1 (1st)<\/p>\n Qualifying differential: Sainz ahead 1.3 places (3rd)<\/p>\n Time differential: Sainz faster by 0.230s (3rd)<\/p>\n Race head to head: Albon leads 3-2 (15th)<\/p>\n Race differential: Sainz ahead 0.2 places (10th)<\/p>\n Points: Sainz leads 6-5 (10th)<\/p>\n The Williams teammates are right in the middle of the rankings, but Carlos Sainz gets a gong among the most dominant teammates as one of the few to lead a key metric.<\/p>\n His 9-1 domination of Alex Albon in qualifying is unsurpassed by any other driver and demonstrates the perpetuation of a trend that began last year as he continues to gradually bend the team towards him with his performances.<\/p>\n All his qualifying statistics are impressive, with the Spaniard not outside the top three on any of the single-lap metrics. Similar to Fernando Alonso, in a car as flawed as the Williams, this is the only place Sainz is able to demonstrate his superiority behind the wheel.<\/p>\n It was never going to be surprising to hear that Sainz was angling for a move to a more competitive team given Williams\u2019s struggles this season, but these statistics lay out why he could turn rumour into reality.<\/p>\n Payne overcomes damage to beat Broc | 02:17<\/p>\n CLOSEST TEAMMATES<\/p>\n There\u2019s an argument to be made that the Formula 1 grids of this decade have been the most competitive, from top to bottom, in history.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not just the quality at the back is so strong; it\u2019s that several teams are fielding equally matched, high-quality line-ups, pushing the collective forward \u2014 and causing some headaches on the way.<\/p>\n 1. LEWIS HAMILTON IS NARROWLY ECLIPSING CHARLES LECLERC (FERRARI)<\/p>\n Qualifying head to head: Leclerc leads 6-5 (12th)<\/p>\n Qualifying differential: Hamilton ahead 0.3 places (9th)<\/p>\n Time differential: Hamilton faster by 0.012s (10th)<\/p>\n Race head to head: Leclerc leads 5-4 (14th)<\/p>\n Race differential: Leclerc ahead 0.1 places (12th)<\/p>\n Points: Hamilton ahead 169-138 (9th)<\/p>\n You wouldn\u2019t have picked this last year, when Charles Leclerc destroyed an out-of-sorts Lewis Hamilton with such impunity that the seven-time champion several times openly questioned whether the team should replace him.<\/p>\n But Hamilton has risen this year to all but match Leclerc. They split our six key metrics three apiece, and neither driver has anything like a significant lead in any of them.<\/p>\n Though Hamilton is probably the only driver in title contention \u2014 though Ferrari still has to prove it can get him there \u2014 Leclerc has closed this gap too, with only 31 points between them.<\/p>\n With drivers this closely matched \u2014 and given their backgrounds \u2014 you can be sure the maximum performance is being squeezed from the Ferrari car this season. Now it\u2019s up to the team to prove it can execute commensurately to win the big prizes.<\/p>\n 2. NICO H\u00dcLKENBERG IS KEEPING JUST AHEAD OF GABRIEL BORTOLETO (AUDI)<\/p>\n Qualifying head to head: H\u00fclkenberg leads 6-5 (8th)<\/p>\n Qualifying differential: H\u00fclkenberg ahead 1.3 places (4th)<\/p>\n Time differential: H\u00fclkenberg faster by 0.037s (8th)<\/p>\n Race head to head: drivers tied 3-3 (10th)<\/p>\n Race differential: Bortoleto ahead 0.3 places (15th)<\/p>\n Points: Bortoleto ahead 10-2 (20th)<\/p>\n Nico H\u00fclkenberg has steadied what looked like the beginning of a trend against him last season, when Gabriel Bortoleto at times threatened to steal the ascendancy.<\/p>\n Instead H\u00fclkenberg has found another level to keep the young-gun Brazilian just about at arm\u2019s length. The German has reasserted himself in qualifying \u2014 perhaps not surprising given a career built on single-lap pace \u2014 whereas there\u2019s comparatively little to pick between them in race conditions.<\/p>\n It\u2019s no wonder Audi is moving towards retaining its line-up for another season \u2014 a big tick for H\u00fclkenberg\u2019s unexpected 2023 comeback.<\/p>\n Payne triumphs after Kostecki crash | 01:40<\/p>\n 3. SERGIO P\u00c9REZ IS SHADING VALTTERI BOTTAS (CADILLAC)<\/p>\n Qualifying head to head: P\u00e9rez leads 6-5 (8th)<\/p>\n Qualifying differential: P\u00e9rez ahead 0.1 places (11th)<\/p>\n Time differential: Bottas faster by 0.016s (14th)<\/p>\n Race head to head: P\u00e9rez leads 3-1 (4th)<\/p>\n Race differential: P\u00e9rez ahead 0.1 places (4th)<\/p>\n Points: drivers tied 0-0 (11th)<\/p>\n Cadillac is the big asterisk beside these figures. Formula 1\u2019s newest team has performed better than many expected, but the car has been understandably erratic, unpredictable and prone to failure, meaning the sample size is much smaller and harder to interpret.<\/p>\n Sergio P\u00e9rez certainly looked more comfortable early on, with some big gaps over Valtteri Bottas, but the Finn has closed those gaps in recent rounds, particularly in qualifying, where he had been expected to be stronger given his historically good one-lap pace.<\/p>\n Rumours have thus been bubbling for weeks now that P\u00e9rez\u2019s management is sounding out other teams further up the grid about potential availability for next season, with Sainz\u2019s Williams seat thought to be one possibility if the Spaniard moves elsewhere.<\/p>\n Right now any move would appear unlikely, and Cadillac management has played down the risk, but the fact that speculation continues is validation in itself of P\u00e9rez\u2019s decision to return to F1 and clear his reputation.<\/p>\n 4. LANDO NORRIS IS KEEPING OSCAR PIASTRI AT BAY (McLAREN)<\/p>\n Qualifying head to head: Norris leads 7-4 (6th)<\/p>\n Qualifying differential: Norris ahead 1.2 places (5th)<\/p>\n Time differential: Norris faster by 0.052s (7th)<\/p>\n Race head to head: drivers tied 3-3 (10th)<\/p>\n Race differential: Norris ahead 0.3 places (9th)<\/p>\n Points: Norris ahead 128-92 (7th)<\/p>\n These numbers recontextualise some of the alarmism around Oscar Piastri\u2019s season<\/a>. While there\u2019s no doubt reigning world champion Lando Norris has the upper hand, it\u2019s not nearly by the sort of margin some might claim it is.<\/p>\n