The duels between teammates in this first quarter of the 2023 F1 season

Red Bull: Perez closer than expected?

• Races: Verstappen 4 – 2 Perez
• Qualifications: Verstappen 4 – 2 Perez
• Points: Verstappen 144 – 105 Perez
• Ranking: Verstappen 1st – 2nd Perez

In these first six races, Max Verstappen has shown that he is the strongest. The Dutchman has never finished below second place, even starting ninth on the Miami track, or fifteenth in Jeddah. Well-assisted by a highly competitive Red Bull, the best car on the grid, Max Verstappen manages to maintain his temporary title.

But Sergio Perez shows more resistance than last year. Last season, the Mexican was confined to his role as a teammate, which he successfully filled. But this year, the former Racing Point driver has already won two races ahead of Max Verstappen and is taking on the challenge well. His Monaco Grand Prix spoiled the party as he scored zero points and finds himself 39 units behind the Dutchman.

Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso the savior

• Races: Alonso 6 – 0 Stroll
• Qualifications: Alonso 6 – 0 Stroll
• Points: Alonso 93 – 27 Stroll
• Ranking: Alonso 3rd – 8th Stroll

Fernando Alonso is simply having a phenomenal start to the season. Having arrived this winter from Alpine, Fernando Alonso has transformed the Aston Martin team. By himself, the Spaniard has already scored more points than Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll combined during the 2022 season. It is largely thanks to him that Aston Martin is in second place in the championship. But most importantly, the Spaniard has been involved in the development of the car, which has made meteoric progress.

As for Lance Stroll, the season has been mixed. The Canadian has shown some promising performances, such as in Australia, where he finished just behind Fernando Alonso in fourth place. He suffered a retirement in Saudi Arabia and finished twelfth in Miami. Lance Stroll has never been able to challenge his teammate and expects a tough season in their head-to-head battle. In Monaco, Stroll had to retire once again after the rain appeared towards the end of the race.

Mercedes: A heated British duel

• Courses: Hamilton 4 – 2 Russell
• Qualifications: Hamilton 2 – 4 Russell
• Points: Hamilton 69 – 50 Russell
• Classement: Hamilton 4th – 5th Russell

Lewis Hamilton is fourth in the championship, just behind Fernando Alonso. The seven-time world champion has bounced back after the 2022 season, where George Russell finished ahead of him. Lewis Hamilton has a good pace in races, allowing him to score important points in his duel against George Russell, but also for his team.

But in reality, George Russell is not left behind, as only 19 points separate the two Britons. Mister Saturday continues to live up to his name, as the former Williams driver has beaten Lewis Hamilton four times in qualifying. He was eliminated once in Q2 in Baku.

Ferrari: The hierarchy shaken up?

• Races: Sainz 4 – 2 Leclerc
• Qualifications: Sainz 2 – 4 Leclerc
• Points: Sainz 48 – 42 Leclerc
• Ranking: Sainz 6th – 7th Leclerc

After a 2022 season that was not as strong as his teammate’s, Carlos Sainz showed his potential during this season, although the results are still disappointing for Scuderia. He was able to carry the team when needed and showed that he wants to be at the forefront for Ferrari. The Spanish driver must continue to improve his pace in qualifying in order to hope for better positions on Sundays.

For Charles Leclerc, after the close title battle in the previous season, this one looks more complicated. The Monegasque driver has only finished ahead of his teammate twice, in Baku where he reached the podium. Apart from that, Charles Leclerc has retired twice and struggles to be a threat on track on Sundays. At his home race in Monaco, the No. 16 driver scored points to get closer to his teammate.

Alpine: The Revival?

• Courses: Gasly 4 – 2 Ocon
• Qualifications: Gasly 2 – 4 Ocon
• Points: Gasly 14 – 21 Ocon
• Classement: Gasly 10th – 9th Ocon

Alpine could hardly have had a more nightmarish start to the season. Only 14 points in five races, both drivers have often suffered from bad luck preventing them from finishing where they were supposed to. Pierre Gasly surely did not expect this when he decided to join Alpine this winter. With 8 points and numerous reliability issues, the Normandy native has been unable to capitalize on the pace shown during the free practices and qualifying sessions.

On Esteban Ocon’s side, the situation is the same as for Pierre Gasly. He has, however, shown good pace during several events, but reliability issues have prevented him from showcasing his abilities. The other Frenchman in the team finished behind Pierre Gasly on four occasions. However, in Monaco, the trend seems to have reversed for the entire team, with both cars displaying a satisfactory pace, a good strategy, and a podium finish for Esteban Ocon.

McLaren: A complicated start for Oscar Piastri

• Courses: Norris 5 – 1 Piastri
• Qualifications: Norris 5 – 1 Piastri
• Points: Norris 12 – 5 Piastri
• Classement: Norris 11th – 13th Piastri

For a new Formula 1 season, it may be the most difficult one that awaits Lando Norris. With a struggling McLaren, the British driver has never been able to showcase himself at the front, as he was able to do in previous seasons. Nonetheless, Lando Norris has still scored twelve points out of his team’s seventeen in this first part of the season. A personal satisfaction in a more than complicated season.

Oscar Piastri certainly did not expect such a challenging season for his debut in Formula 1. The Australian is understandably being outperformed by his teammate. McLaren is struggling at the start of the season, with only 14 points scored. With a car lacking pace, Oscar Piastri has never been able to fully showcase his skills. However, he did manage to make it to Q3, whereas Lando Norris was eliminated in 19th place. In Monaco, the former Alpine protege was still able to finish in the points.

Haas: A successful comeback for Nico Hülkenberg

• Courses: Magnussen 4 – 2 Hülkenberg
• Qualifications: Magnussen 2 – 4 Hülkenberg
• Points: Magnussen 2 – 6 Hülkenberg
• Classement: Magnussen 17th – 12th Hülkenberg

Nico Hülkenberg scored six out of eight points for his team. For his return as a regular driver, the German surpasses his teammate. But statistics don’t always speak in a positive way. Nico Hülkenberg finished ahead of Kevin Magnussen only twice during the races. In qualifying, the German was dominant as he finished ahead of Kevin Magnussen four times.

For the Danish driver, theoretically, he wins the head-to-head race against his teammate. But the scorecard doesn’t match. Kevin Magnussen has finished in the points twice, in tenth place, while Nico Hülkenberg has only managed to achieve it once.

Alfa Romeo: An egalitarian duel

• Courses: Bottas 4 – 2 Zhou
• Qualifications: Bottas 4 – 2 Zhou
• Points: Bottas 4 – 2 Perez
• Classement: Bottas 14th – 15th Zhou

Valterri Bottas defeats his teammate in every phase of the weekend. However, it may be the most fiercely contested duel between two teammates. Each time, the Finnish driver wins by a single unit. He has only a 2-point lead over Guanyu Zhou, who only has two points. The former Mercedes driver is still experiencing a challenging season, particularly with a lack of pace.

Regarding Guanyu Zhou, the Chinese driver is also struggling to confirm his performance in his second season in Formula 1. Alfa Romeo still hasn’t managed to develop a car capable of keeping up with the Alpines, and as a result, they find themselves frequently outside the points.

AlphaTauri: Nyck de Vries still can’t get there

• Races: Tsunoda 5 – 1 De Vries
• Qualifications: Tsunoda 5 – 1 De Vries
• Points: Tsunoda 2 – 0 De Vries
• Ranking: Tsunoda 16th – 19th De Vries

Yuki Tsunoda doesn’t need to rack his brain to stay ahead of his teammate. The 28-year-old rookie, Nyck de Vries, clearly lacks rhythm, allowing the Japanese driver to drive without the pressure of the Formula E world champion. In races, Yuki Tsunoda has always finished ahead of Nyck de Vries, except for the Monaco Grand Prix.

For the Dutchman, the season started off very poorly. His score card is empty and he is far from matching the pace of his teammate. De Vries is struggling to adapt to Formula 1, despite his impressive stint with Williams last year. He finished ahead of his teammate for the first time during the qualifying session of the Miami Grand Prix. So far, Nyck de Vries has not convinced anyone in a challenging AlphaTauri, but he still has time to gain confidence.

Williams: Alex Albon unconvincing

• Results: Albon 4 – 2 Sargeant
• Qualifications: Albon 6 – 0 Sargeant
• Points: Albon 1 – 0 Sargeant
• Ranking: Albon 18th – 20th Sargeant

Alexander Albon, former Red Bull driver, may be experiencing his most challenging season yet, but he manages to extract the best from his car. He took a struggling Williams to the Q3 stage early in the season. It is quite an accomplishment when compared to Logan Sargeant, who is completely lacking in speed.

Another rookie of this season, the Floridian is struggling a lot at the beginning of the season. He hasn’t scored any points, just like Nyck de Vries, who is also competing in his first Formula 1 season. Logan Sargeant, in races, sometimes often delivers a good performance, obtaining twelfth place in Australia, for example.