RaceFans readers knew what to anticipate from final 12 months’s Formulation 1 driver line-up. They appropriately predicted who would out-score their unique group mate in eight out of the ten groups.
Are you able to do even higher in 2026? A lot of the driver pairings are unchanged however there’s an additional group on the grid now. Who will come out on high in every of the 11 groups?
McLaren: Lando Norris vs Oscar Piastri
It was greater than a battle for bragging rights at McLaren final 12 months. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri fought for the drivers’ championship till the ultimate race of the season, taking so many factors off one another they nearly opened the door for Max Verstappen to beat them each.
Norris could have gained however Piastri, in his third season of F1, led many of the 12 months. Simply 13 factors separated them come the top of the season, although Norris misplaced greater than that struggling the group’s solely race-ending technical failure of the 12 months at Zandvoort. Nonetheless, Piastri popping out on high this 12 months is clearly a sensible chance.
Which McLaren driver will beat his group mate within the championship?
Lando Norris (56%)
Whole Voters: 32
Mercedes: Andrea Kimi Antonelli vs George Russell
Final week’s season-opening check on the Circuit de Catalunya gave the primary strong indication there is likely to be some substance to the rumours Mercedes have gained the higher hand on their rivals in the course of the low season. If that’s the case, their drivers may head into the season as championship favourites.
The skilled George Russell confirmed rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli the way in which final 12 months, successful twice. However Antonelli rebounded from a tough mid-season spell to finish the 12 months in high quality type. He will certainly be nearer this 12 months.
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Which Mercedes driver will beat his group mate within the championship?
Andrea Kimi Antonelli (0%)
Whole Voters: 32
Loading …Crimson Bull: Max Verstappen vs Isack Hadjar
Throughout his rookie season final 12 months, Isack Hadjar admitted the prospect of going up in opposition to Verstappen at Crimson Bull was daunting. However it has come to move, and it stays to be seen how the stand-out newcomer of final 12 months will fare in opposition to the driving force who has dominated a succession of group mates lately.
Which Crimson Bull driver will beat his group mate within the championship?
Max Verstappen (100%)
Whole Voters: 31
Loading …Ferrari: Charles Leclerc vs Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton’s first season as a Ferrari driver ended poorly, with a string of Q1 eliminations. Earlier within the season he had appeared extra of a match for Charles Leclerc, however his failure to even attain the rostrum final 12 months clearly stung. Are the seven-times champion’s greatest days behind him?
Which Ferrari driver will beat his group mate within the championship?
Charles Leclerc (77%)
Whole Voters: 30
Loading …Williams: Alexander Albon vs Carlos Sainz Jnr
This was one in all solely two intra-team fights which our readers didn’t appropriately predict the result of final 12 months. A transparent majority backed Carlos Sainz Jnr, who misplaced to Alexander Albon.
Nonetheless it was an in depth struggle, simply 9 factors in it, and Sainz clearly held the higher hand over the ultimate third of the season, the place he reached the rostrum twice. This one may certainly go both approach.
Which Williams driver will beat his group mate within the championship?
Carlos Sainz Jnr (94%)
Whole Voters: 32
Loading …Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso vs Lance Stroll
Fernando Alonso could have been hotly tipped to proceed his run of out-scoring Lance Stroll however after a sluggish begin to the season it took him many of the 12 months to get forward. The ultimate rating line could have been clearly in Alonso’s favour nevertheless it was a shock this one ever seemed shut.
Which Aston Martin driver will beat his group mate within the championship?
Fernando Alonso (100%)
Whole Voters: 32
Loading …Haas: Esteban Ocon vs Oliver Bearman
This was the opposite battle our readers did not predict appropriately. Not unreasonably, most thought the skilled Esteban Ocon would paved the way at Haas, however rookie Oliver Bearman pipped him by simply three factors. Ocon was a lot happier along with his automobile on the last race final 12 months, nevertheless, so Bearman could anticipate to face a renewed risk from the opposite aspect of the storage.
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Which Haas driver will beat his group mate within the championship?
Oliver Bearman (81%)
Whole Voters: 32
Loading …Racing Bulls: Liam Lawson vs Arvid Lindblad
Simply 4% of readers final 12 months predicted Liam Lawson would beat Verstappen at Crimson Bull, however did anybody anticipate him to get the boot after simply two appearances? He salvaged his repute along with his performances after returning to Racing Bulls, and now faces the one rookie on the 2026 grid, Formulation 2 graduate Arvid Lindblad.
Which Racing Bulls driver will beat his group mate within the championship?
Liam Lawson (72%)
Whole Voters: 32
Loading …Audi: Nico Hulkenberg vs Gabriel Bortoleto
Though skilled racer Nico Hulkenberg completed eight locations forward of newcomer Gabriel Bortoleto on the group previously often called Sauber final 12 months, the rookie confirmed severe potential. Bortoleto even narrowly gained the qualifying battle between the pair, and will give Hulkenberg some actual competitors at Audi.
Which Audi driver will beat his group mate within the championship?
Nico Hulkenberg (28%)
Whole Voters: 32
Loading …Alpine: Pierre Gasly vs Franco Colapinto
Alpine confirmed little endurance with Jack Doohan final 12 months and rapidly ushered him apart to carry Franco Colapinto in. His outcomes weren’t drastically higher, however the group have stored the religion within the driver who seemed so promising on his debut for Williams on the finish of 2024. This shall be his first probability to start out a season with a group and profit from prior testing, as he goes up in opposition to season campaigner Pierre Gasly.
Which Alpine driver will beat his group mate within the championship?
Pierre Gasly (100%)
Whole Voters: 32
Loading …Cadillac: Sergio Perez vs Valtteri Bottas
Cadillac’s first driver line-up will make for a captivating match-up: two extremely skilled, race-winning drivers who’ve gone up in opposition to the perfect within the enterprise. Plus, with Colton Herta ready within the wings, Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez know their comeback may show short-lived in the event that they fail to carry out.
Which Cadillac driver will beat his group mate within the championship?
Sergio Perez (34%)
Whole Voters: 32
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