The final chequered flag of the 2023 Formula 1 season has fallen after another dominant season by the now three time World Champion Max Verstappen. Max secured the 2023 championship after the sprint race in Qatar meaning he did so with six Grand Prix still to run. Perhaps not the best season ever in terms of the driver’s championship but you can read our story here to see the best according to the stats.
The dominance of Max over the rest of the field (including his teammate) was overwhelming but thankfully there were a few tighter tussles within the pack. Having said that there were five drivers who had a clean sweep over their respective teammates winning 6:0 in our head to head factors.
As always we took a dive into the stats to determine the winners and losers between each team pairing – after all, as the cliche goes, every race driver’s first priority is to beat their teammate!
For a full description of the six H2H factors check out our H2H Explanatory Notes.
RED BULL HONDA RPBT
| Drivers: | Pérez v Verstappen |
|---|---|
| Team: | Red Bull |
| Races: | 22 |
| H2H Winner: | Verstappen (0/6/0) |
| Pérez | Verstappen | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 285 | 575 | Verstappen |
| Race Result | 2 | 18 | Verstappen |
| Qualifying | 2 | 20 | Verstappen |
| Fastest Lap | 4 | 17 | Verstappen |
| Laps in Top 10 | 974 | 1312 | Verstappen |
| Best Result | 1st (x2) | 1st (x19) | Verstappen |
WINNER: Max Verstappen 6 : 0
Some pundits have suggested Max Verstappen and the 2023 Red Bull is perhaps the most dominant driver-car pairing in F1 history. It’s hard to argue after the Dutchman secured 19 race wins in 2023 and up until the last race lead 75.06% of all race laps bettering the previous 1963 record of Jim Clark at 71.47%. What was equally as impressive was Verstappen’s dominance over his teammate.
For the third season in a row Max had a clean sweep in our six head to head factors over Sergio Perez. One shining light for Checo was securing second in the Drivers Championship after narrowly missing out to Charles Leclerc in 2022. Unfortunately that was one of the few highlights for the Mexican as he seemingly struggled to match his dominant teammate in 2023 compared to the previous year. Checo only bettered Max on two occasions in qualifying and race result compared to four times in 2022.
At times during the season there were rumours that Perez may be dropped by Red Bull for 2024 due to his inability to be consistently close to Max. In fairness Checo is up against one of the best drivers in F1 history and did manage to finish second in the Championship though if he doesn’t get more consistent podiums in 2024 there’s a certain D Ricciardo, amoung others, waiting in the wings.
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FERRARI
| Drivers: | Leclerc v Sainz |
|---|---|
| Team: | Ferrari |
| Races: | 22 |
| H2H Winner: | Leclerc (4/2/0) |
| Leclerc | Sainz | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 206 | 200 | Leclerc |
| Race Result | 10 | 5 | Leclerc |
| Qualifying | 15 | 7 | Leclerc |
| Fastest Lap | 11 | 7 | Leclerc |
| Laps in Top 10 | 1021 | 1167 | Sainz |
| Best Result | 2nd (x3) | 1st | Sainz |
WINNER: Charles Leclerc 4 : 2
In stark contrast to the one sided Red Bull head to head inside the Scuderia it was a more even affair. The radar chart clearly shows how close Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were matched over the course of the season even if Leclerc won the battle 4:2.
It was a solid year for Sainz who turned around a 0:5 (1 draw) loss to Leclerc in 2022. Crucially Chilli scored Ferrari’s only win of the season but in outright qualifying pace it was a mirror image of 2022 where Charles beat Carlos 15:7. Sainz is no slouch on one lap pace as was proven in his narrow 8:9 and 10:11 losses to Norris at McLaren in 2020 and 2019 respectively. Leclerc’s dominance in this factor clearly supports many commentators’ opinion that the Monagasque is the fastest driver in the field over one lap.
It could be argued that Leclerc had more than his share of bad luck in 2023 but ultimately the team often failed to optimise their potential results from a relatively quick car. With a very strong driver lineup and for the sake of a closely fought championship we hope Ferrari can take a step forward in 2024 and more consistently challenge Red Bull for the top step.
MERCEDES
| Drivers: | Hamilton v Russell |
|---|---|
| Team: | Mercedes |
| Races: | 22 |
| H2H Winner: | Hamilton (5/0/1) |
| Hamilton | Russell | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 234 | 175 | Hamilton |
| Race Result | 12 | 5 | Hamilton |
| Qualifying | 11 | 11 | draw |
| Fastest Lap | 16 | 5 | Hamilton |
| Laps in Top 10 | 1158 | 1119 | Hamilton |
| Best Result | 2nd (x3) | 3rd (x2) | Hamilton |
WINNER: Lewis Hamilton 5 : 0
Similar to Ferrari Mercedes and their drivers appeared to struggle with consistency in 2023. At the sixth race of the season in Monaco Mercedes finally admitted defeat and radically changed their “zero” sidepod concept to a more traditional sidepod. With Lewis Hamilton 4th and George Russell 5th in the race the changes appeared to be positive. The new concept reinforced its potential at the next race in Spain where both drivers finished on the podium.
During the season Lewis Hamilton was often vocal in his frustration with the inconsistent performance of his Mercedes but that didn’t stop him beating Russell 5:0 with one draw. This was a big turnaround for Lewis who in 2022 lost his head to head battle against George 1:5 – in the five years prior to that Hamilton only lost one head to head factor (out of a total of 30) to Valtteri Bottas!
One factor where George Russell made progress in 2023 was qualifying where the younger Brit managed to draw his teammate 11:11 – quite a feather in Russell’s cap based on Lewis’ career long impressive one lap pace.
Narrowly beating Ferrari to second in the Constructors Standings in the last race was a positive end to the season and with their incredibly strong and hungry driver lineup the Brackley based team will hoping to be more consistently fighting for podiums in 2024.
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ALPINE
| Drivers: | Gasly v Ocon |
|---|---|
| Team: | Alpine F1 Team |
| Races: | 22 |
| H2H Winner: | Gasly (4/1/1) |
| Gasly | Ocon | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 62 | 58 | Gasly |
| Race Result | 6 | 10 | Ocon |
| Qualifying | 14 | 8 | Gasly |
| Fastest Lap | 15 | 6 | Gasly |
| Laps in Top 10 | 754 | 704 | Gasly |
| Best Result | 3rd | 3rd | draw |
WINNER: Pierre Gasly 4: 1
It was a difficult year for the French team dropping from 4th in the Constructors Championship in 2022 to 6th in 2023. Having grown up racing each other and with similar career trajectories the teammate matchup at Alpine looked like it should be a close one on paper – and so it transpired.
Pierre Gasly ended the season beating Esteban Ocon 4:1 with one draw in our six factors. Gasly was the stronger qualifier ending up 14:8 in front however Ocon turned the tables in race results beating his compatriot 10:6.
With numerous driver and management changes over recent years it will be interesting to see if Alpine can move up the constructors championship in 2024 as the team becomes more settled. If they develop a slightly more competitive car they certainly have a closely matched and highly regarded driver lineup who will surely maximise any increase in car performance next year.
MCLAREN MERCEDES
| Drivers: | Norris v Piastri |
|---|---|
| Team: | McLaren |
| Races: | 22 |
| H2H Winner: | Norris (6/0/0) |
| Norris | Piastri | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 205 | 97 | Norris |
| Race Result | 14 | 4 | Norris |
| Qualifying | 15 | 7 | Norris |
| Fastest Lap | 14 | 7 | Norris |
| Laps in Top 10 | 884 | 559 | Norris |
| Best Result | 2nd (x6) | 2nd | Norris |
WINNER: Lando Norris, 6 : 0
The year was a story of two halves for the papaya liveried team. The first race in Bahrain featured a DNF for the rookie Oscar Piastri and 17th and last on track for Lando Norris. It wasn’t until the third race of the season in Australia that the team took their first points with Norris 6th and Piastri 8th. Fast forward to the second half of the season and both drivers have been consistently finishing toward the front of the field.
Having had a year on the sidelines after his 2021 Formula 2 World Championship it was always going to be a challenging rookie year for Oscar Piastri up against the highly rated Lando Norris. Lando consistently showed his speed and class during the year to beat the young Australian 6:0 in their head to head. The final result doesn’t tell the full story as Oscar had an exceptional rookie year racing wheel to wheel with seasoned veterans and highlights being a win in the sprint race in Qatar and second place in the main race.
Lando beat Oscar 15:7 in qualifying in 2023 compared to 19:2 against Daniel Ricciardo in 2022. There is little doubt Piastri has the pedigree and speed to potentially push Norris harder in 2024 and this intra-team rivalry is one we can’t wait to see unfold. Could 2024 provide the first Grand Prix win for one or both of the two?
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ALFA ROMEO
| Drivers: | Bottas v Zhou |
|---|---|
| Team: | Alfa Romeo |
| Races: | 22 |
| H2H Winner: | Bottas (5/1/0) |
| Bottas | Zhou | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 10 | 6 | Bottas |
| Race Result | 10 | 7 | Bottas |
| Qualifying | 16 | 6 | Bottas |
| Fastest Lap | 8 | 14 | Zhou |
| Laps in Top 10 | 224 | 144 | Bottas |
| Best Result | 8th (x2) | 9th (x3) | Bottas |
WINNER: Valtteri Bottas 5 : 1
Having finished sixth in the constructors title last year the second red team fell three places in 2023 to equal the 9th position they found themselves in in 2021.
In his second year with the team Zhou Guanyu faired slightly better against his experienced teammate picking up a win in one of our head to head factors after losing 0:6 in 2022. Valtteri Bottas’ 5:1 head to head win was comprehensive albeit tighter than the overall score would suggest. The radar chart visibly shows that Zhou certainly kept the Finn honest with most factors being relatively closely fought between the two.
With another years experience for Zhou and Valtteri’s pedigree the team will be hoping to make a step forward in 2024 as it gears up to become the Audi factory team in 2026.
ASTON MARTIN
| Drivers: | Alonso v Stroll |
|---|---|
| Team: | Aston Martin |
| Races: | 22 |
| H2H Winner: | Alonso (6/0/0) |
| Alonso | Stroll | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 206 | 74 | Alonso |
| Race Result | 14 | 2 | Alonso |
| Qualifying | 19 | 3 | Alonso |
| Fastest Lap | 17 | 4 | Alonso |
| Laps in Top 10 | 1147 | 582 | Alonso |
| Best Result | 2nd (x3) | 4th | Alonso |
WINNER: Fernando Alonso 6 : 0
In a reversal of Mclaren’s fortunes Aston Martin started the 2023 campaign incredibly strongly but faded mid-season. Two time World Champion Fernando Alonso made his debut with the team following Seb Vettel’s retirement and proceeded to reach the podium in five of the first six races of the season. Unfortunately for the Spaniard second was his best result (achieved three times during the season) and his first race win since the Spanish Grad Prix in 2013 still alluded him. Win or no win Alonso had a brilliant season that included a dominant 6:0 win over his teammate. How good is Fernando Alonso? We analysed his career stats a few years ago with some interesting conclusions – read the article here.
“Out of the pot and into the fire” – a cliche but fairly reflective of Lance Stroll’s plight over recent years. The Canadian lost the teammate battle 1:5 to four time World Champion Vettel in 2022 to then be matched against a second inform multi World Champion in 2023. It is perhaps not surprising Stroll was bested by Alonso but what must be concerning for the team was the inconsistency and relative lack of pace shown compared to his highly regarded teammate.
Stroll’s father has invested a lot developing the Aston Martin F1 team. If the team is serious about challenging for a future title there must be some concern that the younger Stroll may not have the consistent speed they need to pair with the seemingly ageless Alonso who always seems to be able to extract the most out of the car’s potential performance.
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HAAS
| Drivers: | Hülkenberg v Magnussen |
|---|---|
| Team: | Haas F1 Team |
| Races: | 22 |
| H2H Winner: | Hülkenberg (6/0/0) |
| Hülkenberg | Magnussen | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 9 | 3 | Hülkenberg |
| Race Result | 9 | 8 | Hülkenberg |
| Qualifying | 15 | 7 | Hülkenberg |
| Fastest Lap | 12 | 9 | Hülkenberg |
| Laps in Top 10 | 279 | 133 | Hülkenberg |
| Best Result | 7th | 10th (x3) | Hülkenberg |
WINNER Niko Hulkenberg 6 : 0
It was a difficult season for Haas falling from 8th in the Constructors Championship in 2022 to 10th and last in 2023. The return of Kevin Magnussen to the team in 2022 must have been a breath of fresh air for Haas in terms of driver performance after the poor showing of “pay driver” Nikita Mazepin in 2021 (Schumacher beat him 5:0) . What must have been equally pleasing for Guenther Steiner and the team is how well the mercurial Niko Hulkenberg performed in 2023.
The 2009 GP2 Champion and “super-sub” for Racing Point and Aston Martin in 2021 and 2022 respectively, the Hulk was likely not expecting a callup to a full time drive in 2023. He certainly made the most of the opportunity! Magnussen is a talented and tough racing driver but was beaten 0:6 by Hulkenberg in 2023. Holding the record for the most GP starts without a podium seems a travesty for a driver of the Hulk’s pedigree and quality but it’s perhaps unlikely he will finally score that elusive F1 podium while driving for Haas – but this is Formula 1 and stranger things have happened…
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ALPHA TAURI HONDA RBPT
| Drivers: | de Vries v Tsunoda |
|---|---|
| Team: | AlphaTauri |
| Races: | 10 |
| H2H Winner: | Tsunoda (1/5/0) |
| de Vries | Tsunoda | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 0 | 2 | Tsunoda |
| Race Result | 2 | 7 | Tsunoda |
| Qualifying | 2 | 8 | Tsunoda |
| Fastest Lap | 6 | 4 | de Vries |
| Laps in Top 10 | 1 | 206 | Tsunoda |
| Best Result | 12th | 10th (x2) | Tsunoda |
WINNER: Yuki Tsunoda 5 : 1
Where to start with the Red Bull junior team? There have been four drivers and three separate head to head teammate battles in Alpha Tauri in 2023. In Franz Tost’s 18th and last year as Team Principle it certainly wasn’t one without driver issues for him to manage. During the year there was one common denominator in the lineup – Yuki Tsunoda.
Having been comprehensively beaten in our head to head factors by Pierre Gasly 6:0 and 5:1 in 2021 and 2022 respectively Tsunoda needed a solid showing against his teammate in 2023 to justify his ongoing tenure. Nyck de Vries was Yuki’s first teammate but was unceremoniously dropped by the team 10 races into the season. During his stint the Dutchman was comprehensively beaten 5:1 by Tsunoda but even as a rookie that was apparently enough for the historically brutal Red Bull machine to terminate his contract.
| Drivers: | Ricciardo v Tsunoda |
|---|---|
| Team: | AlphaTauri |
| Races: | 7 |
| H2H Winner: | Tsunoda (2/4/0) |
| Ricciardo | Tsunoda | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 6 | 15 | Tsunoda |
| Race Result | 3 | 4 | Tsunoda |
| Qualifying | 3 | 4 | Tsunoda |
| Fastest Lap | 4 | 3 | Ricciardo |
| Laps in Top 10 | 93 | 215 | Tsunoda |
| Best Result | 7th | 8th (x2) | Ricciardo |
WINNER: Yuki Tsunoda 4 : 2
After being comprehensively beaten 6:0 and 5:1 in 2022 and 2021 respecively by Lando Norris at McLaren the mid season vacancy at Alpha Tauri was an F1 lifeline for Daniel Ricciardo. The Honey Badger lost his head to head battle 2:4 to Yuki though prior to the last race the pair were tied 3:3. Ricciardo’s half season was disrupted further after his broken wrist sustained in practice at the Dutch GP. With both drivers contracted for 2024 the head to head will be especially interesting as a dominant season by one may potentially be his ticket to a drive in the parent team.
| Drivers: | Lawson v Tsunoda |
|---|---|
| Team: | AlphaTauri |
| Races: | 5 |
| H2H Winner: | draw (4/2/0) |
| Lawson | Tsunoda | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 2 | 0 | Lawson |
| Race Result | 2 | 1 | Lawson |
| Qualifying | 1 | 4 | Tsunoda |
| Fastest Lap | 2 | 1 | Lawson |
| Laps in Top 10 | 34 | 75 | Tsunoda |
| Best Result | 9th | 12th | Lawson |
WINNER: Liam Lawson 4 : 2
Ricciardo’s absence through injury provided Liam Lawson with his first opportunity to race in Formula 1. With only five races to get acclimatised the young New Zealander showed great maturity and speed even managing to win the head to head 4:2 against Tsunoda. Liam Managed to score points in Singapore by finishing 9th in arguably one of the toughest physical races of the year and narrowly missed out on more points finishing 11th in both Italy and Japan.
Unless a deal can be reached with Williams to potentially replace Sargeant in 2024 Lawson will spend another year on the sideline but based on his performances in 2023 we would hope to see the young Kiwi more permanently on the grid in the future.
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WILLIAMS
| Drivers: | Albon v Sargeant |
|---|---|
| Team: | Williams |
| Races: | 22 |
| H2H Winner: | Albon (6/0/0) |
| Albon | Sargeant | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 27 | 1 | Albon |
| Race Result | 14 | 0 | Albon |
| Qualifying | 22 | 0 | Albon |
| Fastest Lap | 15 | 6 | Albon |
| Laps in Top 10 | 434 | 27 | Albon |
| Best Result | 7th (x2) | 10th | Albon |
WINNER: Alex Albon, 5 : 0
New for 2023 Team Principle James Vowles would have to be satisfied with Williams’ progress this year moving from 10th in 2022 to 7th in the Constructors Championship. The trajectory of their number one driver is further proof of the teams continued car development as Alex Albon finished the season 13th up from 19th the previous year. Moving forward a dilemma for Vowles must be what strategy to execute in terms of his driver lineup. Formula 1 is a ruthless environment and though a rookie Logan Sargeant was completely outclassed by Albon in 2023. Our radar chart graphically demonstrates just how far away the likeable American was in terms of performance compared to his teammate.
Logan was a rookie in 2023 but Formula 1 is a brutal sport and one where championship points can literally be worth millions of dollars. The fact Sargeant didn’t beat Albon once in either qualifying or race result and scored only 1 championship point would be a concern for a team on the rise. Would, for example, a driver like Liam Lawson provide far more support for Albon in terms of maximising the Williams package in 2024…no doubt food for thought for James Vowles.
We look forward to some more fascinating teammate matchups in 2024 …March 2 in Bahrain can’t come quickly enough!
