The F1 season is heading towards its conclusion, and every driver on the grid wants to finish the year ahead of the other side of the garage. Some pairings are finely balanced, with all to play for in the final three races, while others are totally one-sided with no chance to change.
So, here is a rundown of the battles for supremacy, team by team.
Red Bull: Max Verstappen v Sergio Perez
This one is a done deal. Verstappen has a massive 17-2 advantage over Perez in qualifying – including 10 poles to Perez’s two – and it is the same 17-2 balance in races (albeit Perez with two retirements to Verstappen’s zero). The odds of Perez retiring a third time are 12/1.
The reigning world champion has netted 18 podiums, while Perez has achieved just eight – a disappointing return given the level of machinery at his disposal. As for points, Verstappen has more than double his team-mate’s haul at 491-240.
Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton v George Russell
It is a far more balanced battle at Mercedes with all to play for in the final three races – at least in qualifying, that is. It is 10-9 to Hamilton on a Saturday (or Friday at Sprints!) but the experience of the seven-time champion shows in the races, as the balance moves to 13-6.
Russell has perhaps not performed as had been hoped in what has at times been a difficult second season at Mercedes. He has just one podium to his team-mate’s six and when it comes to points, Hamilton has secured 69 more than the younger Briton’s 151. Hamilton is 9/1 to win this weekend.
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc v Carlos Sainz
Leclerc is one of the best single lap drivers in the business, and that shows with a 12-7 advantage over Sainz in qualifying and four poles to his team-mate’s two. In the races, however, they are more closely matched.
Source: Autosport