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Internal duels | Verstappen moves further ahead of Perez

30 August 2023 at 15:28
Last update 30 August 2023 at 16:40
  • Ludo van Denderen

The summer holidays are barely over, and Formula 1 is already in a busy phase. A week after the season kicked off again in Zandvoort, the Italian Grand Prix, is scheduled for the drivers next weekend. Another chance to get closer to your team-mate in the internal duels or, conversely, to move further ahead. This is how the duels currently stand.

Red Bull Racing

Verstappen Perez
11-1Qualifying duel*1-11
-0,358sQualifying difference+0,358s
11Race duel*2
339Points201

*In qualifying and race duels, results where one of the drivers has a technical problem are not included. Example: Perez does not get a point for his qualifying win in Saudi Arabia because Max could not finish his qualifying due to a technical problem. The result will be considered in the case of a crash due to his own fault. Example: Leclerc crashes in Q3 at Miami. His defeat to Sainz will be counted as a 'win' for Carlos. With rain during qualifying, the time difference between them is not factored into these results.

It is a monotonous story: also at Zandvoort, Max Verstappen was clearly the better performer than his teammate Sergio Perez. The fact that the Mexican didn't leave with more points is his own fault. After all, it was Pereo speeding down the pit lane when a bucket of rain fell in the closing stages of the Dutch Grand Prix, which earned him a time penalty. Instead of finishing in third place, he finished one place off the podium. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen scored his ninth victory in a row.

Ferrari

Leclerc Sainz
8Qualifying duel5
-0,064sQualifying difference+0,064s
6Race duel5
99Points102

With the Italian Grand Prix - the home race for Ferrari - ahead, it was by no means a flawless dress rehearsal for Ferrari at Zandvoort. Charles Leclerc in particular, experienced several mistakes during the weekend and did not finish the race. Carlos Sainz was slightly more consistent without having the real speed in the process. While the Spaniard was superior to Leclerc, the team performance was otherwise not convincing. Nor did it all yield many points.

Mercedes

Hamilton Russell
7Qualifying duel6
-0,056sQualifying difference+0.056s
9Race duel3
156Points99

Mercedes had a difficult weekend at Zandvoort. Despite a good starting position for George Russell, who beat teammate Lewis Hamilton in qualifying. Before the race was well underway, however, Russell was already driving towards the back. The team's tactical decisions certainly did not work in his favour. In the end, Russell finished the race last after contact with Norris.

Alpine

Ocon Gasly
6Qualifying duel7
-0.084sQualifying difference+0.084s
5Race duel4
36Points37

What a podium finish can do. Esteban Ocon had a considerable points lead over his team-mate Pierre Gasly for a long time, but with a third place at Zandvoort, the former Red Bull driver jumped over Ocon. Gasly is on the rise. Is Gasly Alpine's new leader?

McLaren

Norris Piastri
11Qualifying duel2
-0.222sQualifying difference+0.222s
7Race duel4
75Points36

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both finished in the points, but there were not very many this time. By now, McLaren had become fairly used to Norris being on the podium, yet at a wet Zandvoort, the Brit did not come close to the trophies. However, Norris was (once again) superior to Piastri, who continues to struggle to beat his teammate, especially in qualifying. Another chance awaits at Monza.

Alfa Romeo

Bottas Zhou
7Qualifying duel5
-0.045sQualifying difference+0.045s
8Race duel4
5Points4

That Guanyu Zhou beat Valtteri Bottas in qualifying at Zandvoort may be nice for the statistics, but neither driver made much of an impression otherwise. A sixteenth and nineteenth place were nothing to write home about. The roles were reversed a day later, and Bottas was the best. However, he did not score any points. Far from it.

Aston Martin

Alonso Stroll
11Qualifying duel2
-0.254sQualifying difference+0.254s
11Race duel1
168Points47

Fernando Alonso proved he is the Aston Martin leader again at Zandvoort. While Lance Stroll in the same car got no further than place 11 (and thus remained pointless at Zandvoort), Alonso drove himself to second place. The difference in points between the two drivers is now gigantic. Alonso has more than 120 points over his teammate. Only the gap between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez (at Red Bull Racing) is slightly bigger.

Haas

Magnussen Hulkenberg
2Qualifying duel10
+0.375sQualifying difference-0.375s
5Race duel6
2Points9

It is not very surprising by now: Hulkenberg was the fastest of the two Haas drivers during qualifying at Zandvoort. The two men failed to take any points. During the races, it is often a case of swapping places; this time, Hulkenberg finished best. But as mentioned, it all came to nothing. Monza brings a new opportunity to add points.

AlphaTauri

Tsunoda De Vries
7Qualifying duel2
-0.204sQualifying difference+0.204s
8Race duel2
2Points0
Tsunoda Ricciardo
1Qualifying duel1
+0.013sQualifying difference-0.013s
1Race duel1
1Points0
Tsunoda Lawson
1Qualifier0
-0.204sQualifying difference+0.204s
0Race duel1
0Points0

The constant factor is Yuki Tsunoda, but by now, the Japanese driver has had three different teammates alongside him this season. With Liam Lawson unexpectedly in the AlphaTauri, a table has been added, and what is striking: in the race duels between them, Lawson is directly ahead of Tsunoda. OK, that's because of a time penalty from the Japanese driver, but still. Lawson was close enough to take advantage of his colleague's misfortune.

Williams

Albon Sargeant
13Qualifier0
-0.480sQualifying difference+0.480s
10Race race race*0
15Points0

*Albon's crash in Australia and Sargeant's crash in Holland are not included because the team stated after the race that a technical problem caused the drivers to retire.

That's the thing about Logan Sargeant: despite taking his Williams to Q3 for the first time this season, Alexander Albon is faster after all. The American hasn't secured a better starting position than his more experienced team-mate. In the race, it was soon game over, although his crash was due to a hydraulic problem. The final conclusion is: again, no points for Sargeant, while Albon finished handsomely in eighth place.