How Max Verstappen’s team mates fared against him with Isack Hadjar the latest to step up

Having achieved four World Championships, 71 wins, 127 podiums and 48 pole positions since his arrival in Formula 1 more than a decade ago, Max Verstappen has earned his place amongst the most successful drivers in the sport’s history – which arguably makes the prospect of becoming his team mate slightly intimidating.

It is a challenge that Isack Hadjar is about to face, with the 21-year-old the next to race alongside Verstappen at Red Bull following the demotion of Yuki Tsunoda to a test and reserve role. Hadjar will be Verstappen’s eighth team mate in F1 – but how will he stack up compared to those who held the role before him?

We’ve been taking a deep-dive through the statistics to see how each of the seven drivers to previously share a garage with Verstappen performed against the Dutchman…

Carlos Sainz – Toro Rosso

2015 (19 races as team mates):

Qualifying head-to-head: Sainz 10-9 Verstappen / Race head-to-head: Sainz 7-10 VerstappenPoints scored: Sainz – 18 (36.8% of races finished in points), 15th in championship / Verstappen – 49 (52.6% of races finished in points), 12th in championshipPole positions: Sainz 0 (0%) / Verstappen 0 (0%)Podiums: Sainz 0 (0%) / Verstappen 0 (0%)Wins: Sainz 0 (0%) / Verstappen 0 (0%)

An all-rookie line-up joined Toro Rosso in 2015, consisting of Verstappen – who became the youngest driver to make their F1 debut, at 17 years and 164 days old – and Carlos Sainz. The latter made an early impression by scoring points in his first race, while Verstappen was forced to retire with an engine failure.

As the numbers show, the pair were closely matched in the head-to-heads throughout the season. Sainz suffered more mechanically-related retirements – particularly during the middle of the campaign – and Verstappen ultimately ended 2015 with more points.

2016 (four races as team mates):

Qualifying head-to-head: Sainz 1-3 Verstappen / Race head-to-head: Sainz 2-2 VerstappenPoints scored: Sainz – 4 (50% of races finished in points), 12th in championship (points total 46 for whole season) / Verstappen – 13 (75% of races finished in points), fifth in championship (points total 204 for whole season)Pole positions: Sainz 0 (0%) / Verstappen 0 (0%)Podiums: Sainz 0 (0%) / Verstappen 0 (0%)Wins: Sainz 0 (0%) / Verstappen 0 (0%)

It would turn out to be a much shorter tenure as team mates for Verstappen and Sainz in 2016, with Verstappen promoted to the main Red Bull outfit after just four races. But in those few Grands Prix together prior to the switch, the duo were again relatively well-matched.

Verstappen just beat Sainz in terms of points finishes on three to two, while both drivers suffered a DNF due to a technical issue.

Daniel Ricciardo – Red Bull

2016 (17 races as team mates):

Qualifying head-to-head: Ricciardo 11-6 Verstappen / Race head-to-head: Ricciardo 10-7 VerstappenPoints scored: Ricciardo – 220 (100% of races finished in points), third in championship (points total 256 for whole season) / Verstappen – 191 (82.4% of races finished in points), fifth in championship (points total 204 for whole season)Pole positions: Ricciardo 1 (5.9%) / Verstappen 0 (0%)Podiums: Ricciardo 8 (47.1%) / Verstappen 7 (41.2%)Wins: Ricciardo 1 (5.9%) / Verstappen 1 (5.9%)

A new era unfolded for Verstappen when he made the step up to Red Bull just a few races into his sophomore season, with the Dutchman partnering Daniel Ricciardo while Daniil Kvyat was sent back to the Toro Rosso outfit.

It was a memorable arrival at the squad for Verstappen, the youngster promptly winning on his debut in Barcelona. While the more experienced Ricciardo triumphed in the head-to-heads – the Australian finishing a career-best third in the championship during a particularly strong year – Verstappen ended the campaign equal on wins with his team mate and only scored one less podium.

2017 (20 races as team mates):

Qualifying head-to-head: Ricciardo 7-13 Verstappen / Race head-to-head: Ricciardo 9-11 VerstappenPoints scored: Ricciardo – 200 (70% of races finished in points), fifth in championship / Verstappen – 168 (65% of races finished in points), sixth in championshipPole positions: Ricciardo 0 (0%) / Verstappen 0 (0%)Podiums: Ricciardo 9 (45%) / Verstappen 4 (20%)Wins: Ricciardo 1 (5%) / Verstappen 2 (10%)

Red Bull endured a weaker season in 2017, one in which they often experienced reliability issues. Verstappen suffered more retirements than Ricciardo during the early stages of the campaign but went on to enjoy a stronger run towards the end, scoring two victories in the final six races.

Ricciardo again led the way in terms of points scored, but Verstappen got the better of his team mate in the Qualifying and race day head-to-heads as he continued to hone his skills.

2018 (21 races as team mates):

Qualifying head-to-head: Ricciardo 7-14 Verstappen / Race head-to-head: Ricciardo 5-14 VerstappenPoints scored: Ricciardo 170 (61.9% of races finished in points), sixth in championship / Verstappen – 249 (81% of races finished in points), fourth in championshipPole positions: Ricciardo 2 (9.5%) / Verstappen 0 (0%)Podiums: Ricciardo 2 (9.5%) / Verstappen 11 (52.4%)Wins: Ricciardo 2 (9.5%) / Verstappen 2 (9.5%)

The 2018 campaign seemed to mark a turning point in that the momentum appeared to switch in Verstappen’s favour. Ricciardo grabbed two wins early in the season – a marked contrast to the difficult start faced by Verstappen – but these would prove to be the Australian’s only podium finishes in 2018.

On the other side of the garage, Verstappen collected 11 rostrums and outscored his team mate on most counts, though the Dutchman was still yet to claim a pole position while Ricciardo had also suffered more mechanically-related DNFs. Both drivers failed to finish in Bahrain and Azerbaijan, the latter being due to an infamous collision between the Red Bull cars. Ricciardo later surprised the F1 world by leaving for Renault at the end of the season.

Pierre Gasly – Red Bull

2019 (12 races as team mates):

Qualifying head-to-head: Gasly 1-11 Verstappen / Race head-to-head: Gasly 1-11 VerstappenPoints scored: Gasly – 63 (75% of races finished in points), seventh in championship (points total 95 for whole season) / Verstappen – 181 (100% of races finished in points), third in championship (points total 278 for whole season)Pole positions: Gasly 0 (0%) / Verstappen 1 (8.3%)Podiums: Gasly 0 (0%) / Verstappen 5 (41.7%)Wins: Gasly 0 (0%) / Verstappen 2 (16.7%)

Following Ricciardo’s exit, Red Bull opted to promote Pierre Gasly from Toro Rosso, making the Frenchman Verstappen’s third F1 team mate.

While Gasly struggled to match the incumbent driver in the head-to-heads, the numbers suggest that he displayed decent consistency, having scored points in all but three of his races for the squad. This would not be enough to keep his place at the team, however, and Gasly was sent back to Toro Rosso for the remainder of the season after Round 12 in Hungary.

Alex Albon – Red Bull

2019 (nine races as team mates):

Qualifying head-to-head: Albon 1-8 Verstappen / Race head-to-head: Albon 4-5 VerstappenPoints scored: Albon – 76 (88.9% of races finished in points), eighth in championship (points total 92 for whole season) / Verstappen – 97 (77.8% of races finished in points), third in championship (points total 278 for whole season)Pole positions: Albon 0 (0%) / Verstappen 1 (11.1%)Podiums: Albon 0 (0%) / Verstappen 4 (44.4%)Wins: Albon 0 (0%) / Verstappen 1 (11.1%)

Alex Albon became the next to step up to Red Bull, the Thai driver swapping places with Gasly and enjoying a solid run in his nine races alongside Verstappen in 2019.

An impressive record saw Albon collect points in every race – with the only exception being Brazil, where he had looked on course for his debut podium before dropping down the order after contact with Lewis Hamilton – and his performances sealed his place at the Milton Keynes-based outfit for 2020.

2020 (17 races as team mates):

Qualifying head-to-head: Albon 0-17 Verstappen / Race head-to-head: Albon 5-12 VerstappenPoints scored: Albon – 105 (70.6% of races finished in points), seventh in championship / Verstappen – 214 (70.6% of races finished in points), third in championshipPole positions: Albon 0 (0%) / Verstappen 1 (5.9%)Podiums: Albon 2 (11.8%) / Verstappen 11 (64.7%)Wins: Albon 0 (0%) / Verstappen 2 (11.8%)

In a shortened season owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, Albon faced a tougher outing in 2020, one in which Verstappen was dominant in Qualifying as well as outscoring his team mate on race days.

While Albon came away with his maiden podium at Mugello – as well as scoring a second in Bahrain – Red Bull again decided to make a change to their line-up, resulting in the Thai racer becoming a test and reserve driver for the squad in 2021.

Sergio Perez – Red Bull

2021 (22 races as team mates):

Qualifying head-to-head: Perez 2-20 Verstappen / Race head-to-head: Perez 3-19 VerstappenPoints scored: Perez – 190 (72.7% of races finished in points), fourth in championship / Verstappen – 395.5 (86.4% of races finished in points), first in championshipPole positions: Perez 0 (0%) / Verstappen 10 (45.5%)Podiums: Perez 5 (22.7%) / Verstappen 18 (81.8%)Wins: Perez 1 (4.5%) / Verstappen 10 (45.5%)

Red Bull signed the experienced Sergio Perez for 2021, with the team taking the slightly unusual step of looking outside of their driver programme for their new recruit.

Though the Mexican could not prove a match for Verstappen, he fulfilled a solid supporting role in a season remembered for the tense title battle that played out between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. During the summer, it was confirmed that Perez would remain a Red Bull driver in 2022.

2022 (22 races as team mates):

Qualifying head-to-head: Perez 5-17 Verstappen / Race head-to-head: Perez 5-17 VerstappenPoints scored: Perez – 305 (86.4% of races finished in points), third in championship / Verstappen – 454 (90.9% of races finished in points), first in championshipPole positions: Perez 1 (4.5%) / Verstappen 7 (31.8%)Podiums: Perez 11 (50%) / Verstappen 17 (77.3%)Wins: Perez 2 (9.1%) / Verstappen 15 (68.2%)

After a nightmare first race in which both drivers retired with the same mechanical issue, Red Bull quickly bounced back and went on to enjoy an increasingly dominant campaign in 2022.

The Drivers’ Championship was claimed by Verstappen with four races to spare, while Perez built further on his 2021 season by doubling his number of podiums and wins, as well as taking a debut pole position.

2023 (22 races as team mates):

Qualifying head-to-head: Perez 3-19 Verstappen / Race head-to-head: Perez 2-20 VerstappenPoints scored: Perez – 285 (86.4% of races finished in points), second in championship / Verstappen – 575 (100% of races finished in points), first in championshipPole positions: Perez 2 (8.7%) / Verstappen 12 (52.2%)Podiums: Perez 9 (39.1%) / Verstappen 21 (91.3%)Wins: Perez 2 (8.7%) / Verstappen 19 (82.6%)

The statistics from Verstappen’s side in 2023 make for astonishing reading, with the Dutch driver scoring a record-breaking 19 wins out of 22 races en route to his most assured title yet.

Such was the level of Verstappen’s performance that – despite Perez finishing a career-best second in the championship – the World Champion claimed 290 more points than his team mate.

2024 (24 races as team mates):

Qualifying head-to-head: Perez 1-23 Verstappen / Race head-to-head: Perez 1-23 VerstappenPoints scored: Perez – 152 (66.7% of races finished in points), eighth in championship / Verstappen – 437 (95.8% of races finished in points), first in championshipPole positions: Perez 0 (0%) / Verstappen 8 (33.3%)Podiums: Perez 4 (16.7%) / Verstappen 14 (58.3%)Wins: Perez 0 (0%) / Verstappen 9 (37.5%)

It initially appeared that Red Bull’s 2023 advantage over the rest of the field might repeat in 2024 following a 1-2 result for the squad at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. However, the picture proved very different as the campaign developed, with the squad’s rivals dramatically closing the gap.

Despite the challenges, Verstappen held on to clinch his fourth title – but it was a nightmare campaign for Perez, the Mexican failing to stand on the podium again after Round 5 in China. Red Bull slipped backwards from first to third in the Teams’ Championship, and it was announced after the season had concluded that the team and Perez had agreed to part ways with immediate effect.

Liam Lawson – Red Bull

2025 (two races as team mates):

Qualifying head-to-head: Lawson 0-2 Verstappen / Race head-to-head: Lawson 0-2 VerstappenPoints scored: Lawson – 0 (0% of races finished in points), 14th in championship (points total 22 for whole season)/ Verstappen – 36 (100% of races finished in points), second in championship (points total 421 for whole season)Pole positions: Lawson 0 (0%) / Verstappen 0 (0%)Podiums: Lawson 0 (0%) / Verstappen 1 (50%)Wins: Lawson 0 (0%) / Verstappen 0 (0%)

After the exit of Perez, Red Bull promoted Liam Lawson for the 2025 season – but his tenure as Verstappen’s team mate would prove to be the shortest of all, the New Zealander struggling to get comfortable with the RB21 machine.

Having qualified at the back of the field during both of the opening races – and crashing out at the rain-affected Australian Grand Prix – Lawson was demoted back to Racing Bulls in time for the third round of the season.

Yuki Tsunoda – Red Bull

2025 (22 races as team mates)

Qualifying head-to-head: Tsunoda 0-22 Verstappen / Race head-to-head: Tsunoda 1-21 VerstappenPoints scored: Tsunoda – 30 (31.8% of races finished in points), 17th in championship (points total 33 for whole season) / Verstappen – 385 (95.5% of races finished in points), second in championship (points total 421 for whole season)Pole positions: Tsunoda 0 (0%) / Verstappen 8 (36.4%)Podiums: Tsunoda 0 (0%) / Verstappen 14 (63.6%)Wins: Tsunoda 0 (0%) / Verstappen 8 (36.4%)

While Lawson returned to Racing Bulls, a direct swap saw Yuki Tsunoda become the next to pit himself against Verstappen at Red Bull. However, like Lawson, the Japanese driver also faced his fair share of difficulties in adapting to his new car.

Throughout their 22 races together, Verstappen beat Tsunoda in both head-to-heads – with Tsunoda’s only better finish being in Austria, a race that Verstappen retired from on Lap 1 – and ended the season a whopping 15 places ahead in the Drivers’ Championship.

Prior to the campaign finale in Abu Dhabi, it was announced that Tsunoda would move to a test and reserve role in 2026. Isack Hadjar, meanwhile, will be the latest to pair up with Verstappen as he makes the step up to Red Bull in the season ahead…