The biggest surprises in 2026 teammate battles
It's a saying as old as time in motorsport: your fiercest competition is your teammate.
At the halfway mark of the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship, the lay of the land in intra-team battles has become clear, with some big surprises throughout the 11 teams.
Some battles have proven to be deceptively close, whilst other face large, even insurmountable, deficits to their teammates despite there still being half the season remaining.
With the second half of the season set to kick off at the Bosch Power Tools Perth Super 440 from July 31-August 2, Supercars.com analyses each of the 11 intra-team battles.
NOTE: Race head-to-heads only count races where both/all team cars are classified, qualifying head-to-heads only count sessions where both/all cars set times. SCT Motorsport are not included as a single-car team.
Penrite Racing
Qualifying: Matt Payne 21-1 Kai Allen
Race: Matt Payne 16-5 Kai Allen
Verdict: Payne in ominous form
Amidst key personnel departing and constant noise surrounding the future of Matt Payne at the team, Penrite Racing have soared to the top of the tree. Both Payne and Kai Allen are top five in points, however it is the Kiwi who has once again stormed ahead in the head-to-head battle, especially over one lap.
Red Bull Ampol Racing
Qualifying: Broc Feeney 16-6 Will Brown
Race: Broc Feeney 14-7 Will Brown
Verdict: Brown closing the gap
Broc Feeney hasn't been quite as dominant over Will Brown as he was last year, however it has still been a largely one-sided story at Red Bull Ampol Racing. It was even more one-sided before Feeney copped the brunt of Triple Eight's form slump across Darwin and Townsville, with Brown finishing ahead of the #88 Ford in five of the last six races.
Tickford Racing
Qualifying: Cam Waters 15-6 Thomas Randle
Race: Cam Waters 18-2 Thomas Randle
Verdict: Waters on top
A frustrating start to the year for Tickford seems to be a thing of the past, with Cam Waters stringing together a rich run of form as the season builds towards Finals. Whilst Thomas Randle also found form at the most recent round in Townsville, the trend of Waters having the upper hand has continued.
Walkinshaw TWG Racing
Qual: Ryan Wood 15-7 Chaz Mostert
Race: Chaz Mostert 10-8 Ryan Wood
Verdict: Similarities to 2025
The manufacturer may have changed, but the head-to-heads are a repeat of 2025 at WTWGR. Whilst Ryan Wood has continued to show his raw speed in qualifying, it's the experience of Chaz Mostert that's showing in races. The pair have admittedly been much closer matched in races, though reliability also remains a concern for the team, with retirements in three races so far this season, on top of a Sydney disqualification for Mostert.
Dick Johnson Racing
Qualifying: Brodie Kostecki 20-0 Rylan Gray
Race: Brodie Kostecki 18-2 Rylan Gray
Verdict: No comparison to be made
Brodie Kostecki has been on a tear in 2026, with rookie Rylan Gray proving no match for the 2023 champion. However, this was something DJR were expecting, with the Shell V-Power Racing Team reiterating on several occasions that Gray's 2026 is all about learning, and not matching his teammate.
Team 18
Qualifying: Anton De Pasquale 18-4 David Reynolds
Race: Anton De Pasquale 19-2 David Reynolds
Verdict: De Pasquale stands up for GM
Anton De Pasquale has grown into his role as leader of the Chevrolet pack, consistently running as the top Camaro. David Reynolds, meanwhile, has struggled throughout the opening half of the season, as he did in 2025. Reynolds will be looking for another turnaround come Bathurst with his contract up at the end of the year.
Matt Stone Racing
Qualifying: Zach Bates 11-10 Jack Le Brocq
Race: Jack Le Brocq 16-5 Zach Bates
Verdict: Experience winning out over raw speed
Rookie Zach Bates has been superb in qualifying this season, making a statement by qualifying inside the top 10 for all three races at the Sydney season opener. But, as the season has worn on, the experience and guile of Jack Le Brocq has shone through. The veteran holds down a provisional Finals berth off the back of strong performances in races, especially the longer 200km races.
Brad Jones Racing
Qualifying: Andre Heimgartner 14-5 Cameron Hill-2 Macauley Jones
Race: Andre Heimgartner 13-3 Cameron Hill-3 Macauley Jones
Verdict: Heimgartner standing tall, Hill still adjusting
Andre Heimgartner continues to lead the way at BJR, as he has done since joining the team in 2022. It has been a learning year for Brad Jones' squad, with Cameron Hill jumping onboard and the big shift away from Chevrolet to Toyota. Things haven't quite clicked for Hill, who has finished as BJR's lead Supra as many times as Macauley Jones, with a large gap opening up to his Kiwi stablemate.
Blanchard Racing Team
Qualifying: Aaron Cameron 12-10 James Golding
Race: James Golding 13-7 Aaron Cameron
Verdict: Cameron fast, Golding getting results
The addition of James Golding, ex-BJR engineer Tony Woodward, and a Triple Eight technical deal has elevated BRT to a new level in 2026. Both Golding and Aaron Cameron have shown superb qualifying speed, especially in the opening stanza of the season, whilst poor race craft has seen Golding become the team's sole hope for a fairytale run into the Finals.
PremiAir Racing
Qualifying: Jayden Ojeda 17-3 Declan Fraser
Race: Jayden Ojeda 18-4 Declan Fraser
Verdict: Ojeda stuns in rookie campaign
The standout rookie of 2026 has been Jayden Ojeda, who could steer PremiAir to a maiden Finals berth off the back of a mid-season run of top 10s. Whilst Ojeda has impressed, the returning Declan Fraser has found himself under the microscope of Team Principal Roland Dane, as he struggles to match the levels hit by Ojeda.
Erebus Motorsport
Qualifying: Cooper Murray 17-5 Jobe Stewart
Race: Cooper Murray 12-6 Jobe Stewart
Verdict: Stewart quietly achieving amid rebuild
It's been a tough year for Erebus, and whilst it mightn't show on the points table, Jobe Stewart has proven solid against teammate Cooper Murray. Whilst the second year driver is clear in both head-to-heads, Stewart has proven himself worthy of his main game promotion, though the team are rebuilding by their own admission.
