By Marcel Borsboom, Netherlands
Atlas F1 Magazine Writer

For the fourth year running, Atlas F1 is going to keep an eye on the battle between teammates throughout the season with a simple measurement: we compare the qualifying times of each driver against his teammate's result. After every Grand Prix, we will show how teammates have fared up against each other, and where they are overall since the beginning of the season. At the end of the season, the World Champion of Qualifying Differentials will be elected - the driver who was most beaten by his teammates, in seconds. Only those who participate in at least 15 of the 17 rounds are eligible for the coveted crown; and for those who made the efforts and participated in all 17 races, the best and worst result will be scrapped.

With six qualifying sessions completed for 2001, the differentials are on a roll! Let's see which drivers deserve bragging rights.

Austria Notables

• Setting the records straight. Austria was the best qualifying result of Juan Pablo Montoya, Nick Heidfeld, and Enrique Bernoldi. Kimi Raikkonen equalled his previous best result.

• Alonso. He's just too good, this young Fernando Alonso. Although driving a Minardi is sure to do injustice to any driver, the Spaniard is still able to show his talent, consistently beating the more experienced Tarso Marques. Beating? Trashing. Look at the average differentials through the first six races of the year, as well as the differentials from Austria. Alonso just rules both tables.

• Schumacher/Irvine. The two ex-teammates, Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine, are by now the only two drivers to have outqualified their respective teammates in every session of the 2001 season. We wonder how long that will last, and who will break first...

• Changes since Spain: Enrique Bernoldi is now ahead of than Jos Verstappen, as well as Olivier Panis, who is back in front of teammate Jacques Villeneuve.

The average gap between teammates in Austria 0.436, almost the same as in Spain - 0.480s. This, compared to the San Marino Grand Prix, where the average gap was 0.715s; 0.25s in Brazil; 0.588 in Malaysia; and 0.852 in Australia.