F1: 5 intriguing team-mate battles in 2019

The F1 grid for the 2019 season is now complete. Racing Point have announced the obvious signing of Canadian Lance Stroll, who takes up the final of the 20 spots on the grid.

It has been a very interesting silly season that was pushed into hyperactivity by Daniel Ricciardo's shock move to the Renault factory team. Only eight drivers - Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull's Max Verstappen, Nico Hulkenberg of the Renault works team, the Haas duo of Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean and finally Sergio Perez for Racing Point, are in the same seat as they were in 2018.

The shuffling around of the dozen other seats along with the debuts of some fresh faces have brought forth several new teammate combinations.

Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas | Ferrari: Sebastian Vettel, Charles Leclerc

Red Bull: Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly | Renault: Nico Hulkenberg, Daniel Ricciardo

Haas: Kevin Magnussen, Romain Grosjean | McLaren: Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris

Racing Point : Sergio Perez, Lance Stroll | Sauber: Kimi Raikkonen, Antonio Giovinazzi

Toro Rosso: Daniil Kvyat, Alexander Albon | Williams: George Russell, Robert Kubica

Of the 10 pairings, some are old and steady, some are unknown variables, while a few are potentially rather combustible in nature. All of this would make for an intriguing battle of one-upmanship inside the teams to grab an upper hand.

In F1, the first guy you have to beat is your own teammate. He's the only one driving the same equipment, and the one true yardstick of your speed.

On that note, let's look at some of the pairings that will make for interesting subplots next season.

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#5 Ferrari | Sebastian Vettel vs Charles Leclerc

Sebastian Vettel is aware of Charles Leclerc's threat and believes that he deserves the hype

This is a textbook case of an established champ being challenged by a newcomer. It's a season of reckoning for both Vettel and Leclerc.

Vettel should have competed better and farther into both the previous seasons for the driver's championship, but didn't. Ferrari, by going against the grain and placing their faith in a young driver, would want Leclerc to challenge Vettel.

Leclerc has the raw speed to bother anyone, and more often than not should be filling up Vettel's scarlet mirrors. But if he gets ahead regularly, expect some dynamics-changing fireworks in the Ferrari garage.

The Ferrari teammate rivalry will perhaps be career defining for both, and maybe even title-deciding.

#2 Red Bull | Max Verstappen vs Pierre Gasly

Verstappen and Gasly have shown earlier that they are both averse to team orders

Who holds the bull by the horns? Red Bull are aiming high from the partnership with engine manufacturers Honda, and seem intent on throwing off the established order of Mercedes-Ferrari.

Verstappen is the de facto number one in the team, but Gasly is never happy to be a pushover even when driving for meager points, forget about playing wingman when competing for podiums.

Gasly also has the advantage of having driven Honda engines in 2018. He is a year older at 22, and Verstappen is now entering his fifth season, having started at 16!

Red Bull have had arguably the best pairing on the grid with Verstappen and Ricciardo since the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, both in terms of talent and camaraderie. Don't expect that to continue with the new pairing; an intra-team battle is very much on the cards.

#3 Renault | Nico Hulkenberg vs Daniel Ricciardo

The margins in this contest between Ricciardo and Hulkenberg are expected to be miniscule

It'll be extremely interesting to see who lays down the marker at the French marquee constructor. Hulkenberg finished best of the rest in 2018 with a 7th place finish. And Ricciardo, while having held his own in Red Bull who tended to favor Verstappen, will find in Hulkenberg a very tough cookie.

Ricciardo is a proven race winner, pole sitter and podium visitor, known for his superb overtaking, while his perennially unlucky German teammate is yet to get on a podium. However, indications are that they should be closely matched in 2019, with Hulkenberg having the advantage of having driven the car for two seasons now.

The number 1 driver position though is again up for grabs at Renault, and this is one battle that is very tough to call.

#2 McLaren | Carlos Sainz vs Lando Norris

In a repeat of 2007, McLaren will field a Spanish and a British (Lando Norris) driver next season

Carlos Sainz Jr's stock hasn't risen as high as fellow debutant Verstappen (since 2015), but he gets a fresh start, a tabula rasa, after arriving via Renault to replace his idol Alonso.

Lando Norris, meanwhile, is highly rated at McLaren. While Sainz may have the race craft and experience, Norris might have the one-lap pace advantage. He has clocked seriously good times in free practice already.

It will interesting to see their fortunes vis a vis the new McLaren, desperate to return to winning ways.

Sainz with Renault finished second best to Hulkenberg, and could be said to have under-performed in 2018. A definite favorite would be hard to choose with a lot of back and forth in speed and form expected in their and McLaren's way back from mediocrity.

#1 Williams | George Russell vs Robert Kubica

The Polish driver, having managed to pull off a major comeback, will face off against the current GP2 champion

George Russell is the third Brit on the grid and the reigning F2 champ, while Kubica has had one of the most heartening comeback stories in F1 - making a return after a career threatening injury.

Williams have gone backwards in the turbo era and took the wooden spoon last season. Having ditched the pay drivers, they now have, unlike last year, two proper drivers to haul them back up the grid - assuming the car is any better.

The question is, who would do better - Russell or Kubica? You never know. Sentimentally you are tilted towards the experienced Polish driver; practically you would be wise in taking a bet on the young Mercedes-backed champion.

This is an intriguing story to keep an eye on in 2019.