2026 F1 Teammate Qualifying Battles: Early Season Scorecard After Miami
With six rounds complete, the teammate qualifying scores tell a revealing story: Antonelli dominates Russell, Leclerc edges Hamilton, and Verstappen struggles against Hadjar. McLaren remains the tightest battle on the grid.
After every F1 qualifying session, Motorsport tracks the head-to-head qualifying record between teammates—excluding grid penalties for a clean comparison. Following the Miami GP, the scorecard offers a clear snapshot of who's delivering in the critical battle of Saturdays.
Why it matters:
Teammate qualifying performance is the purest measure of driver pace under equal machinery. As the 2026 season takes shape, these numbers reveal early dominance, tight contests, and a few surprises that could shape team dynamics and driver market decisions.
The details:
- McLaren: Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are deadlocked at 3-3 overall (3-1 Norris when excluding sprints). Norris holds the edge in Q3 gaps, but Piastri struck for pole in Miami – a statement.
- Mercedes: Rookie Kimi Antonelli leads George Russell 4-2 (3-1 without sprints). The Italian rookie has been electric, taking three straight poles and consistently outperforming the experienced Russell.
- Red Bull: Max Verstappen leads Isack Hadjar 4-2 overall, but without sprints it's 2-2. Verstappen's Australian Q1 off and Miami sprint error have kept Hadjar closer than expected.
- Ferrari: Charles Leclerc leads Lewis Hamilton 4-2 (3-1 without sprints). The gap is small but consistent – Leclerc's single-lap speed is proving formidable.
- Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso has whitewashed Lance Stroll 4-0 (3-0 without sprints). Stroll's DNS in Australia and no time in Miami sprint compound the pain.
- Alpine: Pierre Gasly leads Franco Colapinto 4-2, but Colapinto has closed the gap in recent rounds, outqualifying Gasly in both Miami sessions.
- Cadillac: Sergio Perez leads Valtteri Bottas 3-2 in contested sessions, though both are near the back of the grid.
What's next:
As the European season begins, the teammate battles will intensify. The tightest fight remains at McLaren, where Norris and Piastri are separated by fractions. At Mercedes, all eyes are on whether Russell can recover his edge. And at Red Bull, Hadjar's growing confidence could make the defending champion's life increasingly uncomfortable.
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