Zandvoort always has a way of testing limits, and this weekend was no different. With rain threatening, Lando Norris secured pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix, edging out George Russell by a tiny margin. But beyond the session's drama, there's a deeper story: how drivers have fared against their teammates throughout the 2026 season.
Motorsport.com has compiled each team's qualifying head-to-head record, based purely on qualifying results without grid penalties. It's a pure measure of one-lap pace, and after 14 rounds, some intriguing patterns are emerging.
Internal Battles at Every Team
At McLaren, Norris leads Oscar Piastri 13-4 in qualifying duels (8-4 without sprints). Norris has been dominant at several tracks, including Australia and Barcelona, though Piastri hit back in Hungary and Canada. At Mercedes, Russell leads Kimi Antonelli 9-8, a razor-thin margin that shows how close the fight is within the garage.
Red Bull shows two different faces. Max Verstappen has crushed Isack Hadjar 12-3 (8-3 without sprints), but against Liam Lawson, Verstappen only leads 2-0 after Lawson replaced Hadjar from the Dutch GP. Ferrari has the tightest battle: Charles Leclerc leads Lewis Hamilton 9-8 (6-6 without sprints), signaling Hamilton's growing adaptation.
The qualifying results have direct implications for the constructors' standings. McLaren continues to lead thanks to Norris's consistency, while Mercedes and Ferrari are trading blows. With the Zandvoort sprint also a proving ground, pressure is mounting on drivers trailing their teammates.
Heading into the second half of the season, these head-to-head patterns could determine who gets full team support for title fights. If Norris maintains his edge over Piastri, McLaren will only grow stronger. At Mercedes, Russell needs to keep his rhythm to cement his status as the team leader.
Read Also
Jadwal lengkap GP Belanda 2026, prakiraan cuaca Zandvoort, dan cara nonton balapan F1 Minggu. Norris pole, Verstappen start ke-7.
Vasseur akui hasil kualifikasi GP Belanda tak sesuai target, tapi simpan satu set soft baru untuk strategi balapan. Simak analisis peluang Ferrari di Zandvoort.
Charles Leclerc kritik strategi mesin Ferrari usai gagal di kualifikasi GP Belanda, hanya P6. Simak analisis lengkap dan dampaknya bagi tim.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!