After three 2026 race weekends, Formula 1 intra-team comparisons show Oscar Piastri leading Lando Norris at McLaren, Kimi Antonelli edging George Russell at Mercedes, and Isack Hadjar splitting qualifying and race performance with Max Verstappen at Red Bull.
At McLaren, Oscar Piastri averages 0.14s faster than Lando Norris in qualifying and about 0.24s per lap in races, though both McLaren cars have suffered technical issues that reduce the reliability of direct comparisons.
At Mercedes, Kimi Antonelli leads George Russell by roughly 0.08s in qualifying and 0.17s per lap in race trim, a reversal of 2025 trends as Antonelli adapts to the new regulations.
At Red Bull, Isack Hadjar is about 0.08s quicker than Max Verstappen in qualifying while Verstappen is roughly 0.5s per lap faster in races; several Formula 1 drivers, including Charles Leclerc, say 2026 rules make "crazy laps" nearly impossible, lowering qualifying's predictive value.
This report is based on information originally published by Motorsport.
Read the full article at Motorsport.
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