F1 2026 qualifying head-to-head: Azerbaijan GP

In the upcoming 2026 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a head-to-head qualifying analysis reveals the performance of various teams. Oscar Piastri of Mercedes claimed pole position with a time of 6-14 seconds, slightly better than Lando Norris of McLaren who clocked 5-14 seconds. Both drivers managed to avoid technical issues, allowing their qualifying results to accurately reflect their abilities.

Racing to the top of the grid, George Russell of Mercedes secured a podium position with a time of 7-8 seconds, without participating in the sprint qualifying session. Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli of Alpine struggled to put in a representative lap time due to a technical issue, resulting in a qualifying time of 1-4 seconds.

The British Grand Prix saw Norris in second place with a time of 6-7 seconds, while Canada's sprint session resulted in a time of 1-1 for the same driver. Hungary's qualifying session was the lowest on the grid for Mercedes, with Russell finishing 3-5 seconds behind his teammate. Meanwhile, Norris managed to secure a podium position with a time of 1-3 seconds.

The Netherlands sprint session resulted in Piastri finishing in third place with a time of 2-4 seconds. However, the Italian Grand Prix saw Piastri finish in ninth place with a time of 9-7 seconds, significantly behind the top three drivers. Spain's qualifying session was also lower on the grid for Mercedes, with Russell finishing in third place with a time of 1-3 seconds.

Overall, the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying session revealed the strengths and weaknesses of each team, with Mercedes securing several top positions, while McLaren and Alpine struggled to achieve higher results.