Andrea Kimi Antonelli has the best qualifying average in F1 2026: 2.00. Behind the leader come George Russell (Mercedes, 3.00), Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari, 4.25), Lando Norris (McLaren, 4.42) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari, 4.58). First to fifth is separated by 2.58. Average qualifying position across every session entered this season.
The standout single-race number at the Dutch Grand Prix came from Lando Norris: P1. Nobody has pushed harder over the last three rounds than Lando Norris (McLaren): P3, P1, P1 across the Belgian, Hungarian and Dutch Grands Prix — comfortably clear of the level set over the rest of the season. Going the other way, Oliver Bearman (Haas F1 Team) has given up the most ground: P16, P17, P20 across the Belgian, Hungarian and Dutch Grands Prix, below the standard set earlier in the year.
So why is this ranking worth your time? Because it is exactly the kind of question every fan argues about and almost nobody actually counts. This one is counted: 22 drivers and 12 races of the F1 2026 season, built race by race from the official classifications. No votes, no opinions, no cherry-picked highlights — if a driver moves here, something real happened on track. And it recomputes itself after every Grand Prix, so the next time the argument comes up, the answer is already up to date.
Updated after the Dutch Grand Prix
Andrea Kimi Antonelli tops the 2026 "Best qualifying average" standings after the Dutch Grand Prix, posting 2.00 across 12 counted sessions.
George Russell (Mercedes) is next at 3.00, with Lewis Hamilton third at 4.25.
Every figure here comes straight from the official results — no votes, no narratives, just the classification sheets. The big mover this round is Lando Norris, up 1 place to P4. Charles Leclerc heads the other way, down 1 place to P5.
After the Dutch Grand Prix (round 12), Andrea Kimi Antonelli remains the benchmark in Measure’s Best qualifying average, leading on 2.00 across 12 races counted for Mercedes. George Russell sits second with a 3.00 average, while Lewis Hamilton holds third on 4.25. The biggest climbs this update belong to Lando Norris, up 1 place to P4 with 4.42, and Arvid Lindblad, also up 1 to P10 on 10.92. On the flip side, Charles Leclerc drops 1 to P5 with 4.58 and Pierre Gasly slips 1 to P11 on 11.00. What stands out is how a single-position reshuffle around the top five still matters: Norris’s move to fourth edges him into the front group on qualifying consistency, while Leclerc’s small slide leaves him chasing a similarly tight margin behind.
Mean qualifying position across all qualifying sessions a driver entered, using the full field — not just the top 10. Lower is better. A minimum of 3 sessions is required; drivers below the threshold are excluded, never estimated. Ties are broken by total season points, then alphabetically.
Mean qualifying position across all qualifying sessions a driver entered, using the full field — not just the top 10. Lower is better. A minimum of 3 sessions is required; drivers below the threshold are excluded, never estimated. Ties are broken by total season points, then alphabetically.
After every Grand Prix. The standings above reflect results through the Dutch Grand Prix.
A lower value is better — the driver at the top of the table is the strongest by this measure.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), with 2.00.