Three rounds into 2026, Oscar Piastri has flipped the top of the qualifying head-to-head ranking with a perfect 3–0 record. The Japanese Grand Prix also reshuffled the chasing pack, with Bearman tumbling from P1 and Verstappen dropping out of the top 10.
By Camille Fontaine
Oscar Piastri is the new leader of the 2026 Teammate head-to-head (qualifying) ranking after Suzuka, moving to a clean 3–0 record for McLaren. With the ranking built purely on qualifying position against the other driver from the same constructor in each round, that undefeated line is as strong a statement as the early season can offer: three opportunities, three wins, no caveats.
Just as important as Piastri’s rise is the identity of the driver displaced. Oliver Bearman was the previous leader, but Japanese GP qualifying has detonated that advantage: Bearman dropped from rank 1 to rank 7, now on 2–1 for Haas. One round can’t erase two wins, but it can change the tone of an internal duel—and the standings show how quickly the margin evaporates when the field is separated by single head-to-head results.
Piastri may have sole ownership of P1, but the top end is already crowded with drivers banking perfect or near-perfect returns. Pierre Gasly is also 3–0 for Alpine F1 Team and sits second, while Carlos Sainz is third for Williams at 2–0—an unbeaten record with one fewer counted session. That contrast matters because this metric rewards accumulation as well as efficiency; being flawless is valuable, but doing it repeatedly is what keeps you ahead as the sample grows.
Behind that, the most revealing stories are the drivers perched on 2–1 who are one session away from looking either elite or merely solid. Charles Leclerc’s move up to sixth with a 2–1 Ferrari record underscores how quickly a single extra ‘win’ against a team-mate changes the ranking’s complexion. In this format, there’s no need for a big headline qualifying result to climb; you just need to keep beating the one driver who has the same car.
The Japanese Grand Prix produced a churn at the top-10 cut line. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) and Sergio Pérez (Cadillac F1 Team) are the new entrants in ninth and 10th, both on 2–1, which is a meaningful marker in a ranking that effectively treats every round as a point in a best-of series. That pair’s arrival also hints at how compressed the fight is: a 2–1 record can be top-10 worthy after three races, but it’s not safe for long.
Max Verstappen is one of the names pushed out, and his drop is emphatic: down six places from fifth to 11th, with a 1–1 record for Red Bull. In a metric where you can’t pad the score against other teams, having only two counted sessions and splitting them leaves you vulnerable to being overtaken by drivers simply compiling more head-to-head wins. George Russell also exits the top 10, a reminder that early-season rankings can swing sharply before the volume of sessions dampens the volatility.
The biggest upward move belongs to Isack Hadjar: up six places from 18th to 12th for Red Bull, now 1–1. The raw record is even, but the rise shows how sensitive the midfield is—when many drivers are separated by only one head-to-head result, a single weekend can reorder whole clusters of the table.
Bearman’s fall is the counterweight. He is still positive at 2–1, yet the ranking no longer treats him as the benchmark because others have reached three wins or maintained unbeaten records. The Japanese GP weekend also underlined how quickly context can turn: Bearman qualified 18th and retired after 20 laps, while Piastri qualified third and finished second with 18 points across 53 laps. The ranking itself doesn’t use race outcomes, but the juxtaposition shows how one strong Saturday can be part of a broader weekend of momentum.
| Driver | Team | Before | After | Δ | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 18 | 12 | +6 | 1–1 |
| Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1 | 7 | -6 | 2–1 |
| Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 5 | 11 | -6 | 1–1 |
Three races in, Piastri’s 3–0 puts him at the front on both volume and efficiency, but Gasly’s matching 3–0 means the lead can’t be taken for granted. With multiple drivers clustered on 2–1 and 1–1, the next qualifying head-to-head ‘win’ or ‘loss’ is enough to swing the top 10—and the Bearman and Verstappen drops show how quickly early advantages can disappear.