Max Verstappen vs Charles Leclerc: 2026 head to head

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc over 19 rounds of the 2026 Formula 1 season. Verstappen qualified ahead 10–11 and finished ahead in 10 of the 19 races both completed, Leclerc in 9. On race pace Leclerc was 0.158 s a lap quicker on average. Points: Verstappen 261, Leclerc 245.

Season totals

 Max VerstappenCharles Leclerc
Points261245
Qualified ahead1011
Finished ahead (both finished)109
Quicker race pace913
Average qualifying positionP5.4P4.1
Average grid positionP5.4P4.1
Average finishing positionP3.8P3.7
Places gained on lap 1-0.5+0.5
Places gained per race+1.4+0.1
Pace off the quickest of the race0.56%0.39%
Pace steadiness0.74%0.93%
Pit stops3138
Time in the pit lane24.7 s28.4 s
Laps in dirty air20%19%
Finishes2122
Retirements43
Penalties01
Time penalties0 s5 s
Places lost to time penalties00
Points lost to time penalties00

Round by round

RdGrand PrixQuali VER / LECSprint VER / LECRace VER / LECRace pace
1Australian Grand PrixP20 / P4—P6 / P3LEC −0.368 s
2Chinese Grand PrixP8 / P4P9 / P2DNF / P4LEC −0.839 s
3Japanese Grand PrixP11 / P4—P8 / P3LEC −0.719 s
4Miami Grand PrixP2 / P3P5 / P3P5 / P8LEC −0.618 s
5Canadian Grand PrixP6 / P8P7 / P5P3 / P4VER −0.128 s
6Monaco Grand PrixP2 / P4—DNF / DNF—
7Barcelona Grand PrixP5 / P10—P4 / DNFVER −0.647 s
8Austrian Grand PrixP5 / P2—P2 / P8VER −0.184 s
9British Grand PrixP7 / P2P6 / P5DNF / P1LEC −0.316 s
10Belgian Grand PrixP2 / P5—P3 / P2LEC −0.160 s
11Hungarian Grand PrixP6 / P3—P2 / P4LEC −0.197 s
12Dutch Grand PrixP7 / P6P6 / P2DNF / P5—
13Italian Grand PrixP6 / P4—P3 / DNF—
14Spanish Grand PrixP3 / P5—P2 / P4VER −0.094 s
15Azerbaijan Grand PrixP8 / P2—P2 / P4VER −0.200 s
16Bahrain Grand PrixP1 / P5—P1 / P4VER −0.602 s
17Singapore Grand PrixP1 / P2P1 / P3P1 / P2LEC −0.066 s
18United States Grand PrixP2 / P4—P3 / P2VER −0.068 s
19Mexico City Grand PrixP4 / P3—P1 / P4VER −0.012 s

Races and sprints count. Race pace is the median of the clean laps — no first lap, no laps into or out of the pits, nothing behind a safety car.

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