All 17 qualifying sessions have now been completed, so which drivers prevailed against their teammates in the 2020 Formula 1 season head-to-heads?
A thrilling battle under the lights at the Yas Marina Circuit saw Max Verstappen claim a shock pole position to become the first non-Mercedes-powered pole sitter of an unprecedented 2020 season. The Red Bull driver also scored the first non-Mercedes pole in Abu Dhabi since 2013.
Mercedes had already seen its hopes of converting a 100 percent qualifying record across the year ended when Lance Stroll sealed a sensational maiden pole in Turkey, while Verstappen’s last-gasp effort ensured Honda put its mark on the qualifying scoresheet at the last possible opportunity to cap off a strong end to the season.
There were plenty of intriguing intra-team battles this season - two of which went down to the wire and were only settled on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
Following the final qualifying of the year in Abu Dhabi, we take a look at which drivers came out on top in the head-to-head comparisons…
Note: Grid penalties are discounted when calculating qualifying head-to-heads.
Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 celebrates with the Pirelli Pole…
Hamilton 11-5 Bottas Best result:Hamilton 1st, Bottas 1st Poles: Hamilton 10, Bottas 5
Bottas vs Russell
Bottas 1-0 Russell Best result: Bottas 1st, Russell 2nd Poles: Bottas 1, Russell 0
Hamilton and Bottas ran each other close in qualifying throughout 2019, but this year Hamilton has moved into another league altogether, claiming a remarkable 11 poles from the 16 races he has contested compared to Bottas five poles. Bottas did get the better of his teammate at the final round in Abu Dhabi, but on this rare occasion, Verstappen grabbed the headlines.
Qualifying was tough for Ferrari in 2020, but that did not stop Leclerc from shining as he became a regular fixture in Q3 and comfortably got the better of his more experienced four-time world champion teammate Sebastian Vettel, whose final qualifying outing for Ferrari saw him take 13th.
Verstappen absolutely annihilated teammate Albon in qualifying, rounding off the year in perfect fashion with his first pole of 2020 to seal a 100 percent record over Albon on Saturdays in their first full season together as Red Bull teammates.
The qualifying battle at McLaren raged all season, with Norris eventually sealing the honours in Abu Dhabi to beat teammate Carlos Sainz in the 2020 head-to-heads. A stunning lap from the Briton saw him land fourth on the grid with an effort that was just two-tenths shy of pole.
Ricciardo boasted a clear advantage over new Renault teammate Ocon all year and had already asserted himself as the lead driver on a Saturday with a series of convincing displays, though Ocon had his moments too, with a brilliant P5 in treacherous conditions at the second race in Austria the pick of the bunch.
Gasly held the upper hand over Kvyat in 2020, particularly in the first half of the season with his headline result coming at Imola. Kvyat began to turn things around later on, outperforming Gasly in qualifying at the final two rounds, though it seems too little too late to save his AlphaTauri seat.
Stroll 1-1 Hulkenberg Best Result: Stroll 6th, Hulkenberg 3rd
Perez vs Hulkenberg
Perez 1-0 Hulkenberg Best result: Perez 9th, Hulkenberg 20th
Unmoved by losing his seat for 2021, Perez has turned in an outstanding campaign and has largely dominated Stroll in both qualifying and the races, however it was the Canadian who scored Racing Point’s only pole of the year to pull off a shock at a rain-soaked Istanbul Park.
Giovinazzi got the better of experienced teammate Raikkonen in their qualifying duel by making it into Q2 for just the second time this season in Abu Dhabi. But the highlight of 2020 came on Saturday in Turkey, where both drivers put their Alfa Romeos into Q3 to celebrate the team’s 500th GP in style.
Magnussen 2-0 Fittipaldi Best result: Magnussen 16th, Fittipaldi 19th
In the 15 races they contested against each other, it was Magnussen - albeit narrowly - who claimed the honours against Grosjean in the qualifying showdown at Haas. Despite coming up short across the year, it was Grosjean who actually recorded the team’s best result in qualifying with 14th at the 70th Anniversary GP.
Williams: Russell vs Latifi
Russell 16-0 Latifi Best result: Russell 12th, Latifi 15th Q2 appearances: Russell 9-1 Latifi
Latifi vs Aitken
Latifi 1-0 Aitken Best result: Latifi 17th, Aitken 18th
Russell only lost his 100 percent qualifying record against his F1 teammates when he went up against Bottas as stand-in for Hamilton at the Sakhir GP. Otherwise, he utterly dominated rookie teammate Latifi at Williams, out-qualifying the Canadian 16 times and making it into Q2 on nine occasions to earn himself the nickname ‘Mr Saturday’.
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for Crash.net around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
