Charles Leclerc vs Carlos Sainz
Head-to-head driver comparison across the Pit Lane Data dataset, 2023-2026.
| Metric | Leclerc | Sainz |
|---|---|---|
| Races | 87 | 86 |
| Wins | 4 | 3 |
| Podiums | 31 | 14 |
| Points | 1019 | 561 |
| Best finish | P1 | P1 |
| Retirements | 9 | 12 |
Leclerc vs Sainz: the verdict
Leclerc and Sainz both started 83 Grands Prix across 2023-2026. They were team-mates at Ferrari in 2023-2024. In the 66 races where both were classified, Leclerc leads the race head-to-head 49–17. Leclerc finished ahead more often in 2023 (10–5), 2024 (13–8), 2025 (14–3) and 2026 so far (12–1).
In qualifying, Leclerc leads the head-to-head 63–21. Comparing lap times from the furthest session both reached, the median gap was 0.123s to Leclerc in 2023, 0.008s to Leclerc in 2024, 0.316s to Leclerc in 2025 and 1.316s to Leclerc in 2026 so far. Leclerc kept the edge, and the margin grew from 0.123s in 2023 to 1.316s in 2026. Leclerc took 7 poles in this period to Sainz's 3.
Leclerc scored 1019 championship points to Sainz's 561 over these seasons, with 4 wins to 3 and 31 podiums to 14. Leclerc retired from 9 Grands Prix, Sainz from 12. After round 17 of 2026, Leclerc is P5 in the championship on 215 points and Sainz is P17 on 7.
Season-by-season head-to-head
Each cell reads Leclerc first, Sainz second. The better figure is highlighted (lower is better for DNFs and championship position).
| Season | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026* | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grands Prix together | 20 | 23 | 23 | 17 | 83 |
| Race head-to-head | 10–5 | 13–8 | 14–3 | 12–1 | 49–17 |
| Qualifying head-to-head | 15–7 | 14–9 | 18–5 | 16–0 | 63–21 |
| Median qualifying gap | Leclerc 0.123s | Leclerc 0.008s | Leclerc 0.316s | Leclerc 1.316s | Leclerc 0.237s |
| Points | 206–200 | 356–290 | 242–64 | 215–7 | 1019–561 |
| Wins | 0–1 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 4–3 |
| Podiums | 6–3 | 13–9 | 7–2 | 5–0 | 31–14 |
| Poles | 4–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 7–3 |
| DNFs | 3–2 | 1–3 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 9–12 |
| Championship | P5–P7 | P3–P5 | P5–P9 | P5–P17 | — |
* 2026 figures run to round 17. Points, wins, podiums and championship positions come from the final standings of each season; points include sprints. Head-to-heads count Grands Prix only: a race counts when both drivers were classified, and qualifying compares final qualifying positions. Poles are qualifying P1, before grid penalties. The median qualifying gap uses the last session (Q1, Q2 or Q3) in which both set a time.
2026 race by race (to round 17)
Qualifying and finishing positions for Leclerc and Sainz at every 2026 Grand Prix. Select a race for the full result.
| Rd | Grand Prix | Qualifying | Race | Ahead in race | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leclerc | Sainz | Leclerc | Sainz | |||
| 1 | Australian Grand Prix | P4 | — | P3 | P15 | Leclerc |
| 2 | Chinese Grand Prix | P4 | P17 | P4 | P9 | Leclerc |
| 3 | Japanese Grand Prix | P4 | P16 | P3 | P15 | Leclerc |
| 4 | Miami Grand Prix | P3 | P13 | P8 | P9 | Leclerc |
| 5 | Canadian Grand Prix | P8 | P15 | P4 | P9 | Leclerc |
| 6 | Monaco Grand Prix | P4 | P12 | DNF | P16 | — |
| 7 | Barcelona Grand Prix | P10 | P16 | P15 | P12 | Sainz |
| 8 | Austrian Grand Prix | P2 | P17 | P8 | DNF | — |
| 9 | British Grand Prix | P2 | P15 | P1 | P12 | Leclerc |
| 10 | Belgian Grand Prix | P5 | P15 | P2 | P16 | Leclerc |
| 11 | Hungarian Grand Prix | P3 | P18 | P4 | P18 | Leclerc |
| 12 | Dutch Grand Prix | P6 | P17 | P5 | P16 | Leclerc |
| 13 | Italian Grand Prix | P4 | P15 | DNF | P13 | — |
| 14 | Spanish Grand Prix | P5 | P17 | P4 | DNF | — |
| 15 | Azerbaijan Grand Prix | P2 | P9 | P4 | P10 | Leclerc |
| 16 | Bahrain Grand Prix | P5 | P13 | P4 | P17 | Leclerc |
| 17 | Singapore Grand Prix | P2 | P14 | P2 | P14 | Leclerc |
A dash in the last column means at least one driver was not classified, so the race does not count towards the head-to-head.
2026 points progression
Profiles and teams
Team history covers the seasons compared on this page (2023-2026).
- Charles Leclerc raced for Ferrari (2023-2026).
- Carlos Sainz raced for Ferrari (2023-2024) and Williams (2025-2026).