Racemate · F1 Stats · 2026 Head-to-Head
Piastri 3, Russell 0: every 2026 race they've both started.
Through five rounds of 2026, Oscar Piastri has only made it to the grid three times. Two McLaren DNSs to start the season meant George Russell, in the best car of the year, built an early lead. But in every race Piastri has actually raced, he's finished ahead.
| Rd | Grand Prix | Russell | Piastri | H2H |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | Australia | P1 (win) | DNS | — |
| R2 | China | P2 | DNS | — |
| R3 | Japan | P4 | P2 | Piastri ahead |
| R4 | Miami | P4 | P3 | Piastri ahead |
| R5 | Canada | DNF | P11 | Piastri ahead |
Two of those three wins came from pace. Piastri qualified and finished ahead of Russell in Japan (P2 to P4) and Miami (P3 to P4). The third, in Canada, fell his way: Russell was leading when his car gave out, and Piastri came home eleventh, outside the points. Russell's win in Australia and his second place in China are a fair reminder of what the Mercedes can do when both cars finish, but they sit outside the head-to-head, because Piastri wasn't racing in either.
Avg finishing position, both classified
Russell 4.0 · Piastri 2.5
Across Japan (R3) and Miami (R4).
Total points, R1–R5
Russell 67 · Piastri 33
Russell's margin is the two races Piastri didn't start.
Both started / Both finished
3 / 2
Canada is the one Russell started but didn't finish.
Why the head-to-head and the points table disagree
The head-to-head and the points table say opposite things about the same five rounds. Race by race, Piastri has finished ahead of Russell every time they've both been running: P2 to P4 in Japan, P3 to P4 in Miami, ahead again in Canada. On points it's the other way round, Russell on 67 to Piastri's 33. That gap is the two races Piastri didn't start. Russell won in Australia and came second in China while the other McLaren stayed in the garage, and you can't make up points you were never on track to score. Count only the rounds they've both raced, and Piastri is the one in front.
What changes the picture from here
Three races is a tiny sample, and one bad Sunday for Piastri ends the run. The first time Russell beats him in a race they both start, the streak is gone, and this page will say so. The points gap is the sturdier number for now, and it's Russell's, but it rests entirely on the two races Piastri missed rather than on anything that happened on track. It closes quickly if Piastri keeps starting and keeps finishing ahead. Five rounds in, that's the whole story: when they've both raced, Piastri leads 3-0; on points, Russell leads on two races Piastri had no part in.
Frequently asked
What is the 2026 head-to-head between Piastri and Russell?
In races both have started, Piastri leads 3-0. Russell has scored P1 at Australia and P2 at China, both races Piastri did not start.
Why did Piastri not start the first two races of 2026?
McLaren did not start the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix.
Has Piastri ever finished behind Russell in 2026?
No. In every 2026 race Piastri has started, he has finished ahead of Russell.
Who leads the 2026 championship points, Piastri or Russell?
Through five rounds Russell leads on points, 67 to 33. The entire gap comes from the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix, which Piastri did not start. In the three races both have started, Piastri has finished ahead every time.
Was Piastri ahead of Russell at the Canadian Grand Prix on pace?
No. Piastri finished P11, outside the points, while Russell was leading when his Mercedes retired. It counts on the head-to-head because both drivers started and Piastri was the one classified ahead, but it was a reliability result rather than a pace result. The Japan and Miami wins, P2 to P4 and P3 to P4, were settled on pace.
Are sprint races included in the Piastri vs Russell head-to-head?
No. Only championship Grand Prix results are counted, and sprint races are excluded, so the head-to-head stays comparable across the whole season.
More like this → Oscar Piastri career stats · George Russell career stats · First podium of the season, by driver