F1 Qualifying 2023: Hamilton's epic Mercedes battle and Albon's Williams domination

The final qualifying session of 2023 has been completed and that means one thing, we now have all of the final results for head-to-head battles between team-mates at all 10 Formula 1 teams.

Whilst race results can often be influenced by numerous factors, qualifying gives F1 fans good insight into which driver is over or underperforming based on their car's capability.

It can also be crucial in helping teams to make a decision regarding the future of under pressure drivers, such as Logan Sargeant at Williams, who this season has become the first man since Alex Albon at Red Bull in 2020 to be outqualified by his team-mate in every race.

So what are the other headlines from team-mate battles up and down the paddock?

F1 2023 qualifying head-to-heads

Red Bull

Perhaps unsurprisingly, three-time world champion Max Verstappen left Sergio Perez in his dust throughout the 22 qualifying sessions in 2023, beating him 20-2.

The dominant Dutchman, who broke plenty of records on his way to a third consecutive title, claimed 12 pole positions, the most of any driver.

Mercedes

Who's the number one driver at Mercedes? Well, if qualifying is anything to go by, neither of them!

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton may have finished third in the drivers' championship, but he couldn't see off George Russell in their head-to-head qualifying battle, drawing 11-11.

Ferrari

Other than Verstappen, Charles Leclerc was the most successful driver during qualifying in 2023, claiming five pole positions.

His team-mate Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, did manage to take top spot on two occasions, but was outperformed by Leclerc 15-7 in their head-to-head battle.

McLaren

Lando Norris demolished his more experienced team-mate Daniel Ricciardo last year, but in Oscar Piastri, found himself up against a talented young rookie in 2023.

The pair formed a brilliant partnership as McLaren mounted a late-season charge up the constructors' standings, but it was Norris' seniority that showed in both races and qualifying, where he beat his team-mate 15-7.

Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso may be 42, but his performances with his new Aston Martin team this year have been nothing short of spectacular.

It took until the United States GP in October before the Spaniard didn't make it into Q3, a better run of consistency than even Verstappen. He outqualified his far younger team-mate Lance Stroll 19-3.

Alpine

It was pastures new for Pierre Gasly at the start of 2023, teaming up with fellow Frenchman Esteban Ocon at Alpine.

Whilst the pair both suffered a below-standards season, their qualifying head-to-head saw the former AlphaTauri driver beat Ocon 14-8.

Williams

As previously mentioned, Sargeant was outqualified by his team-mate Albon in all 22 races on the 2023 calendar, pretty grim reading for the American rookie who has been under some pressure to keep his seat ahead of next year.

Albon had a 100 per cent record go against him back in 2020 when he was Verstappen's team-mate at Red Bull, so will feel like this is fully justified.

AlphaTauri

A tumultuous season for AlphaTauri saw them try out three different driver combinations in 2023, with Yuki Tsunoda remaining the only constant throughout the year.

The Japanese driver outperformed all three of his team-mates, however, beating Nyck de Vries 8-2, Daniel Ricciardo 4-3 and Liam Lawson 3-2. No wonder they decided to stick with him for 2024, despite being under pressure to give the dazzling Lawson a permanent drive.

Alfa Romeo

Valtteri Bottas and his team-mate Zhou Guanyu have now been team-mates for two full seasons, and will continue to build a solid partnership in 2024.

A multiple F1 race winner, Bottas managed to outqualify his young team-mate 15 times, with the record slightly skewed due to Bottas' disqualification from the British GP for failing to provide a fuel sample.

Haas

The veteran duo of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg would have been hoping for better from their Haas car in 2023, but nevertheless both proved plenty of times that they had the pace over one lap.

Hulkenberg beat Magnussen 15-7 in their head-to-head battle, with both drivers confirmed to be continuing their partnership in 2024.

READ MORE: Verstappen takes searing pole as McLaren chance slips away

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