F1 Driver Ratings: Our Assessment of the 2026 Season’s Leading Performers

The 2026 Formula 1 campaign is shaping up to deliver an enthralling second half, with young Italian prodigy Kimi Antonelli poised to become the youngest champion in the sport’s history. After a dominant start, Antonelli sits 50 points clear of seven‑time world champion Lewis Hamilton and 59 points ahead of George Russell in the Drivers’ Championship. With the calendar now heading toward a Sprint weekend at Zandvoort on 21‑23 August, it is an ideal moment to evaluate which drivers have excelled, which have struggled, and how the intra‑team battles are shaping up. ### Overall Standings and Team Comparisons **Antonelli vs.

Team‑Mate** – Qualifying: 7‑4, Points: 219‑160 The 19‑year‑old Italian has been the standout performer of the season so far. In his second full‑time F1 year, Antonelli has already amassed five victories, added a sixth win in Belgium, and rarely made a mistake. His composure at the Monaco Grand Prix, where he delivered a masterclass in low‑speed cornering and tyre management, was particularly impressive.

Given his age and limited experience, his ability to maintain a sizable championship lead is a testament to both his raw speed and his maturity under pressure. **Hamilton vs.

Team‑Mate (Charles Leclerc)** – Qualifying: 5‑6, Points: 169‑138 Lewis Hamilton’s early‑season form has been below his usual standards, leaving him farther back than expected in the title chase. Nevertheless, the seven‑time champion has narrowed the gap to his Mercedes teammate, turning a substantial deficit from the previous year into a modest, consistent advantage. If Hamilton can eliminate the occasional errors that have plagued his recent races, he remains a credible contender for an unprecedented eighth world title.

**Russell vs. Team‑Mate (Antonelli)** – Qualifying: 4‑7, Points: 160‑219 George Russell’s season has been hampered by a mixture of bad luck and a noticeable lack of outright pace relative to Antonelli. Whether the issue stems from his driving style, tyre degradation, or the interaction with the power unit, Russell has found himself on the back foot since the Japanese round, unable to match his teammate’s blistering speed.

**Leclerc vs. Team‑Mate (Hamilton)** – Qualifying: 6‑5, Points: 138‑169 Charles Leclerc has struggled to recapture the dominance of previous years, suffering a brake failure that affected his performance from Miami through Monaco. Despite these setbacks, the Ferrari duo have stayed close in points heading into the summer break. Leclerc’s victory at Silverstone, capitalising on Antonelli’s misfortune, and his strong showing in Belgium, where he forced the Mercedes driver to fight for the win, underline his resilience.

**Norris vs. Team‑Mate (Piastri)** – Qualifying: 5‑6, Points: 128‑92 Lando Norris has performed at a level comparable to his 2025 campaign, but the McLaren chassis has not been capable of delivering race‑winning pace, particularly before the Hungarian Grand Prix. Since the fourth round in Miami, Norris has generally been the stronger of the two, though his efforts have often flown under the radar.

**Verstappen vs. Team‑Mate (Isack Hadjar)** – Qualifying: 8‑3, Points: 109‑68 Max Verstappen may not have secured a race win yet, but he continues to extract maximum performance from the Red Bull RB22, which struggled to get off the line early in the season. His consistency has kept him within a single podium finish of both Ferrari drivers, a notable achievement given the car’s early reliability concerns. **Piastri vs.

Team‑Mate (Norris)** – Qualifying: 6‑5, Points: 92‑128 Oscar Piastri finds himself in a similar predicament to Russell, with the new 2026 power unit not suiting his driving style. The gap to Norris, especially evident in Hungary, has been several tenths per lap, highlighting a need for adaptation. **Hadjar vs.

Team‑Mate (Verstappen)** – Qualifying: 3‑8, Points: 68‑109 Red Bull’s rookie Isack Hadjar has shown flashes of brilliance, out‑qualifying Verstappen at Suzuka and Silverstone. However, his race pace still lags behind the champion, indicating that work on tyre management and race‑craft is required to close the gap. **Lawson vs.

Team‑Mate (Lindblad)** – Qualifying: 6‑5, Points: 43‑23 Racing Bulls’ rookie Oliver Lawson has enjoyed a breakthrough season, delivering eight points‑scoring finishes, including strong runs through Canada, Monaco and Barcelona. His ability to maximise the car’s potential has often placed him as the best of the rest. **Gasly vs.

Team‑Mate (Colapinto)** – Qualifying: 9‑2, Points: 42‑19 Pierre‑Gilles Gasly continues his upward trajectory, leading the Alpine squad and securing the only podium outside the top‑four teams after being awarded third place at Monaco following a successful protest. **Lindblad vs.

Team‑Mate (Lawson)** – Qualifying: 5‑6, Points: 23‑43 Swedish rookie Alexander Lindblad has matched Lawson’s outright pace despite less experience. His aggressive driving style has produced several on‑track battles in Austria, Belgium and Hungary, suggesting a promising future. **Colapinto vs.

Team‑Mate (Gasly)** – Qualifying: 2‑9, Points: 19‑42 Alvaro Colapinto recorded impressive performances in Miami and Canada, achieving a career‑best sixth place. While he still trails Gasly in raw speed, his consistency keeps Alpine confident in retaining him for 2027. **Bearman vs.

Team‑Mate (Ocon)** – Qualifying: 8‑3, Points: 18‑3 Mason Bearman has quietly delivered an impressive season for Haas, often out‑qualifying his teammate Esteban Ocon by a wide margin. Though the points tally does not reflect his speed, his error‑free runs mark a significant improvement over his debut year. **Bortoleto vs. Team‑Mate (Hulkenberg)** – Qualifying: 5‑6, Points: 10‑0 Audi’s rookie Enzo Bortoleto has consistently finished inside the top‑eleven over the last six races, though only two points finishes have materialised.

His development curve remains positive as he gains experience. **Sainz vs. Team‑Mate (Albon)** – Qualifying: 9‑2, Points: 6‑5 Carlos Sainz aims to avoid the prolonged frustration experienced by Fernando Alonso in earlier years – driving well but rarely reaping rewards. Sainz has been faster than his teammate Alex Albon, yet his points haul suggests the season has not yet lived up to his potential.

**Albon vs. Team‑Mate (Sainz)** – Qualifying: 2‑9, Points: 5‑6 Alex Albon showed signs of improvement just before the summer break, challenging Sainz more closely.

However, his performance has been inconsistent, and like Russell and Piastri, he may be extracting less from his car than he is capable of. **Ocon vs. Team‑Mate (Bearman)** – Qualifying: 3‑8, Points: 3‑18 Esteban Ocon has struggled to match Bearman’s pace, often trailing by three tenths in qualifying.

Nevertheless, he appears to have closed the gap in recent weekends, fighting to retain his seat amid speculation of incoming F2 talent for 2027. **Hulkenberg vs. Team‑Mate (Bortoleto)** – Qualifying: 6‑5, Points: 2‑10 Nico Hulkenberg’s sole points finish does not reflect his overall solid season.

He has been close to Bortoleto in pace, but misfortune – such as a gravel‑induced safety‑system failure in Spain – has cost him valuable results. **Alonso vs. Team‑Mate (Stroll)** – Qualifying: 9‑2, Points: 1‑0 Fernando Alonso continues to out‑perform Lance Stroll at Aston Martin, visibly pushing the upgraded car to its limits in Hungary. His speed remains a key asset for the team.

**Stroll vs. Team‑Mate (Alonso)** – Qualifying: 2‑9, Points: 0‑1 Lance Stroll’s season mirrors the previous three years: consistently slower than Alonso and plagued by retirements, leaving him with minimal points. **Bottas vs. Team‑Mate (Perez)** – Qualifying: 5‑6, Points: 0‑0 Valtteri Bottas sits ahead of Cadillac teammate Sergio Perez in the championship, yet his pace has lagged throughout the season, both in qualifying and races.

**Perez vs. Team‑Mate (Bottas)** – Qualifying: 6‑5, Points: 0‑0 Sergio Perez has exceeded expectations given Cadillac’s inaugural‑year challenges, extracting more performance than Bottas and surprising many with his one‑lap speed.

### Looking Ahead The summer hiatus will be brief, with the Dutch Grand Prix Sprint weekend set to resume action on 21‑23 August. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, and fans can stream the coverage via NOW without a long‑term contract. As teams return from the break, the intra‑team dynamics highlighted above will be crucial in determining who can maintain momentum and who may falter. The championship battle remains wide open, and the next few races promise to deliver further twists, surprise performances, and perhaps a new record‑breaking champion in the making.