Andrea Kimi Antonelli has received the highest midterm grade for the 2026 Formula 1 season, securing an A+. The Mercedes driver leads the World Drivers’ Championship with 219 points as the sport enters its summer break. Antonelli has achieved six race wins and six pole positions across the first 11 rounds.
His performance includes becoming the youngest polesitter in China and the youngest World Drivers’ Championship leader in Japan. Antonelli also secured 12 podium finishes during this period. His dominance at the Monaco Grand Prix was particularly notable.
Lewis Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, earned an A- grade for his efforts in the first half of the season. Hamilton sits second in the championship standings with 169 points. His win in Barcelona marked a significant moment for Ferrari.
Hamilton’s performances have shown considerable improvement compared to the previous year. Changes to his engineering team and the 2026 car characteristics are yielding results. He has generally held an advantage over teammate Charles Leclerc.
Minor errors and penalties in recent rounds have slightly impacted Hamilton’s momentum. In Hungary, he received a five-second penalty for speeding in the pitlane, finishing fifth. Ferrari’s engine upgrades are expected to further close the gap to Mercedes.
George Russell, Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate, is third in the standings with 160 points. Russell has faced significant reliability issues and misfortunes. He retired from the lead in Canada due to a power unit problem.
In Belgium, Russell experienced a straight-line speed issue and a collision with Hamilton on lap one. At the Hungarian Grand Prix, his car went into anti-stall at the start, dropping him from sixth to 21st.
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has expressed frustration regarding the team’s reliability problems. He stated that the team cannot compete for a championship if a car consistently loses significant points.
Charles Leclerc, Hamilton’s Ferrari teammate, holds fourth place with 138 points. Leclerc has experienced an inconsistent season, struggling with the car’s brakes at times. He crashed in Monaco and spun during qualifying in Spain.
A victory at Silverstone provided a boost for Leclerc. However, he remains 31 points behind Hamilton in the championship. His performance has been described as having ups and downs.
Lando Norris, the reigning World Champion, is fifth in the standings with 128 points. Norris secured his first victory of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix, starting from pole position.
He led 34 of the 70 laps at the Hungaroring, demonstrating strong pace. McLaren’s recent upgrades contributed to this performance. Norris has voiced criticism regarding the 2026 regulations.
Oscar Piastri, Norris’s McLaren teammate, is seventh with 92 points. Piastri led a significant portion of the Hungarian Grand Prix before retiring on lap 55 due to a gearbox failure. This incident cost McLaren a potential double podium finish.
Piastri has found adapting to the 2026 regulations challenging. The new energy-starved cars and active aerodynamics do not complement his strengths in high-speed corners.
Max Verstappen is sixth in the championship with 109 points. He finished second at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Verstappen has been vocal about his concerns regarding the 2026 regulations.
The Red Bull car has been described as sensitive and prone to falling out of its optimal operating window. Verstappen has reported unusual ‘car degradation’ issues that the team’s data does not always detect.
Isack Hadjar, Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate, is eighth with 68 points. Hadjar has delivered a solid performance, qualifying third on his debut in Australia. He is 41 points behind Verstappen.
Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls is ninth with 43 points. Lawson has been a consistent midfield performer, scoring points in eight of the 11 races. He is a regular presence in Q3.
Arvid Lindblad, Lawson’s rookie teammate, is eleventh with 23 points. Lindblad has impressed, scoring points in his last six races. He has adapted well to the complexities of the new engines.
Pierre Gasly, driving for Alpine, holds tenth place with 42 points. Gasly secured a podium finish in Monaco. He has more than doubled teammate Franco Colapinto’s points tally.
Franco Colapinto is twelfth with 19 points. Colapinto has shown improved form since the month-long break between Japan and Miami. He is building on Alpine’s solid performance.
Oliver Bearman of Haas is thirteenth with 18 points. Bearman had a strong start to the season, finishing seventh in Australia and fifth in China. He has consistently outperformed teammate Esteban Ocon.
Esteban Ocon is seventeenth with three points. Ocon has cited inconsistencies between the performance of certain components across the two Haas cars. His position for 2027 is under evaluation.
Gabriel Bortoleto, representing Audi, is fourteenth with ten points. Bortoleto has impressed despite Audi’s challenging debut season in Formula 1. Audi entered as a new works team for 2026.
The 2026 season introduced a major overhaul of technical regulations. Cars are lighter, narrower, and feature active aerodynamics with ‘Straight Mode’ and ‘Corner Mode’. Energy management is a critical aspect of the new power units.
