F1: The Season So Far

"Lando, this is Zak from McLaren. Is this the world champion hotline? We did it, awesome!" These were the exact words the McLaren CEO came up with when Lando Norris finished 3rd to become the 2025 drivers' champion, but these weren’t just the last words of the 2025 season; this was also the end of the ground-effect era. Winters full of rest, friends, family and fun and later, back to work, it was all the usual, but this season’s beginning had something else to it. As 2026 dawned, the teams and drivers prepared themselves for the new set of regulations that introduced smaller, lighter cars with active aerodynamics, 100% sustainable-fuel hybrid power units (50% electric), and simplified engines to make racing faster, cleaner, and more competitive. Everybody was preparing themselves for the season ahead, but what they weren’t prepared for was what was about to come. Mercedes back at the front, Ferrari rediscovering their fighting spirit, McLaren enduring one heartbreak after another despite having a genuinely quicker car, and Red Bull, one untouchable, suddenly looking vulnerable. And at the centre of all this, a teenager, taking Formula 1 by storm. KIMI ANTONELLI- A STAR IN FULL FLIGHT Andrea Kimi Antonelli had already announced himself to the world when he got a seat at Mercedes, once held by the legendary Lewis Hamilton, in 2025. His exceptional raw speed, rapid adaptability, and remarkable on-track composure eventually became the talk of the paddock. Sharp technical maturity and relentless work ethic were what made him stand out from the usual teenagers. P2 in Australia, and then came the storm. Five consecutive victories at China, Japan, Miami, Canada and Monaco made him the youngest-ever championship leader. P3 in Austria and Hungary. Unfortunate DNFs in Barcelona and Great Britain. But then a convincing victory at the legendary Spa. The one considered the future became the present, the reality and the ultimate truth. Kimi Antonelli tops the standings as F1 takes a rest and looks in a comfortable position to win the championship as 12 more rounds await. MERCEDES- THE RETURN OF THE SILVER ARROWS One of the most successful teams in the paddock was hopeless for the past 4 years despite having drivers like Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix left a wound that took a long time to recover. But they are back at the top in 2026, as they had been waiting for the new regulations to change F1 forever. Under Toto Wolff’s leadership and Kimi Antonelli and George Russell’s driving, they are sitting comfortably at the top despite competition from Ferrari. Lewis leaving Mercedes in 2025 caused havoc in the team and Toto’s mind. Back in 2023, Toto promised Lewis a car worth winning by 2026, but neither of them was ready to wait for such a long time. Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli prepared himself to fill the boots of the 7-time world champion, and he aptly did and continues to do so in the 2026 season. Mercedes have not just built a car worth winning, but also dominating. Mercedes have won 8 out of 11 grand prix with Kimi at the top and George at third in the drivers' standings and themselves at first in the constructors' standings. LEWIS HAMILTON- A NEW HOME, A FAMILIAR MISSION “Remember who you are, Lewis” He remembered. One of the greatest drivers of all time, 7-time world champion Lewis Hamilton regained trust in himself to become the oldest driver ever to win a Formula 1 grand prix in 2026. In 2025, he left Mercedes, leaving a significant impact on the team, to join Ferrari, which he had announced at the beginning of 2024. A stint that other drivers would have considered decent for themselves was the poorest of his career; 2022-2025, the GOAT had moments to be depressed and to feel lost. He questioned his own performances and self- critically labeled himself as “useless”. But the greatest returned. He was done with Ferrari, but they worked hard to give him a car worth competing and winning. P4 in Melbourne gave him a better and more confident start, and then came Beijing. P3 in China, to get his first-ever podium at Ferrari. P2 in Canada and then Monaco, where he was eventually joined by his lady luck. Podiums got regular for Ferrari, but what everyone waited for was his win, and it came. Lewis Hamilton won the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix to get his first win at Ferrari and also the first after the Belgian Grand Prix 2024. Lewis continues to fight for the title as he is currently 2nd in the drivers' standings, behind Kimi. CHARLES LECLERC- THE LONG TERM BET 2026 brought in newer and greater hopes for Leclerc. He has had a good year personally as he got married and a decent one professionally. He started this season with a podium and has performed consistently throughout the first half. P3 in Australia and Japan, P2 in Belgium and a win in Great Britain, he has done well enough to be 4th in the drivers' standings. The Monaco Grand Prix was not the best for him being one of their own, but it did get him in the spotlight for the news around him. The Monegasque and the Royalty in Red played a big gamble by trusting each other. Leclerc signed a long-term, multi-year extension with Scuderia Ferrari, keeping him with the team into the late 2020s or early 2030s. Will the gamble be profitable for both of them or not? We are set to find out. FERRARI- RED REAWAKENED The Fire of the Eternal Red has been reignited. Ferrari have finally become genuine contenders. For years, Ferrari have shown flashes of brilliance only to disappear from championship contention. 2026 feels different. Ferrari may not possess Mercedes' outright pace, but their consistency has kept them firmly in the championship conversation. Hamilton has regularly stood on the podium, while Leclerc has remained a constant threat whenever opportunities arise. But mistakes and penalties have cost them valuable points. Ferrari has been one of the oldest and greatest to ever race in Formula 1; now all they wait for is a championship. Since Michael Schumacher’s last race at Ferrari, nobody has been able to give them a season good enough to win the championship. But now the dream has its chances of being fulfilled either by Lewis, who has a strong shot this season, or Leclerc, whom they have signed for years. Will Ferrari return, or will the Tifosi have to wait? The 2nd half awaits. MCLAREN- SPEED WITHOUT REWARD In 2025, Zak Brown stated that they have the fastest car and the two fastest drivers to fit in, and that is exactly what happened. McLaren secured their Constructors' Championship at the Singapore Grand Prix 2025; Lando Norris won the Drivers' Championship, and Oscar Piastri had a strong season to finish third. But 2026 has not been the best for the defending champions. If there’s one team wondering what might have been its McLaren. The pace has rarely been the problem. On several weekends, they've looked capable of winning races. Unfortunately, reliability issues, poor timing, strategic setbacks and racing incidents have repeatedly got in the way. Although Lando has given the team a breather just before the summer break by winning the Hungarian Grand Prix, it isn’t enough for the defending champion to be carefree. McLaren would be expecting both of their drivers to perform and score points in the upcoming races to get something better out of the constructors standings. Meanwhile, a frustrating 1st half for Oscar Piastri has brought him into the spotlight as Max’s exit clause opened. MAX VERSTAPPEN- STILL FIGHTING One of the most dominant drivers in the history of F1 is fighting hard with a Red Bull that hasn’t responded the best. After years of setting the standard, they now find themselves trying to catch up. Since the controversy around the ex-team principal and CEO, Christian Horner, the team hasn't been in the best shape. The new team principal and CEO, Laurent Mekies, hasn’t been able to deliver a car worth competing with since he joined in mid 2025. The news builds around the 4-time world champion, Max Verstappen, who has a multi-year contract with Red Bull, but his exit clause has now been opened. This season has so far been a bittersweet one for him, but is he ready to make a big move? According to sources, he has been approached by McLaren. Red Bull and McLaren might eye a driver exchange for the next season. But, amongst this news, pictures have surfaced online of Max’s and Toto’s families vacationing together, leaving the fans questioning. McLaren or Mercedes or Red Bull? The 2nd half might answer that question. RED BULL- THE FALL FROM THE SUMMIT Red Bull have been one of the most dominant teams in the paddock since Horner took charge. Since 2009, they have won 8 drivers and 6 constructors championships, all under Horner’s leadership. But, since his controversy and then exit, Red Bull have been the ones trying to catch up. Red Bull’s performance has been one of the biggest shocks of the season. One of the most dominant teams is now struggling to catch up with the rest of the Big 4. Although they have scored points regularly, they haven’t been able to match the set standards. While Red Bull have probably overcome the second seat curse, with Isack Hadjar doing well so far, they are now concerned with their priority driver, Max Verstappen. Max, being a world-class, dominant driver, hopes that Red Bull will deliver him a car worth competing in, but with his exit clause now opened, Red Bull will have to build a car that helps them have their best driver regain confidence in the team. A MIDFIELD THAT REFUSES TO BE BORING The midfield teams Racing Bulls, Alpine, Haas and Audi have been away from the title battle, but have quietly become one of the entertaining parts of every race weekend. Red Bull’s junior team Racing Bulls have been one of the most consistent teams this season apart from the Big 4. Liam Lawson, the only rookie of the season, and Arvid Lindblad have scored points in almost every race. Lawson has improved from last season, while Lindblad has given tough competition to others. They are currently fifth in the constructors' standings. Alpine have maintained consistency but have been unable to have both drivers score in a race. Pierre Gasly did take P3 in Monaco, but that hasn’t been enough for them to be in the Top 5. Franco Colapinto has brought some points, considering his last season, when he didn’t score even a single point. Both of them have given some exciting moments to the fans by overtaking and fighting confidently. Alpine will have to maintain or rise in the constructors' standings in order to get rewarded financially, as they are sixth at the moment. Haas have had one of the more deceptive seasons on the 2026 grid. Their campaign can almost be split into two distinct halves: an encouraging start followed by a gradual slide as rivals developed their cars faster. One clear positive from their campaign has to be Oliver Bearman. He has continued to justify not just Haas’ but also Ferrari’s faith in him. Esteban Ocon has had a rough season so far with him competing with the likes of the lower-ranked teams rather than the midfield. Audi’s first season as a full-fledged Formula 1 team has eventually performed better than its predecessor Kick Sauber, although the drivers are the same. Gabriel Bortoleto has been one of the positives for the team, as he has consistently finished in the middle; he’s been able to secure some points and would aim to score more as the car keeps getting better. Nico Hulkenberg, on the other hand, was able to secure his 1st point of the season in Hungary. The drivers have been consistent, and Audi’s rankings can get better as the car is making improvements race by race. THE BACKMARKERS Williams, Aston Martin and Cadillac have witnessed things from the back of the grid so far and thus are our backmarkers of the 1st half. After a promising 2025, expectations around Williams were high. The arrival of Carlos Sainz alongside Alex Albon was supposed to accelerate the team's resurgence under James Vowles, but the new regulations have exposed their weaknesses. While flashes of pace have shown the project still has potential, Williams has largely failed to build on the momentum of last season. Instead of taking another step forward, the team has spent much of the year trying to keep pace with a rapidly improving midfield. No team entered 2026 with bigger expectations than Aston Martin. With Honda returning as a works engine partner, state-of-the-art facilities, and Adrian Newey leading the technical direction, many believed this would be the start of a title challenge. Instead, it has been one of the biggest disappointments of the season. But not anymore; Aston Martin brought in 16 upgrades to Hungary, and that eventually resulted in the drivers competing with the midfield and getting the best results so far. More upgrades have been planned for Baku and Singapore, and we might get to see Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso fighting for points soon. Despite all the racing action, speculation has built around Christian Horner’s return to F1 as Aston Martin’s team principal, but no update has yet been given by either of them. For Cadillac, 2026 has never been about immediate success. As Formula 1's newest entrant and the grid's eleventh team, the American manufacturer entered the championship knowing its biggest objective was to build a solid foundation rather than chase podiums. With Sergio Pérez bringing experience and Valtteri Bottas helping lead development, Cadillac has focused on understanding the sport's steep learning curve. The results have been modest, but there have been encouraging signs. The team has steadily reduced the gap to the midfield, improved operationally over successive race weekends and shown enough potential to suggest it won't remain at the back for long. While points have remained elusive, Cadillac has demonstrated that it possesses the resources, ambition and patience required to become a genuine competitor in the years ahead. SEPANG RETURNS The latest news that made the headlines was the legendary Sepang’s return to F1. The Bahrain Grand Prix and Saudi Arabia Grand Prix had been cancelled this year due to the Middle East tensions earlier this year, but the FIA have arranged a race weekend in Malaysia between the Azerbaijan and Singapore Grand Prix. It would be the Bahrain Grand Prix taking place in Malaysia. DRIVERS STANDINGS Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 219 +/- Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 169 -50 George Russell Mercedes 160 -59 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 138 -81 Lando Norris McLaren 128 -91 Max Verstappen Red Bull 109 -110 Oscar Piastri McLaren 92 -127 Isack Hadjar Red Bull 68 -151 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 43 -176 Pierre Gasly Alpine 42 -177 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls 23 -196 Franco Colapinto Alpine 19 -200 Oliver Bearman Haas 18 -201 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 10 -209 Carlos Sainz Williams 6 -213 Alexander Albon Williams 5 -214 Esteban Ocon Haas 3 -216 Nico Hulkenberg Audi 2 -217 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1 -218 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 0 -219 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac 0 -219 Sergio Perez Cadillac 0 -219 CONSTRUCTORS STANDINGS Mercedes 379 +/- Ferrari 307 -72 McLaren 220 -159 Red Bull 177 -202 Racing Bulls 66 -313 Alpine 61 -318 Haas 21 -358 Audi 12 -367 Williams 11 -368 Aston Martin 1 -378 Cadillac 0 -379 Six months into the 2026 season, one thing is clear—Formula 1 has changed. New regulations have reshuffled the grid, fresh faces have stepped into the spotlight, and the teams that once dominated are now fighting to stay ahead. But with plenty of races still to come, nothing is decided yet. The title fight is still alive, the midfield battle remains as close as ever, and every team has something left to prove. If the first half of the season has been this unpredictable, the road to Abu Dhabi promises to be even more exciting.