Antonelli Tops Mid-Season 2026 F1 Driver Rankings as Verstappen, Hamilton and Norris Impress
August 7, 2026 — The Race has released its mid-season Formula 1 driver rankings after the first 11 Grands Prix of the 2026 season, with Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli emerging as the highest-rated driver based on overall weekend performances.
The rankings, compiled by journalist Edd Straw, evaluate drivers on speed, consistency, racecraft, execution, mistakes, performance relative to their teammates, and other key performance factors throughout each race weekend.
Antonelli led the rankings with an average score of 4.818, earning praise for his remarkable consistency and pace. The young Mercedes driver has frequently outperformed teammate George Russell and has established himself as one of the standout performers of the season.
Lando Norris ranked second with an average of 6.182, highlighted by victories in Miami and Britain and consistently strong performances despite McLaren not always having the fastest car.
Max Verstappen placed third (6.636), continuing to extract strong results from a difficult Red Bull package. According to the rankings, Red Bull would have faced an even tougher campaign without Verstappen's performances.
Lewis Hamilton sits fourth (8.273) after an impressive turnaround in his first season with Ferrari. Hamilton secured his first Ferrari Grand Prix victory and has often led the Italian team's challenge throughout the first half of the year.
Carlos Sainz rounded out the top five (8.273), receiving praise for consistently maximizing the Williams car's potential despite its midfield limitations.
Other notable performers include Liam Lawson, Pierre Gasly, George Russell, Arvid Lindblad, Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Oliver Bearman, Fernando Alonso, Gabriel Bortoleto and Isack Hadjar.
At the lower end of the rankings, Lance Stroll, Valtteri Bottas, Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon struggled to produce consistent results, with difficult machinery and execution issues contributing to their positions.
The rankings reflect performances across the opening 11 race weekends only, with the second half of the 2026 Formula 1 season still to come after the summer break.
Analysis
Antonelli Tops Mid-Season 2026 F1 Driver Rankings as Verstappen, Hamilton and Norris Impress
August 7, 2026 — The Race has released its mid-season Formula 1 driver rankings after the first 11 Grands Prix of the 2026 season, with Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli emerging as the highest-rated driver based on overall weekend performances.
The rankings, compiled by journalist Edd Straw, evaluate drivers on speed, consistency, racecraft, execution, mistakes, performance relative to their teammates, and other key performance factors throughout each race weekend.
Antonelli led the rankings with an average score of 4.818, earning praise for his remarkable consistency and pace. The young Mercedes driver has frequently outperformed teammate George Russell and has established himself as one of the standout performers of the season.
Lando Norris ranked second with an average of 6.182, highlighted by victories in Miami and Britain and consistently strong performances despite McLaren not always having the fastest car.
Max Verstappen placed third (6.636), continuing to extract strong results from a difficult Red Bull package. According to the rankings, Red Bull would have faced an even tougher campaign without Verstappen's performances.
Lewis Hamilton sits fourth (8.273) after an impressive turnaround in his first season with Ferrari. Hamilton secured his first Ferrari Grand Prix victory and has often led the Italian team's challenge throughout the first half of the year.
Carlos Sainz rounded out the top five (8.273), receiving praise for consistently maximizing the Williams car's potential despite its midfield limitations.
Other notable performers include Liam Lawson, Pierre Gasly, George Russell, Arvid Lindblad, Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Oliver Bearman, Fernando Alonso, Gabriel Bortoleto and Isack Hadjar.
At the lower end of the rankings, Lance Stroll, Valtteri Bottas, Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon struggled to produce consistent results, with difficult machinery and execution issues contributing to their positions.
The rankings reflect performances across the opening 11 race weekends only, with the second half of the 2026 Formula 1 season still to come after the summer break.
Source :Formula 1
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