The 2026 Formula 1 season introduced the biggest regulation change in the sport’s history.
Under the new regulation, there is a 50-50 split in electrical power and power from internal combustion. This has put extra importance on power units and energy deployment.
The Drag Reduction System (DRS) has been replaced by Overtake Mode. Drivers still need to been within a second of the driver in front to access it, but they have it for the entire lap rather than in specific zones.
The new regulations have been met with criticism by several of the drivers. Four-time World Champion Max Verstappen has been the most vocal critic of the reliance of energy deployment and the presence of “yo-yo racing,” in which battling drivers trade places repeatedly.
New teams, familiar faces
Cadillac joined the Formula 1 grid, making 2026 the first season since 2016 with 11 teams. Cadillac opted to rely on experienced drivers for their first season, bringing back 10-time Grand Prix winner Valtteri Bottas and six-time winner Sergio Perez.
The new season also brought new engine manufacturers. Audi took over Kick Sauber, who were previously a Ferrari customer team.
Ford supplied the engines for Red Bull and their sister team Racing Bulls. Their previous supplier, Honda, moved to Aston Martin.
Alpine became a Mercedes customer team, making 2026 the first season since 2000 in which Renault is not an engine supplier.
A star is born
George Russell and Mercedes entered the season as the favourites for the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship.
Russell started the season with a win at the Australian Grand Prix and followed it up with a sprint win in China.
Russell’s teammate, Kimi Antonelli, soon usurped Russell as the championship favourite. The 19-year-old took his first pole and win in the Chinese Grand Prix. A second consecutive win at the Japanese Grand Prix made Antonelli the youngest person to lead the Drivers’ Championship.
Antonelli won five straight Grand Prix races between China and Monaco. It was the longest win streak from a driver’s first win in Formula 1 history and gave him a 66-point lead in the championship after the first six races.
While Antonelli rose, Russell dealt with bad luck and poor form. Technical problems in China and Japan cost him against Antonelli. In Miami, he struggled to match his teammate’s pace.
Russell seemed to regain his form at the Canadian Grand Prix. He took pole for both the sprint and the feature race. Russell won the sprint from Antonelli after a close battle.
The teammates battled for the lead during the Grand Prix before Russell suffered an engine failure, giving Antonelli the win.
During the Monaco Grand Prix, Russell was one of several drivers given a five-second penalty for speeding in the pitlane. The issue was related to an error in the distance measurement used to calculate pitlane speeds.
Mercedes failed to serve Russell’s penalty properly, which caused him to receive a drive-through penalty late in the race, dropping him out of the points.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was another driver penalized for speeding in the pitlane, receiving two five-second penalties. He did not serve the penalties during so the time was added after the race, dropping him from third to seventh.
Alpine lodged a right of review, because the team had evidence Gasly did not exceed the 60 km/h speed limit in the pitlane. The FIA overturned the penalties for Gasly, returning him to third.
The FIA could not overturn the penalties for the drivers, like Russell, who served their penalties during the race, despite the issue being an error with the distance measurement.
Antonelli’s win streak came to an end at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. He was running second late in the race when he suffered an engine failure.
Lewis Hamilton has had a resurgent season in his second year with Ferrari. He earned his first podium with the team at the Chinese Grand Prix with a third-place finish.
Hamilton earned his first win with Ferrari at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. His five podiums in the first half of the season have him in second place in the Drivers’ Championship at the summer break.
Russell took advantage of Antonelli’s DNF in Spain to finish second. He followed it up with his second win of the season at the Austrian Grand Prix and another second place finish at the British Grand Prix.
Antonelli was chasing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for the lead in Silverstone when he suffered a broken left wheel shield. He pit twice to resolve the issue, which caused problems with his steering, leading to a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits. He finished out of the points in 15th, while Leclerc earned his first win of the season.
Antonelli rebounded with a win at the Belgian Grand Prix the following weekend, while Russell did not finish after a collision with Hamilton on the first lap.
Reigning World Champion Lando Norris became the first non-Mercedes driver to take pole for a Grand Prix in Hungary. The McLaren driver won the race, making him the first non-Mercedes or Ferrari Grand Prix winner in 2026.
Antonelli finished third in Hungary. He enters the summer break with a 50-point lead over Hamilton and 59-point over Russell in the Drivers’ Championship.
An unexpected hiatus
The season had an unexpected month-long hiatus following the Japanese Grand Prix. The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, set to be held on back-to-back weekends in April, were cancelled due to the Iran War.
The FIA explored replacement options, but it was too short notice to hold a Grand Prix at the time the races were originally scheduled.
During the Hungarian Grand Prix, the FIA confirmed that Malaysia will host a race at the Sepang International Circuit in October to replace the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The FIA is also exploring potential contingency plans for the final two races of the season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Silly season rumours
On top of his criticisms with the 2026 regulations, Red Bull’s Verstappen has been frustrated with his team’s performance.
For the first time since his rookie season, Verstappen has failed to win in the first 12 races. He enters the summer break in sixth-place in Drivers’ Championship, 110 points behind Antonelli.
Red Bull’s lack of competitiveness have prompted rumours that Verstappen may leave the team before the end of his contract in 2028.
Rumours of a move to McLaren have swirled, particularly because Verstappen’s long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is set to join McLaren as Chief Racing Officer in 2028.
However, both Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri have multi-year contracts with McLaren.
“I’d be very surprised if Lando or Oscar went elsewhere, because they are very happy,” McLaren CEO Zak Brown told Sky Sports in June. “Of course they have contracts, but besides that, we’re very happy with them and they are very happy here.”
Brown did not completely rule out the possibility of Verstappen joining McLaren, adding:
“If for some strange reason someone slipped on a banana peel getting out of the tub, then yeah of course, Max is a four-time World Champion.”
Any driver moves for 2027 will likely be decided during the summer break.
The Formula 1 season continues with the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, Netherlands on Aug. 23.
There are 12 races left on the calendar after the summer break. Antonelli is primed to become the youngest Formula 1 World Champion, while Mercedes leads the Constructors’ Championship by 72 points over Ferrari.
