The Formula 1 season is currently on a summer break, which is a good time for a summary. I have chosen, in my opinion, the best and worst drivers after the first half of the 2026 season. I approached the preparation of this summary a bit differently, dividing the selected drivers into four groups.
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As in previous years, I was considering the form of summarizing drivers’ performances after the first half of the season, and I ultimately slightly modified last year’s formula. I believe that for several years now, Formula 1 has had a very high and balanced level among drivers, probably the best in its entire history. This is thanks to the points system for super licenses and extensive preparations. Young drivers debut in F1 and almost immediately show a high level; they are very well prepared for this. In 2026, the cars and engines changed completely, requiring drivers to adopt a different driving style. It is clear that not everyone adapted quickly, and some drivers’ potential is limited by weak cars. The order of drivers mentioned in each category is random.
F1 drivers who impressed me the most in the first half of the 2026 season
The biggest positive surprise for me is Kimi Antonelli. It was obvious that the Italian has great talent and will achieve a lot in F1. I was not among those who criticized him (nor the Mercedes team for hiring him) last year because he showed the form expected from a rookie, alternating very good performances with weaker ones. Several times, his great potential was visible, but I did not expect him to use it so regularly in his second season in Formula 1. This year, Antonelli is most often faster than Russell, has become the leader of the Mercedes team, and leads the championship standings by a large margin. Of course, it helps that he drives for the best team, but his performance compared to Russell is truly impressive. Last year, the Brit dominated him completely, but this year the Italian is better. There were several weekends when Antonelli’s advantage was very clear, and Mercedes owes its successes only to his driving. This year, the Italian finished every race on the podium except for two when he had major technical problems. The second half of the season will be a big test for Antonelli and his mental resilience. He has become the favorite to win the championship. If he wins and does not face problems like Piastri did last year, he will quickly become one of the biggest stars in F1. If he squanders his advantage, it will weigh on him in the coming years.
The change in technical regulations combined with better settling in at Ferrari has brought Lewis Hamilton back to high form this year. The Briton suits the new cars much better; the technical era that was the only one in his career that did not suit him has ended. Ferrari made a competitive car that also has certain solutions he advocated for, so he can regularly show high form. Consistency is his biggest advantage this year. He is the only one to finish every race, and each time in the top 6. His experience pays off. For me, the biggest positive surprise is his qualifying form, as he is currently statistically better than Leclerc in qualifying, which I did not expect due to Lewis’s age. However, this is not a perfect season for him. He made a few small mistakes that resulted in minor five-second penalties, which later affected race results. If he drove more carefully, he would have more points and more podiums.
In the case of Lando Norris, the well-known F1 rule that a driver’s form improves after winning the world championship is confirmed. After such success, drivers gain confidence and are no longer under heavy pressure. This is clearly visible in Norris, who this year, despite many adversities, extracts as much as possible from the available package. Norris is also strengthening his position in the team. McLaren still applies equal chances for both drivers, but Norris has a chance to tip the balance in his favor because he is currently the more reliable prospect in the team. My assessment of Norris is inflated by his great performance at the Hungarian GP. Without that race, he probably would not be in this group.
Drivers who disappointed me the most in the first half of the 2026 season
George Russell disappoints me this year. The Brit finally has a great car with which he can fight for the world championship. It seemed he would calmly pursue it, but this season he is most often slower than Kimi Antonelli. Russell has had many unlucky situations this year, losing more points for reasons beyond his control than Antonelli, but even considering that, he is more often slower than the Italian. Much indicates that Russell’s driving style is his weak point; he cannot optimally use the new cars, especially the power units. This is a big problem because we are at the start of new regulations, his teammate has adapted well, is young, and will improve year by year. Russell must fight for the championship in the second half of the season. He does not have to win it but must show results at Antonelli’s level. Then he can look optimistically at the next season and his future at Mercedes. If he continues to lose to Antonelli, he faces a fate similar to Ricciardo at Red Bull when Verstappen became his teammate. He will be dominated by a younger talent and know that he has no bright future at Mercedes. The second half of this season will be a big test for Russell.
Oscar Piastri is fighting for his position in the team and in F1 overall this year. The first half of the year shows he is not championship material. Piastri must change something radically, or else he faces a career similar to his manager Mark Webber’s. Piastri developed in F1 in a model way; halfway through his third season, he was the main favorite for the world championship, but at the end of the competition, he had problems and it was clear he could not handle the pressure. Looking at the raw results, Piastri looks good compared to Norris this year, but this is mainly because the Brit had more technical problems. Piastri drives well but shows too low a level compared to expectations. He should regularly fight with Norris and more often for podiums in races. He had several very dull performances this year.
Esteban Ocon is probably approaching the end of his F1 career. The Frenchman simply has no arguments. This year, he most often loses to his very young teammate, who is far from his peak form. Ocon has nothing to respond with, and Haas’s form is gradually worsening, so even with a great one-off performance, Ocon has no chance for big points. The Frenchman has spent many years in F1 but has reached a level where there is nothing more to expect from him. Additionally, he has no sponsors and has not become very popular. Much indicates this is his last season; staying for another year at Haas would be a great success because a queue of talented young drivers is lining up for his seat. He would have to fight like Tom Cruise in the Mission Impossible films to stay in F1.
How a team’s variable form affects the perception of its drivers
As a bonus, I will write about drivers from two teams that are at opposite ends of the scale this year. Racing Bulls prepared the best car in many years, and their drivers can regularly score points. Williams, despite long preparations, completely disappointed, and their drivers compete at the back of the field. The prospects for drivers from these two teams are completely different than expected.
In Racing Bulls, much praise goes to Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad. They regularly reach Q3 in qualifying and regularly score points. They fight for fifth place in the championship for Racing Bulls, which for them is like a championship because the top four teams have pulled away and fight in a different league. Liam Lawson has had a rather turbulent career in both Red Bull teams, but this year he regularly scores points and has become the team leader. There is nothing to criticize him for, nor to fire him. Lawson shows such good form that even if he were pushed out of the Red Bull family, he has a chance to find a place in another team. He was able to prepare normally for a full season without any demotions, which shows good form.
Arvid Lindblad is a debutant this year, but it does not show at all. He is very consistent in qualifying and races. He makes no serious mistakes. I may be wrong, but I do not recall him causing any crashes this year, which is normal for young drivers. I expect a lot from him in the future; he has a chance to become Max Verstappen’s successor at Red Bull.
The Williams drivers look completely different this year. Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon most often compete at the back of the field and sometimes get eliminated in Q1. There is great disappointment because Williams prepared the car for this season for a long time but made a completely unsuccessful design. I am not afraid to say that because of this, both drivers are fighting for their future in F1. Carlos Sainz would most like to move to a better team, but there are not many places there. Albon is more attached to Williams, but this year he was dominated by Sainz in qualifying. This looks very bad for his future; there is no point in looking for another team because no top team will be interested in him. Sainz and Albon are fighting for their careers. If they stay at Williams and continue to have a car with nothing to fight for, the F1 world will quickly forget about them. Any free spots in top teams will be taken by recent debutants. Sainz and Albon risk being stuck permanently in midfield/backmarker teams.
Positive surprise
Finally, I will praise the driver who surprised me the most positively this year, Franco Colapinto. Until now, I treated him as a typical pay-driver who is in F1 because of his sponsors, which is very important for Alpine. Last year, he scored no points and regularly lost to Gasly, who single-handedly carried the Alpine team. This year, Colapinto still loses to Gasly but has shown good performances several times, scored many points, and advanced to Q3. Alpine prepared a better car, so the drivers could often fight for points (especially early in the year), and Colapinto delivered really solid results. His main advantage remains his sponsors and a huge number of fans from Argentina (there are even possibilities for an F1 race in that country), but when he also shows such sporting form, he can be calm about his future in F1.
Summary
I devoted attention in this text to half of the current grid drivers. Among those I did not write about, there are mostly those who perform at the level I expected. Both high and low levels. It is hard, for example, to criticize Cadillac and Aston Martin drivers because their cars are so weak this year that they have not fought for anything so far and had no chance to show themselves. I do not understand people who criticize drivers from these teams this year because they all drive at their expected level.
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