Formula 1 in 2026: Current standings and what to expect

After 11 races in the 2026 season, the fight for the Formula 1 championship title remains wide open. Kimi Antonelli sits at the top of the standings, but Lewis Hamilton has closed the gap in recent races, bringing renewed uncertainty to the title fight.

The current Formula 1 calendar now includes 23 races. The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, originally scheduled for April, were not held due to the situation in the Middle East. No replacement race was introduced for Saudi Arabia, but the Bahrain Grand Prix will still take place - at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, in early October. From late August until the finale in Abu Dhabi, drivers have 12 more race weekends ahead of them, offering plenty of opportunities for sports betting on "the fastest circus in the world."

Formula 1 - upcoming race schedule

After the summer break, the season resumes with the Dutch Grand Prix in late August. The Italian Grand Prix follows, and then a brand-new circuit in Madrid.

• Dutch Grand Prix: August 21-23
• Italian Grand Prix: September 4-6
• Spanish Grand Prix, Madrid: September 11-13
• Azerbaijan Grand Prix: September 24-26
• Bahrain Grand Prix (Sepang, Malaysia): October 2-4
• Singapore Grand Prix: October 9-11
• United States Grand Prix: October 23-25
• Mexico City Grand Prix: October 30 - November 1
• Brazilian Grand Prix: November 6-8
• Las Vegas Grand Prix: November 19-21
• Qatar Grand Prix: November 27-29
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: December 4-6

The Netherlands and Singapore will host the two remaining sprint weekends, giving drivers extra chances to score points on those weekends. The Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid is a particular unknown, as it will be held on the brand-new Madring circuit, which combines city streets with purpose-built sections of track. Another highlight of the season is Malaysia's return to the Formula 1 calendar for the first time since 2017 - the Sepang circuit will host a race that will still carry the Bahrain Grand Prix name.

The last few races have shifted the balance of power

The first six races of the season belonged to Mercedes. George Russell won in Australia, and Kimi Antonelli then reeled off five straight wins, in China, Japan, Miami, Canada and Monaco. However, the races that followed showed that Mercedes no longer has full control of the fight for first place.

Hamilton's first win for Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton won on June 14 at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, securing his first main-race victory as a Ferrari driver. George Russell finished second, with Lando Norris third. Kimi Antonelli failed to finish the race due to a technical issue, ending his run of five consecutive wins. Hamilton's result also marked Mercedes' first main-race defeat of the 2026 season.

Russell strikes back in Austria

Two weeks later, George Russell won the Austrian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen finished second, just 1.611 seconds behind the winner, with Kimi Antonelli third.

Ferrari failed to repeat its Barcelona result. Lewis Hamilton finished fifth, and Charles Leclerc eighth. Russell further narrowed the championship gap and picked up his second main-race win of the season.

Leclerc triumphs at Silverstone

Charles Leclerc won on July 5 at the British Grand Prix. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton followed him home, while Lando Norris took fourth.

Kimi Antonelli had won the sprint the previous day and took pole position for the main race, but suffered a technical issue with the front-left of his car during the race. After a further penalty, he finished outside the points.

Max Verstappen went off track a few laps from the end, triggering a safety car. Leclerc's win gave Ferrari its second victory in the last three races, while Russell reached the podium for the third race in a row.

Antonelli returns to winning ways in Belgium

At the Belgian Grand Prix on July 19, Kimi Antonelli converted pole position into his sixth win of the season, despite briefly losing the lead during the race to Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. After retaking the lead, Antonelli held off the pressure to the finish and crossed the line ahead of Leclerc, with Verstappen completing the podium in third.

The race was also marked by a first-lap incident in which George Russell, following contact with Lewis Hamilton, ended up in the gravel and scored no points. Antonelli's championship lead grew further as a result of Russell's retirement.

Norris claims his first win of the season in Hungary

At the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 26, Lando Norris took pole position and claimed his and McLaren's first win of the 2026 season. His teammate Oscar Piastri took the lead at the start and held it for most of the race, but lost the position after contact with Carlos Sainz while lapping him, and later retired with a gearbox failure.

Max Verstappen finished second, while Kimi Antonelli took third and further extended his championship lead. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who received a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, finished fourth and fifth.

Current F1 Drivers' Championship standings

Kimi Antonelli holds on to first place with 219 points. Lewis Hamilton is second, 50 points behind, while George Russell is third, 59 points off the lead. Charles Leclerc is fourth.

• Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes): 219 points
• Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari): 169
• George Russell (Mercedes): 160
• Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): 138
• Lando Norris (McLaren): 128
• Max Verstappen (Red Bull): 109
• Oscar Piastri (McLaren): 92
• Isack Hadjar (Red Bull): 68
• Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls): 43
• Pierre Gasly (Alpine): 42

Antonelli still holds the strongest position in the title fight, and his 50-point lead over Hamilton is currently the biggest gap of the season. Still, his retirement in Barcelona and lack of points at Silverstone earlier showed how quickly technical issues can change the championship picture. Russell has gone scoreless in the last two races, while Hamilton has reached the podium in the same period, in Belgium.

Constructors' Championship standings

Mercedes leads the Constructors' Championship with 379 points, ahead of Ferrari on 307. McLaren is third and Red Bull fourth.

• Mercedes: 379 points
• Ferrari: 307 points
• McLaren: 220 points
• Red Bull: 177 points
• Racing Bulls: 66 points
• Alpine: 61 points

Mercedes holds a 72-point lead over Ferrari. Both Mercedes drivers remain in the top three of the individual standings, and while Ferrari has taken two wins in the last five races, it hasn't consistently scored heavily with both cars at every race.

What to expect for the rest of the season

One of the biggest questions is whether Kimi Antonelli can rediscover the consistency he showed during his run of five wins early in the season. His 50-point lead over Hamilton is currently substantial, but the season has already shown that a single scoreless race can shrink it significantly.

George Russell has gone without points in the last two races, dropping him to third and now behind both his teammate and Hamilton. Regaining that consistency will be key if he wants to stay in the title fight.

Ferrari has won twice in the last five races, but a serious push for the constructors' title will require more consistent results from both drivers. Hamilton has reached the podium in Barcelona, Britain and Belgium, while Leclerc followed up his Silverstone win with a second-place finish in Belgium.

McLaren showed with its Hungary win that it can match the front-runners, though Piastri's retirement showed the team still isn't fully reliable with both cars. Red Bull has reached the podium twice in Belgium and Hungary thanks to Max Verstappen.

The Formula 1 schedule itself could also affect the balance of power. After the summer break, back-to-back races in the Netherlands and Italy are followed by a race at the new Madrid circuit. Teams could use the break to analyze this season's results so far, while the sprint weekends in the Netherlands and Singapore offer more points on the table.

The new Madrid circuit adds further uncertainty, since teams have no data from previous Grand Prix races on that layout, making live betting on that race a real challenge. Malaysia's return to the calendar in October adds another point of interest, with a race that will still be called the Bahrain Grand Prix held at a circuit that hasn't hosted Formula 1 since 2017.

The title fight remains open

The Formula 1 schedule for the rest of 2026 still leaves plenty of room for changes at the top. Kimi Antonelli leads with a comfortable margin, but Lewis Hamilton and George Russell remain firmly in the title fight.

The upcoming races in the Netherlands and Italy will show whether Mercedes can re-establish the dominance it had at the start of the season, or whether Ferrari and McLaren will keep making things difficult for it. With 12 races and two sprint weekends still to go, the final outcome of the championship is still a long way off.