F1 goes on a long summer break, and so it gives us F1 fans a chance to catch our breath. But without removing ourselves completely from F1 we offer up our F1 2026 Half Season Review, a detailed look at the stats so far from 2026..
We take a look at just about any session we can measure, including our own Driver of the Year system.
F1 2026 Half Season Review, so enjoy our F1 2026 Half Season Review, and meet you back here when the season starts up again.
DRIVER OF THE SEASON
We have provided a way of judging the real Driver of the Season for a few seasons now, offering up a method that captures a driver at their best, out-performing the car, destroying team mates, and taking it to the top in every session of every race. Ok, so the last one doesn’t really happen, but our Driver of the Season is just more than Championship points. It’s points based on all sessions, with gaps to the top and performance against team mates heavily weighted.
So here are the Driver of the Season ratings and points at the halfway stage of the 2026 F1 Season.
H2H
- H2H dominated by Verstappen, but it’s a little more competitive than usual.
- Ferrari is split down the middle if counting one point each for qualifying and the race.
AVERAGE POSITION – ALL SESSION – EVERY RACE
Ever wondered who would come out on top if you factored in every finishing position of every session, including all three FPs and Qualifying sessions? No? Well then it probably won’t surprise that Kimi Antonelli is on top.
- Kimi Antonelli tops the average position stats for all categories except Race (Lewis Hamilton) and Sprint Race (George Russell and Lando Norris).
- George Russell and Lando Norris have the same average position in Sprint Race and Sprint Qualifying.
- Lance Stroll just scrapes under an average of 20th place due to race results and the DNFs of other cars.
QUALIFYING
Qualifying is usually important, and it is certainly where there’s a lot of fun data to plays around with. Qualifying is so tight this season too, with just about any of the top four team drivers a chance for a front row and more. So we do our usual over-the-top amount of information and add more. Always more.
- Max Verstappen is the only driver of the top four teams to miss out on Q3 this season.
- Only the Mercedes drivers and Oscar Piastri have failed to improve their average qualifying position comparing the early flyaway races to the first leg of Europe racing.
- Lance Stroll’s average qualifying position actually increased somehow from the early flyaway races to the first leg of Europe racing.
- The Cadillacs have improved by 0.8% to pole position between the early flyaway races to the first leg of Europe racing.
- Both Williams, Cadillac and Aston Martins, plus Esteban Ocon are the only ones who have failed to make it to Q3 this season.
QUALIFYING to RACE
A quick look at where the qualifying position ends up. Good news for cars on the front row. And bad news at the back.
- This season’s winners have come only from the front row of the grid.
- The most popular Grid-Race combinations are Pole-Win and Last-DNF.
- 9th is the lowest starting spot for a podium.
- The only grid position not to DNF yet is 14th and 15th on the grid.
Qualifying across — Race Position down.
LAPS LED
- Kimi Antonelli has led 45% of the laps this season.
- Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris have led one lap each this season within the first ten laps.
- Mercedes have led 2/3 of all laps this season.
FIRST LAP
Starting a Grand Pri has been an art in 2026, especially in those first few races, so positions gained on the first lap have important. And as ever some are better or luckier than others.
- Unsurprisingly the Hulk, George Russell and Oscar Piastri with links to Mark Webber have been the unluckiest / been the worse at starts in 2026.
- Only Lewis Hamilton and Lance Stroll have not lost a place on the first lap this season. For one is helps to be last on the grid most races.
- The two Mercedes drivers have gained a position on the first lap once each this season.
FASTEST LAP
- Just another thing Kimi Antonelli is winning.
SPRINT RACES
- Gurgler Sprint Series points is a combination of Sprint Championship points, points based on qualifying position, the change in grid to finish, but H2H over team mate. Lando Norris is top of both our Sprint Series Points and the actual Sprint Championship points.
