F1 2026 Half-Season Report: Every Formula Team Rated

Formula 1 has entered its summer shutdown after 11 Grands Prix, and the first half of the new regulatory era has thoroughly rearranged the established order. Mercedes are back in control, Ferrari have become their closest challengers and reigning champions McLaren have spent much of the year recovering lost ground.

Behind the leading quartet, Racing Bulls and Alpine have embarrassed several wealthier rivals. At the opposite end, Aston Martin and Cadillac have amassed just one point between them.

These ratings consider results, resources, expectations, driver performance, reliability and development—not merely championship position. With the 2026 F1 standings frozen until Zandvoort, the report cards are in.

Mercedes – 9.5/10

Formel 1 - Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, Großer Preis von Australien 2026. Kimi Antonelli, George Russell

Championship position: 1st | Points: 379

High point: Winning the opening six Grands Prix and seizing immediate control of both championships.

Low point: Reliability failures costing both drivers major points and preventing an even more dominant campaign.

Mercedes have unquestionably produced the strongest overall package of Formula 1’s new era. George Russell won the opener in Australia before Kimi Antonelli reeled off five consecutive victories in China, Japan, Miami, Canada and Monaco.

Russell interrupted his team-mate’s run by winning in Austria, but Antonelli responded magnificently at Spa. He survived a frantic opening lap, lost the strategic advantage to Charles Leclerc during a Virtual Safety Car sequence and then passed the Ferrari on track to reclaim victory.

Antonelli’s numbers are extraordinary: six wins, six poles, nine podiums and a 50-point championship lead. He also leads Russell 7-4 in both qualifying and race finishes. The 19-year-old is no longer merely Mercedes’ future; he is their clear title favourite.

Russell has hardly performed badly. He has delivered two victories and five podiums, but his battery failure while fighting for the lead in Canada and opening-lap retirement at Spa were expensive. Antonelli also lost a likely second place through an electrical shutdown in Barcelona.

Verdict: The quickest car, the strongest driver pairing and commanding leads in both championships. Only reliability keeps Mercedes from receiving full marks.

Ferrari – 8/10

Charles Leclerc & Lewis Hamilton

Championship position: 2nd | Points: 307

High point: Victories in Barcelona and Britain proving Mercedes can be beaten on merit.

Low point: Allowing Mercedes to establish a substantial advantage before the SF-26 became a consistent threat.

Ferrari started the season as Mercedes’ closest challenger but initially lacked the final few tenths required to convert podiums into victories. The turning point arrived with the team’s sweeping Barcelona upgrade.

Lewis Hamilton qualified on the front row before giving Ferrari their first victory of 2026. The revised package delivered sharper race pace than expected, allowing him to capitalise when Antonelli retired and claim a landmark first Grand Prix win in Ferrari red.

Charles Leclerc followed with victory at Silverstone, where Ferrari secured their 250th Formula 1 win. He also pushed Antonelli throughout the Belgian grand prix, using Ferrari’s well-timed stop to take the lead before eventually being overtaken on the Kemmel Straight.

There is remarkably little between Ferrari’s drivers. Leclerc leads qualifying 6-5, Hamilton holds the same advantage in races and both have won once. Hamilton’s greater consistency leaves him second in the championship with 169 points, 31 ahead of his team-mate.

The 72-point deficit to Mercedes remains considerable, so Ferrari’s first half cannot be labelled exceptional. The direction is encouraging, though: Mercedes won the opening six races, but Ferrari have since demonstrated that the W17 is no longer untouchable.

Verdict: Ferrari reacted decisively and now possess a genuine race-winning car. They are Mercedes’ most credible challenger, but their breakthrough came too late to earn a higher half-term mark.

McLaren – 6.5/10

Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri

Championship position: 3rd | Points: 220

High point: Lando Norris taking pole and victory in Hungary immediately before the summer break.

Low point: A disastrous opening featuring reliability problems, a double DNS in China and insufficient pace to defend either championship.

McLaren entered 2026 as reigning Teams’ Champions, with Norris defending the Drivers’ title. Against that benchmark, third place and a 159-point deficit to Mercedes represent a major disappointment.

The MCL40’s potential appeared during the Miami Sprint, where Norris led Oscar Piastri home for a dominant one-two. One day later, however, Antonelli defeated both McLarens despite their obvious pace, underlining the difference between producing a quick car and executing a complete weekend.

Norris has increasingly carried the challenge. He leads Piastri 7-4 in qualifying and 128-92 on points, while the Australian has struggled to explain the growing performance gap. Piastri’s frustration surfaced again during the Hungarian grand prix after McLaren’s strategy left him behind his team-mate.

Hungary finally delivered the breakthrough. Norris beat Hamilton to pole by 0.012 seconds before turning early race frustration into a superbly managed first victory of 2026.

That result changed the mood, but not the first-half verdict. McLaren entered the break looking capable of winning regularly; they arrived there far too far behind to realistically defend their Teams’ Championship without an extraordinary turnaround.

Verdict: Hungary proved McLaren remain dangerous. The preceding ten rounds explained why one victory cannot rescue their grade.

Red Bull – 6/10

Max Verstappen & Isack Hadjar

Championship position: 4th | Points: 177

High point: Max Verstappen finishing second in Austria and Hungary as the RB22’s competitiveness improved.

Low point: Reaching the summer break without a victory after years spent setting Formula 1’s benchmark.

Red Bull’s first season with its own Ford-backed power unit began with an overweight, unpredictable car lacking both balance and outright performance. At Suzuka, where he had won four years running, Verstappen was eliminated in Q2 and admitted Red Bull had fallen into the midfield battle.

The four-time World Champion has nevertheless scored four podiums. His third place at Spa also demonstrated the progress made since the opening rounds, even if the RB22 could not match Antonelli or Leclerc over the final stint.

Isack Hadjar has handled Formula 1’s most unforgiving second seat impressively. He has contributed 68 points and reached the break with seven consecutive top-six finishes, stretching from Canada through Hungary.

Verstappen leads both team-mate comparisons 8-3, but Hadjar has prevented Red Bull from becoming another one-car operation. That has been crucial in limiting the damage in the Teams’ Championship.

Upgrades introduced around Austria reduced the car’s weight and improved its competitiveness. Red Bull’s form is moving in the right direction, but progress alone cannot disguise a winless opening half for a team accustomed to championships.

Verdict: Far below Red Bull’s own standards, yet the drivers have contained the damage and the technical picture is improving. A difficult season no longer looks like a lost one.

Racing Bulls – 9/10

Arvid Lindblad & Liam Lawson

Championship position: 5th | Points: 66

High point: Five double-points finishes and a deserved position at the head of the midfield.

Low point: Occasionally failing to turn strong qualifying pace into an even larger points haul.

Racing Bulls have been the most efficient team on the grid. They lack the resources and star names of several rivals but have built a well-balanced car, operated cleanly and collected points with impressive regularity.

Liam Lawson has responded strongly after a difficult 2025. He has scored 43 points and finished ahead of rookie in eight of the first 11 Grands Prix, developing into the dependable team leader Racing Bulls needed.

Lindblad has been one of the season’s quieter revelations. He finished eighth on his debut in Australia, becoming the third-youngest points scorer in Formula 1 history, and has remained remarkably close to Lawson. Their qualifying score stands at only 6-5.

The pair have produced five double-points finishes across a wide variety of circuits. That consistency matters: Racing Bulls have not relied on one freak result or chaotic afternoon to reach fifth.

While more celebrated projects have lurched between unreliable upgrades and wasted opportunities, Alan Permane’s team have simply kept putting points on the board.

Verdict: The midfield benchmark for execution, consistency and value for money. No team has extracted more from its available resources.

Alpine – 8/10

Pierre Gasly & Franco Colapinto

Championship position: 6th | Points: 61

High point: Pierre Gasly’s Monaco podium being restored after the FIA corrected its erroneous penalties.

Low point: Continuing to rely heavily on Gasly for qualifying performance and the team’s biggest results.

Alpine’s switch to Mercedes power has given Enstone a more competitive foundation, even if the car has not been the fifth-fastest package at every circuit.

Gasly has led the campaign superbly. He dominates Franco Colapinto 9-2 in qualifying and produced Alpine’s standout drive in Monaco, crossing the line third before two incorrect pit-lane speeding penalties initially dropped him down the order.

The FIA later admitted its timing system was at fault and restored Gasly to third place. That podium accounts for only part of his 42-point haul; he has regularly put Alpine in position to capitalise when faster cars encountered trouble.

Colapinto has lacked Gasly’s one-lap speed but contributed 19 valuable points and completed every Grand Prix. In such a compressed midfield, that reliability has helped Alpine remain within five points of Racing Bulls.

The team’s management structure can still resemble a soap opera with wheelguns, but its trackside results have been considerably more coherent than the surrounding noise.

Verdict: A podium, 61 points and a credible fight for fifth represent genuine progress. Gasly has been exceptional; Alpine now need the rest of the operation to match his level.

Haas – 5/10

Oliver Bearman & Esteban Ocon

Championship position: 7th | Points: 21

High point: Oliver Bearman converting tenth on the grid into fifth place in China.

Low point: Failing to score across the final five races before the shutdown as development stalled.

Haas began the season looking like a possible midfield leader. Bearman finished seventh in Australia, scored during the Chinese Sprint and then delivered a superb fifth place in Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Seventeen of his 18 points arrived during those opening two weekends. Since then, the VF-26 has become increasingly difficult to understand.

Bearman leads Esteban Ocon 8-3 in qualifying and 7-4 in race finishes, although the comparison has not always been entirely fair. Different specifications and inconsistencies between components have occasionally left the drivers fighting with unequal machinery.

The team have also endured Bearman’s 50G accident at Suzuka, opening-lap contact between their drivers in Monaco and Spa, deployment problems and upgrades that failed to deliver predictable gains. Insufficient rear downforce remains a recurring complaint.

Haas may sit seventh, but they are 40 points behind Alpine and only nine ahead of the improving Audi operation. Their championship position currently looks healthier than their performance.

Verdict: A brilliant opening disguised a development programme that has since lost its way. Haas have gone from midfield threat to vulnerable target.

Audi – 7/10

Nico Hulkenberg & Gabriel Bortoleto

Championship position: 8th | Points: 12

High point: Scoring ten points across the final three races before the summer break.

Low point: A lengthy scoreless run compounded by repeated reliability problems for Nico Hülkenberg.

Audi’s first campaign as a full works operation was always intended as a foundation year. The important question was not whether they could immediately fight at the front, but whether the former Sauber team would show measurable progress.

The answer arrived shortly before the shutdown.

Gabriel Bortoleto scored consecutive eighth places at Silverstone and Spa, producing an especially accomplished drive in Belgium. He reached Q3, managed his tyres intelligently and resisted pressure to bring home another four points.

Hülkenberg has suffered repeated reliability failures and some almost comical misfortune, including gravel striking his car’s safety switch in Barcelona. Ninth place in Hungary finally delivered his first points of the season.

The internal numbers favour Bortoleto on Sundays. Hülkenberg leads qualifying 6-5, but the Brazilian holds a 7-4 advantage in race finishes and has scored ten of Audi’s 12 points.

Three consecutive scoring weekends transformed the complexion of Audi’s season. They remain eighth, but now appear to be developing faster than Haas and Williams ahead of them.

Verdict: A difficult debut is beginning to resemble a credible works project. Audi are not truly competitive yet, but their trajectory is unmistakably positive.

Williams – 3.5/10

Alexander Albon & Carlos Sainz

Championship position: 9th | Points: 11

High point: Alex Albon finishing eighth in Monaco.

Low point: Falling from fifth in the 2025 standings to ninth under the new regulations.

Williams entered 2026 expecting the new rules to accelerate their return towards the front. Instead, the team have suffered one of the grid’s clearest regressions.

Carlos Sainz leads Albon 9-2 in qualifying and 6-5 in race finishes, but the pair have scored only 11 points between them. Sainz’s six came from three ninth places, while Albon has managed an eighth and a tenth.

Reliability has been particularly damaging on Albon’s side. Multiple retirements and a failure to start in China have repeatedly removed one Williams from contention before strategy or racecraft could make a difference.

The Sainz-Albon partnership should be among the strongest outside the leading teams. Yet neither driver has been able to establish regular points-scoring momentum because the FW48 lacks both pace and dependability.

A rebuilding team can tolerate the occasional backward step. Dropping four championship positions after the progress made in 2025 is considerably harder to dismiss.

Verdict: Williams possess better drivers than their results suggest, but the FW48 has failed to justify the optimism surrounding the team’s long-term revival.

Aston Martin – 2/10

Fernando Alonso & Lance Stroll

Championship position: 10th | Points: 1

High point: The heavily upgraded AMR26 finally showing signs of genuine midfield pace in Hungary.

Low point: Almost everything before it.

No team has fallen further below reasonable expectations. Aston Martin entered 2026 with Adrian Newey, a new Honda works partnership, state-of-the-art facilities and ambitions far beyond scrapping for tenth place.

Pre-season offered the first warning. The AMR26 arrived late, completed limited mileage and suffered from vibrations, chassis problems and Honda reliability issues. Neither car finished the opening two Grands Prix.

Fernando Alonso has outqualified Lance Stroll 9-2 and scored the team’s only point through tenth place in Monaco. His Q2 appearance in Hungary remains Aston Martin’s sole escape from Q1 across the opening half of the season.

Budapest at least supplied something resembling hope. The extensively revised car allowed Stroll and Alonso to finish 13th and 14th while competing with the midfield on genuine pace rather than merely inheriting positions.

A further Honda power-unit update is expected at Zandvoort, but one encouraging weekend cannot erase ten dreadful ones. A project built to pursue championships has spent half a season trying to reach Q2.

Verdict: The most disappointing team of 2026 by a considerable margin. Hungary supplied a pulse; Aston Martin still require a full recovery.

Cadillac – 4/10

Sergio Perez & Valtteri Bottas

Championship position: 11th | Points: 0

High point: Sergio Pérez finishing tenth on the road in Monaco before a restart penalty removed Cadillac’s first point.

Low point: Persistent overheating, brake and suspension problems preventing the team from building momentum.

Cadillac sit last and remain the only team yet to score, but their grade requires context. Unlike Audi, the American operation entered Formula 1 as an entirely new constructor rather than taking control of an established team.

Getting two cars onto the grid was merely the first challenge. Making them quick and reliable has proved substantially harder.

Pérez has generally looked the stronger of Cadillac’s experienced pairing, leading Valtteri Bottas 6-5 in qualifying and 6-3 in races where a comparison could be made. Bottas nevertheless owns the team’s best official result with 13th place in China.

Their first point appeared to have arrived in Monaco when Pérez crossed the line tenth. A penalty for being incorrectly positioned at the red-flag restart subsequently dropped him to 15th.

Neither driver has reached Q2, while repeated overheating, suspension failures and brake problems have produced far too many retirements. Bottas’s fiery brake failure in Hungary was another uncomfortable reminder that basic reliability remains unfinished business.

Cadillac’s veteran drivers have provided valuable experience, although their effectiveness continues to divide opinion inside the paddock.

Verdict: Zero points cannot earn a pass mark, but Cadillac’s circumstances are unique. The debut team have established a baseline; after the break, merely participating will no longer count as progress.

Mercedes lead, but the momentum is shifting

The first half of 2026 belongs emphatically to Mercedes and Antonelli. Eight victories from 11 races have restored the Silver Arrows to the head of Formula 1, while their teenage championship leader has surpassed even the most optimistic expectations.

The competitive picture behind them is changing. Ferrari have won twice since introducing their Barcelona overhaul, McLaren signed off with victory in Hungary and Red Bull are gradually extracting more from the RB22.

The midfield is every bit as intriguing. Racing Bulls have outperformed teams with considerably larger budgets, Alpine have turned Gasly’s pace into a podium and Audi reached the break with genuine momentum. Haas and Williams, meanwhile, risk being overtaken by projects developing faster than their own.

Aston Martin finally showed signs of life in Hungary. Cadillac are still waiting for theirs to appear on the scoreboard.

The grades remain provisional. When Formula 1 returns at Zandvoort, every team will have the remainder of the season to improve—or confirm—the judgement.

About the author

Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

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