As the 2026 Formula 1 season pauses after the first three rounds, Sky Sports F1 rates the performances of the drivers so far.
In Drivers’ Championship order:
Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes – 8/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 2-1 / Points vs team-mate: 72-63
Kimi Antonelli has shown great character to bounce back from a huge crash in final practice at the season-opener in Australia by becoming the youngest championship leader in F1 history after three rounds. The 19-year-old dominated the Chinese Grand Prix and recovered from a poor start at Suzuka, showing immense pace, even if Safety Car timing helped.
George Russell, Mercedes – 8/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 1-2 / Points vs team-mate: 63-72
George Russell started the season strongly, winning the Australian Grand Prix and the Sprint in China, but a technical issue in Shanghai qualifying and some fragility since have dulled his momentum. He’s struggled with the new style of wheel-to-wheel racing, finding it hard to clear the Ferraris in some battles despite having more pace.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari – 8.5/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 2-1 / Points vs team-mate: 49-41
Charles Leclerc has largely picked up where he left off, extracting strong performances from his Ferrari. He had an off weekend in China—circuit he finds difficult—but bounced back with a superb drive in Japan to make it two podiums from three races.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari – 7.5/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 1-2 / Points vs team-mate: 41-49
Lewis Hamilton looked reinvigorated in the opening races, culminating in his first grand prix podium for Ferrari in China. However, Japan was more like 2025 for him: outpaced by Leclerc across the weekend and finishing sixth despite Safety Car timing offering another podium chance.
Lando Norris, McLaren – 7/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 0-3 / Points vs team-mate: 25-21
The reigning world champion has been hampered by early-season McLaren issues, notably being unable to start in China. Limited track time is a factor, but Norris will be disappointed to have been outqualified by Oscar Piastri at all three races, though he produced a decent drive in Japan to take fifth.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren – 7.5/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 3-0 / Points vs team-mate: 21-25
Piastri had a disastrous start crashing on the way from the pit lane to the grid at his home race, partly due to an unexpected torque spike and some driver error. Since then he’s been solid, and in Japan was unlucky to lose a real shot at victory due to Safety Car timing.
Oliver Bearman, Haas – 7.5/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 2-1 / Points vs team-mate: 17-1
Bearman began the season very strongly, following up seventh in Australia with fifth in China, clearly outperforming his team-mate. He had an off weekend in Japan with a surprise Q1 exit and then crashed out of the race in a partly unavoidable incident.
Pierre Gasly, Alpine – 8.5/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 3-0 / Points vs team-mate: 15-1
Gasly has made a superb start, finishing all three races in the points to sit eighth in the standings. He’s shown consistent pace—qualifying seventh at the last two races, moving up to sixth in China and defending well against Verstappen in Japan.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull – 7/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 2-1 / Points vs team-mate: 12-4
Max Verstappen has had a disappointing start by his standards. He does not like the new cars, particularly his Red Bull, and has been off the boil. He recovered from a qualifying crash in Australia to finish sixth, and in Japan could only manage eighth after a shock Q2 exit.
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls – 7/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 2-1 / Points vs team-mate: 10-4
Liam Lawson has been pushed by rookie Arvid Lindblad but deserves credit for sevenths in the Chinese Sprint and main race. The qualifying battle has been close but Lawson edged Lindblad in Australia and China.
Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls – 7.5/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 1-2 / Points vs team-mate: 4-10
The only rookie on the grid has impressed, getting stuck in on debut in Australia and delivering a mighty Suzuka lap to knock Verstappen out in Q2. Had Safety Car timing at Suzuka been different, he might have scored more points.
Isack Hadjar, Red Bull – 7/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 1-2 / Points vs team-mate: 4-12
Hadjar outqualified Verstappen on merit in Japan and looks the closest team-mate Verstappen has had since Ricciardo. An unforced spin in China is his only major mistake so far.
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi – 7/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 2-1 / Points vs team-mate: 2-0
With both Audi drivers having failed to start a race each, judging is tricky. Bortoleto has shown one-lap speed and scored the team’s only points so far in Australia.
Carlos Sainz, Williams – 7.5/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 2-1 / Points vs team-mate: 2-0
Despite Williams’ struggles, Sainz has scored points in China and been extracting as much as possible from the car.
Esteban Ocon, Haas – 6/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 1-2 / Points vs team-mate: 1-17
Ocon missed Q3 in Australia and China when team-mate Bearman could get through, though he improved in Japan to score his first point of the season.
Franco Colapinto, Alpine – 5/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 0-3 / Points vs team-mate: 1-15
Colapinto is being outclassed by Gasly, nearly a second slower in qualifying at the last two races and off the pace in races—a continuation of last year’s gap.
Nico Hulkenberg, Audi – 6.5/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 1-2 / Points vs team-mate: 0-2
Hulkenberg has shown decent race pace and might have scored in Japan if not for lost time battling Bortoleto.
Alex Albon, Williams – 6/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 1-2 / Points vs team-mate: 0-2
Albon has struggled more than Sainz to adapt to the new driving style required by the new power units, reflected in a pace deficit so far.
Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac – 6/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 1-2 / Points vs team-mate: 0-0
Bottas has the higher finishing position among Cadillac drivers in the standings but has shown slightly less outright pace than his team-mate.
Sergio Perez, Cadillac – 6.5/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 2-1 / Points vs team-mate: 0-0
Perez’s race pace in Australia and China was stronger than Bottas’, showing the returning driver still has pace.
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin – 6.5/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 3-0 / Points vs team-mate: 0-0
It’s hard to gauge Alonso’s form given Aston Martin’s situation, but he remains the team’s lead driver and shows no signs of slowing.
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin – 5.5/10
Qualifying vs team-mate: 0-3 / Points vs team-mate: 0-0
Stroll has yet to see the chequered flag in the opening three Grands Prix and has been outqualified by Alonso in each event.
Formula 1 returns May 1-3 with the Miami Grand Prix, the season’s second Sprint weekend, live on Sky Sports F1.