F1 2026 Mid Season Report is here! The curtain came down on the tenth round of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on 19 July, and as of 23 July the championship has passed a little beyond its halfway point. This season is among the most compelling in years, following the introduction of the new technical regulations covering power units and active aerodynamics — a change that has reshuffled the order among the leading teams in a way few had anticipated.
Mercedes are the team that has benefited most from the shift, while Red Bull and McLaren are trying to make up for a stuttering start. In this report we go through the drivers’ and constructors’ standings as they stand on 23 July, the results of the races completed so far, and the full remaining calendar with dates — along with a note on the situation of the Bahrain race this year.
The young Italian Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers’ standings in a Mercedes on 179 points, 25 clear of his British team-mate George Russell on 154. Third place belongs to Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari on 147 points — the best position the seven-time world champion has reached since his move to the Italian team — while his team-mate Charles Leclerc is fourth on 108.
Max Verstappen, by contrast, is enduring one of the most difficult seasons of his career, sitting only seventh on 76 points, behind the McLaren pair of Lando Norris (97) and Oscar Piastri (82). His new team-mate Isack Hadjar has produced a convincing season in eighth on 52 points. Three drivers remain without a single point so far: Nico Hülkenberg and Lance Stroll, along with the Cadillac pairing of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez at the newly arrived team.
The principal reason behind this shift in the balance of power lies in the new power units adopted this season, which have raised the electrical share to around half of the car’s total output. Mercedes appeared the best prepared for the transition from the opening tests, while Red Bull needed longer to adapt to their new engine project. The season has also seen two new teams join the grid — Audi, who replaced Sauber, and Cadillac, arriving from the United States — bringing the field to eleven teams and twenty-two drivers.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Points |
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 179 |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | 154 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 147 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 108 |
| 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 97 |
| 6 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 82 |
| 7 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 76 |
| 8 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 52 |
| 9 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 42 |
| 10 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 39 |
| 11 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 20 |
| 12 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 18 |
| 13 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 18 |
| 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 6 |
| 15 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 6 |
| 16 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 5 |
| 17 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 3 |
| 18 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1 |
| 19 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi | 0 |
| 20 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 0 |
| 21 | Sergio Pérez | Cadillac | 0 |
| 22 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 0 |
In the constructors’ standings, Mercedes look on course for a comfortable title on 358 points, 73 clear of second-placed Ferrari on 285. McLaren are third on 195 and Red Bull fourth on 151. The most interesting battle is in the midfield, where Alpine and Racing Bulls are level on 61 points each.
| Pos | Team | Points |
| 1 | Mercedes | 358 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 285 |
| 3 | McLaren | 195 |
| 4 | Red Bull | 151 |
| 5 | Alpine | 61 |
| 6 | Racing Bulls | 61 |
| 7 | Haas | 21 |
| 8 | Williams | 11 |
| 9 | Audi | 10 |
| 10 | Aston Martin | 1 |
| 11 | Cadillac | 0 |
Ten rounds have been held so far, and Mercedes and Ferrari have shared every single victory between them — something that has not happened in many years. Antonelli is the most successful with six wins, four of them consecutive between Japan and Monaco, while Russell has won twice and Hamilton and Leclerc once each.
| Round | Grand Prix | Date | Winner | Team |
| 1 | Australia | 8 March | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 2 | China | 15 March | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 3 | Japan | 29 March | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 4 | Miami | 3 May | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 5 | Canada | 24 May | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 6 | Monaco | 7 June | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 7 | Barcelona-Catalunya | 14 June | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| 8 | Austria | 28 June | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 9 | Britain | 5 July | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 10 | Belgium | 19 July | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
Among the standout moments of the first half of the season was Leclerc’s win at Silverstone by less than half a second from Russell, one of the closest races of the year. Monaco also drew attention, running beyond two hours and twenty minutes, as did the recent Belgian race in which the field completed only 44 laps and Verstappen returned to the podium in third.
For those following the sport in Bahrain, the season carries a conspicuous absence: the Bahrain Grand Prix, scheduled for the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir on 10-12 April, was cancelled alongside the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah owing to regional circumstances, reducing the season from 24 rounds to 22. Even so, the Bahrain International Circuit hosted pre-season testing across two weeks in February, and Formula 1 management has spoken about the possibility of returning the Bahrain race to the calendar later in the year if conditions allow — without any official confirmation to date.
Among the new teams, Audi have collected ten points, almost all of them through Gabriel Bortoleto, while Cadillac are yet to open their account despite the experience of Bottas and Pérez — not unexpected for a team in its first season. Aston Martin, meanwhile, are enduring their worst start in years with a single point.
Twelve rounds remain, beginning with the Hungarian Grand Prix this coming weekend on 24-26 July. After that the paddock enters the traditional summer break before returning in the Netherlands at the end of August. The full schedule of remaining rounds is below:
| Round | Grand Prix | Date |
| 11 | Hungary | 24-26 July |
| 12 | Netherlands | 21-23 August |
| 13 | Italy (Monza) | 4-6 September |
| 14 | Spain (Madrid) | 11-13 September |
| 15 | Azerbaijan | 24-26 September |
| 16 | Singapore | 9-11 October |
| 17 | United States (Austin) | 23-25 October |
| 18 | Mexico | 30 October – 1 November |
| 19 | Brazil | 6-8 November |
| 20 | Las Vegas | 19-21 November |
| 21 | Qatar | 27-29 November |
| 22 | Abu Dhabi | 4-6 December |
Round fourteen brings the season’s newcomer, as the new Madrid circuit joins the calendar for the first time, giving Spain two races in a single season. The end of the season carries a familiar Gulf character for audiences in Bahrain and the wider region, with the Qatar race at Lusail in late November followed by the traditional finale at Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi in early December — two destinations easily reached by air from Manama.
In practical terms, most of the remaining European rounds usually start at three in the afternoon Central European Time, which is four in the afternoon Bahrain time, while the races in the Americas and Las Vegas fall late at night or in the early hours of the following morning locally. The Qatar and Abu Dhabi races, by contrast, run in a time zone very close to Bahrain’s, making them the most convenient to watch live.
Racing Bulls also deserve a particular mention: the young driver Arvid Lindblad has gathered 20 points in his debut season, helping the team draw level with Alpine in fifth. Williams, meanwhile, are struggling despite the experience of Sainz and Albon, with just eleven points after ten rounds.
Mathematically, drivers still have 12 races in which to score, meaning the 25-point gap between Antonelli and Russell could be erased in a single round. The internal battle between the two Mercedes drivers is the defining storyline of the second half of the season, with Hamilton close enough behind to be a serious candidate if Ferrari continue developing their car. In short: this championship is far from settled, and the autumn months will decide who takes the 2026 title.
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