With five different Grand Prix winners in the first 11 races and Mercedes setting the benchmark under Formula 1’s new regulations, the top teams are all trying to close the gap before the season reaches Singapore.
We are just five races away from Singapore: Kimi Antonelli has built a 50-point championship lead, Lewis Hamilton is leading Ferrari’s response, and George Russell remains in the hunt.
Yet with Zandvoort, Monza, Madrid, Baku, and a surprise return to Sepang still to come, the picture could change quickly before the paddock reaches Marina Bay.
Here are the fast facts on where the championship stands:
Drivers’ Championship
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) leads with 219 points
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) trails by 50 points at 169
- George Russell (Mercedes) holds third with 160 points
Constructors’ Championship
- Mercedes leads with 379 points
- Ferrari is second with 307 points
- McLaren sits third with 220 points
- Red Bull is fourth with 177 points
- Racing Bulls a solid fifth with 66 points
- Alpine sixth with 61 points
- Haas is an encouraging seventh with 21 points
- Williams down in eighth with 11 points
- Aston Martin is ninth, at least with 1 point
- Cadillac brings up the rear with no points scored thus far
Mercedes: The New Benchmark
Mercedes’ response to the new technical regulations has been emphatic, with eight wins from 11 Grands Prix and 10 pole positions giving them a commanding lead. Antonelli has led the charge with six victories, while Russell has added wins in Australia and Austria.
It has not been flawless. Reliability issues and Russell’s difficult run through Belgium and Hungary have left points on the table, but Antonelli still heads into the summer break 50 points clear of Hamilton. Mercedes are bracing for a more intense second half as their rivals continue to develop.
Ferrari: Closing In?
Ferrari have emerged as Mercedes’ closest challengers. Hamilton claimed his first Grand Prix victory in red at Barcelona-Catalunya, Leclerc followed with a win at Silverstone, and nine podiums have kept the Scuderia second on 307 points.
Hamilton sits second in the drivers’ standings, but Ferrari remain 72 points behind Mercedes and still need greater consistency to turn pressure into a sustained title push.
McLaren: Champions Fighting Back
McLaren entered 2026 as the reigning champions, but the new era initially caught them on the back foot.
Reliability setbacks and a development deficit left Norris and Piastri chasing Mercedes and Ferrari, before a major Hungarian upgrade finally delivered their breakthrough, with Norris taking pole and McLaren’s first Grand Prix win of the season.
They remain third in the constructors’ table, but Hungary offered genuine hope for the second half.
Red Bull: Searching for a Way Back
Red Bull are navigating an unfamiliar season. Verstappen is yet to win a Grand Prix in 2026, although four podiums and a runner-up finish in Hungary have kept him sixth in the championship with 109 points.
The team sits fourth on 177 points, with Isack Hadjar adapting to the second seat while Red Bull continue to chase performance in a development battle that has shifted from circuit to circuit.
The Three-Man Title War
This season has developed into a fascinating fight between Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton splitting the pair.
Antonelli holds the edge, 50 points clear of Hamilton and 59 ahead of Russell, but the long second half leaves little room for complacency.
With Mercedes still the fastest package overall and Ferrari closing in, one retirement or poor weekend could quickly change the complexion of the championship.
2026 Singapore Grand Prix (October 9th – 11th)
Local fans, you’re about to witness a new chapter at Marina Bay. Singapore will host its first-ever F1 Sprint weekend in 2026, compressing the action into a single practice session before Sprint Qualifying on Friday and the Sprint on Saturday. The 4.927-kilometre street circuit remains one of Formula 1’s most physical, spectacular, and strategically volatile tests.
Will Antonelli arrive with his lead intact? Can Hamilton or Russell pull him back? Could McLaren’s Hungary resurgence continue, or might Verstappen finally break Red Bull’s winless run?
With Formula 1 returning to Sepang just one week earlier and extra Sprint points on offer in Singapore, the championship could look very different by October 11. One thing’s certain: Marina Bay promises drama, speed, and high-stakes championship storytelling.
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