Five things to look out for in the second half of the 2026 F1 season
14 August 2026The first half of the 2026 Formula 1 season has delivered plenty of surprises, but if the final race before the summer break is anything to go by, the second half could be even more intriguing.
Kimi Antonelli may have established himself as the driver to beat, with six Grand Prix victories to his name and a 50-point advantage at the top of the World Drivers’ Championship standings, but the chasing pack is nipping at his heels.
Ferrari have continued to unlock more performance from the SF-26, McLaren looked ominously quick at the Hungaroring, and George Russell has outscored his team-mate across the last five races.
With 12 races still to come, here are five things to look out for when the 2026 F1 season resumes...
Can McLaren maintain their Hungary form?
McLaren appeared to rediscover its ominous 2025 form at the Hungaroring, with Lando Norris taking a commanding victory by more than 15 seconds.
The reigning champion looked in control throughout the race, while Oscar Piastri's presence at the front – before his unfortunate retirement - underlined the true potential of the papaya cars.
Norris and Piastri are unlikely to reinject themselves into the 2026 F1 title fight, given the points advantage for Antonelli at the top of the standings, but they don't necessarily need to be championship favourites to have a major impact on the battle.
If McLaren can carry their Hungarian Grand Prix pace into the second half of the season, they could begin taking victories and podiums away from Mercedes and Ferrari, making it easier for Lewis Hamilton or George Russell to close the gap to Antonelli.
SIGN UP: Receive ticket updates for the 2027 British Grand Prix
Can Antonelli rediscover his early-season dominance?
For a driver who has taken two third places and a win across the last five races, suggesting there is anything seriously wrong with Kimi Antonelli's form might seem a little harsh.
But when you consider that in the five races before that, the Mercedes driver had won five consecutive Grands Prix, a noticeable dip becomes apparent.
His extraordinary streak established Antonelli as the driver to beat in 2026, but Piastri delivered a similarly dominant run early last season, only for his campaign to unfold later down the line. Not to mention the fact that Ferrari and McLaren have edged closer to Mercedes at the sharp end.
The question now is whether Antonelli can rediscover the form that allowed him to dominate the middle part of the first half of the campaign.
He doesn't necessarily need to win every weekend. With a 50-point advantage over Hamilton, picking up regular podiums will be just as important as gunning for glory, if he’s to maintain that gap.
Either way, the second half of the season will prove the biggest test yet of Antonelli's composure, and more broadly, his credentials to be an F1 champion.
Can Hamilton mount a genuine title challenge?
As Antonelli's closest challenger in the World Drivers' Championship standings, Hamilton has a genuine shot at the 2026 title. That might seem a bold statement given that the Ferrari driver is 50 points behind, but there are still plenty of opportunities left in the season.
Reducing such a deficit isn’t out of the question either. We only have to look back to last season, when Max Verstappen reduced a 104-point gap to just two in the second half of the campaign.
Hamilton and team-mate Charles Leclerc have won two of the last five Grands Prix between them, while each has also added another podium during that run, suggesting Ferrari, like McLaren, are unlocking more performance from the SF-26.
Hamilton's first victory for Ferrari was one of the defining moments of the first half of the season, while Leclerc's triumph at Silverstone showed that the team has the pace to challenge Mercedes when everything comes together.
And let’s not forget, Hamilton has no shortage of experience fighting for championships. The ingredients for a genuine title fight are undoubtedly there.
Can Russell get back on track?
George Russell currently sits 60 points behind his team-mate at the top of the championship, and, despite having shown flashes of front-running pace, has endured a difficult first half of the 2026 F1 season in which he’s failed to deliver as consistently as Antonelli.
Misfortune has played its part. Russell has suffered three non-scores so far, compared with two for Antonelli, but his season has also featured plenty of positives.
He has claimed two Grand Prix victories, two Sprint wins and three second-place finishes, demonstrating that when the opportunity is there, he is more than capable of converting it.
And there is another reason for Russell to be optimistic heading into the second half of the season: he has actually outscored Antonelli across the last five races.
If he can carry that momentum into the post-summer-break portion of the campaign, Russell could begin closing the gap to his team-mate and put himself back into the championship conversation.
Will Verstappen finally get the win that escaped him?
Neither Max Verstappen nor team-mate Isack Hadjar managed a podium across the first four races, while the pair combined for three non-scores during that opening stretch.
But more recently, things have been on the up at Red Bull. Verstappen has taken four podium finishes across the last seven races, including two second-place finishes, putting himself back among the leading contenders despite still waiting for his first victory of the campaign.
For a four-time World Champion who has been a regular fixture on the top step for the past five seasons, that win has been conspicuous by its absence. But recent results suggest the opportunity could be on the horizon.
If Red Bull can continue to close the gap to Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren, Verstappen has the experience and racecraft to make the difference.
With the rumour mill churning on Verstappen’s future, a win could be exactly what both the Dutchman and Red Bull need to start putting a tricky start to the season behind them.
