Winners and losers from the opening three rounds of the 2026 F1 season
10 April 2026We’re now three races into the 2026 Formula 1 season, and we’re starting to get a clearer picture of the narratives set to shape the campaign this year.
There’s a teenage title contender rewriting everyone’s expectations, a seven-time World Champion rediscovering his mojo, and a few heavyweights still searching for answers.
From Melbourne to Shanghai to Suzuka, here are the biggest winners and losers so far.
Winners
Kimi Antonelli
Heading into the 2026 season, George Russell was the Mercedes driver touted as a title favourite, and when his young Italian team-mate made a scrappy start in Melbourne, eventually recovering to follow George home in second, it seemed all that speculation might’ve been on the money.
But what followed was emphatic. Back-to-back victories in China and Japan announced his arrival as a contender and then some. Suddenly, the 19-year-old has become a very real threat.
Composed under pressure and already showing the instincts required of a champion, Antonelli has shrewdly turned the potential he showed last year into the points lead in short order.
Lewis Hamilton
A year ago, the paddock was questioning if Lewis Hamilton had made the right call moving to Ferrari. And now, in 2026, the seven-time champion is looking revitalised.
A podium in China has been the headline result, but it’s that familiar edge in wheel-to-wheel combat, particularly in his battles with Charles Leclerc, that signals a driver rediscovering the flow that made him so potent at the wheel of a Mercedes.
Ollie Bearman
And speaking of drivers in the Ferrari stable, Ollie Bearman has started 2026 like he’s ready to step into Lewis’ racing boots, whenever the time comes for him to bow out.
A top-five position in the points standings after China paints an excellent picture of the young Brit’s start to the year. He’s been there to pounce when others have come unstuck and consistently extracted the most out of an already competitive Haas package.
Japan’s heavy crash will have come as a shock, but it doesn’t erase what came before. If anything, it highlights the supremely high level he’s been operating at thus far, and that he is, in fact, still human.
Gabriel Bortoleto
For Gabriel Bortoleto and Audi, the points on the board don’t quite tell the full story yet. Two points on debut in Australia marked a dream start for the fledgling team, and while China and Japan failed to reach those same heights, the underlying pace has been encouraging.
Nico Hulkenberg, in the other Audi, came frustratingly close to a points finish in both Shanghai and Suzuka, suggesting that Gabriel’s Melbourne masterclass was no fluke.
Losers
Lando Norris
For the reigning World Champion, the opening rounds have been races to forget for Lando Norris. Fifth in Melbourne, a DNS in China, and another fifth in Japan tell the story of a driver at odds with his machinery more than his competitors.
A fourth-place finish in the Shanghai Sprint offered a glimpse of what’s possible, and team-mate Piastri’s front-running pace at the latest round at Suzuka was encouraging. McLaren edged closer under the cherry blossoms, but still remains a significant step behind its dominant 2025 form.
Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen is rarely outside the spotlight, and while his comments about the new regulations have attracted plenty of attention, he finds himself more anonymous than not while on track in 2026.
A sixth place in Melbourne, a DNF in China, and no podiums across the opening three rounds says it all. Verstappen, who fought Norris for the 2025 title four months ago, now looks like a leader of the midfield.
Alex Albon
Like Red Bull, Williams has also seen a considerable drop in performance off the back of the new regulation set. Alex Albon finished twelfth in Australia, recorded a DNS in China, and then 20th in Japan to underline the painful drop-off.
After an encouragingly competitive 2025 in which the Grove outfit emerged as the dominant force of the midfield, the team now finds itself chasing that group.
Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin’s first few rounds, though, have been by far the worst of the field. Retirements in Australia and China, followed by 18th in Japan, reflect the troubles Honda and Aston have battled this season.
Persistent vibration issues have severely limited running for Aston Martin, leaving both drivers without any meaningful running. The result in Suzuka was the first time either driver had seen the chequered flag, but at least that shows that things might be on the up for Alonso and the green team.
