As the 2026 Formula 1 season pauses after the first three rounds, Your Site F1 rates the performances of the drivers so far.
In Drivers' Championship order:
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 during 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, then was just as impressive when recovering from a poor start at Suzuka, showing immense pace, even if the Safety Car timing played into his hands.
Qualifying vs team-mate: 1-2 / Points vs team-mate: 63-72
George Russell started the season in imperious form as he won the Australian Grand Prix and then the Sprint in China, but since being struck by a technical issue in Shanghai qualifying, a little bit of fragility has crept in.
The Brit has appeared to face some difficulties getting to grips with the new style of wheel-to-wheel racing, struggling to clear the Ferraris in several battles despite having significantly more pace than the red cars.
Qualifying vs team-mate: 2-1 / Points vs team-mate: 49-41
Charles Leclerc largely seems to have picked up where he left off last season, consistently getting everything out of his Ferrari.
He wasn't at his best in China at a circuit he has repeatedly admitted is the one on the current calendar that he finds most difficult, but bounced back with a superb drive in Japan to make it two podiums from three races.
Qualifying vs team-mate: 1-2 / Points vs team-mate: 41-49
Lewis Hamilton appeared to be reinvigorated at the first couple of races, with a much improved showing on last year culminating in his first grand prix podium for Ferrari in China.
However, his performance in Japan was more reminiscent of 2025 as he was outpaced by Leclerc throughout the weekend, and ended up sixth in the race despite the timing of the Safety Car gifting him a real chance of another podium.
Qualifying vs team-mate: 0-3 / Points vs team-mate: 25-21
The reigning world champion has been hampered by a series of early-season McLaren gremlins, most notably when he was unable to start the race in China.
While his limited track time should be acknowledged, Norris will be disappointed to have been outqualified by team-mate Oscar Piastri at all three races, but he did at least produce a decent drive in Japan to take fifth away from Hamilton.
Qualifying vs team-mate: 3-0 / Points vs team-mate: 21-25
Piastri's season began in disastrous fashion as he crashed on his way from the pit lane to the grid at his home race. While an unexpected torque spike contributed to the incident, there was an element of driver error, for which he paid a heavy price.
Since then, he has barely put a foot wrong, and was unlucky to lose what had become a very genuine shot at victory in Japan due to the unfortunate timing of the Safety Car.
Qualifying vs team-mate: 2-1 / Points vs team-mate: 17-1
The young Brit started the season extremely strongly as he backed up seventh place at the opening race with fifth in China, comprehensively outperforming his team-mate at both events.
However, he had an off-weekend in Japan, suffering a surprise Q1 exit. He then crashed out of the race in an incident that was far from completely down to him, but he may reflect he could have done more to avoid.
Qualifying vs team-mate: 3-0 / Points vs team-mate: 15-1
The Frenchman has made a superb start to 2026, finishing all three races in the points to put himself a lofty eighth in the drivers' standings.
He has qualified seventh at each of the last two races, was able to move up to sixth by the chequered flag in China and then defended superbly against Max Verstappen to hold onto his starting spot in Japan.
Qualifying vs team-mate: 2-1 / Points vs team-mate: 12-4
Not a happy camper doesn't quite do justice to how Max Verstappen is feeling after his start to the season. The four-time world champion does not like F1's new cars, and particularly the Red Bull one that he is driving.
He recovered well from a qualifying crash in Australia to finish sixth, but could only claim eighth in Japan after suffering a shock Q2 exit at Suzuka.
Qualifying vs team-mate: 2-1 / Points vs team-mate: 10-4
Liam Lawson is being pushed hard by British teenager Arvid Lindblad but should be highly credited for his sevenths in the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint and the main race itself.
The qualifying battle has been close but Lawson edged out Lindblad in Australia and China.
Qualifying vs team-mate: 1-2 / Points vs team-mate: 4-10
The only rookie on the grid has been impressive, getting his elbows out in Australia on debut and produced a mighty Suzuka lap to knock out Verstappen in Q2 in Japan.
If not for the poor timing of the Safety Car at Suzuka, Lindblad would have added to the points he scored in Melbourne.
Qualifying vs team-mate: 1-2 / Points vs team-mate: 4-12
Hadjar outqualified Verstappen on merit in Japan and already appears to be the closest team-mate the Dutchman has had since Daniel Ricciardo in 2018.
An unforced spin on the opening lap of the Chinese Grand Prix is the only major mistake from Hadjar so far.
Qualifying vs team-mate: 2-1 / Points vs team-mate: 2-0
It is difficult to judge the Audi drivers given Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg have failed to start one race each.
However, Bortoleto has continued to demonstrate strong one-lap speed and scored the team's only points so far in Australia.
Qualifying vs team-mate: 2-1 / Points vs team-mate: 2-0
Despite Williams' struggles so far in 2026, Carlos Sainz scored points in China and has been extracting as much as he can out of the car.
Qualifying vs team-mate: 1-2 / Points vs team-mate: 1-17
Ocon was unable to reach Q3 in Australia and China when team-mate Bearman could, but the French driver fared better in Japan and scored his first point of the season.
Qualifying vs team-mate: 0-3 / Points vs team-mate: 1-15
Arguably the biggest difference in team-mates on the grid is at Alpine where Colapinto is being outclassed by Gasly, nearly one second slower in qualifying at the last two races, and has also been off the pace in races.
It is a continuation of the gap between the Alpine pair from last year
Qualifying vs team-mate: 1-2 / Points vs team-mate: 0-2
Hulkenberg continues to have decent pace in races and may have scored points in Japan had he not lost time battling with Bortoleto.
Qualifying vs team-mate: 1-2 / Points vs team-mate: 0-2
Albon has struggled with the new style of driving required to optimise the new power units more than Sainz and that is reflected in the general pace deficit from the British-Thai driver so far.
Qualifying vs team-mate: 1-2 / Points vs team-mate: 0-0
Valtteri Bottas may have the higher finishing position of the Cadillac drivers, which puts him ahead of Sergio Perez in the championship, but he's actually had slightly less outright pace than his team-mate.
Qualifying vs team-mate: 2-1 / Points vs team-mate: 0-0
Perez's race pace was much stronger than Bottas' in Australia and China - a strength that clearly has not gone away on his return to Formula 1.
Qualifying vs team-mate: 3-0 / Points vs team-mate: 0-0
It is hard to tell how well Fernando Alonso is driving his Aston Martin but he's still the lead driver at the Silverstone-based team and not showing any signs of giving up yet.
Qualifying vs team-mate: 0-3 / Points vs team-mate: 0-0
Lance Stroll has yet to see the chequered flag in the opening three Grands Prix and has been outqualified by Fernando Alonso in what is the clearest on-track comparison we can make between the two Aston Martins.
Formula 1 returns on May 1-3 with the Miami Grand Prix, the season's second Sprint weekend, live on Your Site F1.
