Midseason Report Card: Who’s Earning an A, Who’s Earning a D, and Why Your Own Teammate Is the Scariest Rival

Enough of the 2026 season has now played out to form a realistic picture of who’s actually driving, who’s merely steering a car, and who looks like they’ve forgotten why they’re here. Here’s where the form stands.

Antonelli — A-, leading by 50 points

Kimi Antonelli leads the championship by 50 points and, minor errors aside, has been described as “ridiculously fast” and flat-out untouchable on his good days. For a driver this early in his career, that’s an exceptional start.

Hamilton — A-, driving like the champion he is

Lewis Hamilton earns the same A- for delivering like a “multiple world champion” — wins and strong consistency at Ferrari, strategy drama along the way notwithstanding (see our Malaysia report).

Norris — championship material despite the machinery

Lando Norris continues extracting “almost everything the McLaren has had to offer” despite recurring reliability setbacks — championship-calibre driving, even when the results don’t show it.

Russell — D, with identical machinery to his teammate

At the other end of the spectrum, George Russell earns a D for disappointing results — trailing Antonelli by 59 points in literally the same car is hard to explain with anything other than a lack of consistency.

Piastri — C+, a style that doesn’t suit this era

Oscar Piastri gets a C+ — his smooth driving style looks inefficient for cars where energy management is central, and he’s consistently trailing teammate Norris.

Stroll — C, out of obligation more than anything

Lance Stroll earns a C, with the blunt admission that he’s finishing races “only for the mechanics and for Lawrence” — a note that says more about motivation than talent.

Rookie of note

Among the newcomers, Arvid Lindblad stands out as the one rookie genuinely impressing — while at the back of the grid, reliability keeps punishing Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez.

Based on reporting by Autosport.