Kimi Antonelli got off to a brisk start to the 2026 Formula 1 campaign with six straight Top 2 finishes, including five consecutive race wins. However, since mid-June, his opponents have caught up to him in the drivers’ championship after finishing on the podium in one of his past three races.
With Antonelli stumbling in recent weeks, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, and even Charles Leclerc have narrowed the gap, having breached the century mark in points. Among them, Russell is the closest at 25 points behind, while Hamilton and Leclerc are 32 and 71 points behind, respectively. If the young Italian continues to struggle, there will be a drastic shift in the Formula 1 2026 odds, for sure.
Elsewhere, Cadillac, one of the two new teams this year, have yet to secure a point after the first nine events, and the “silly season” has started, with Max Verstappen at the centre of it all.
Learn more about the latest Formula 1 2026 updates, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Important wins for Russell and Hamilton
We’ve had three different winners during Kimi Antonelli’s rough stretch. Lewis Hamilton won in Barcelona, George Russell prevailed in Austria, and Charles Leclerc won the most recent one in Silverstone.
Hamilton’s triumph in Barcelona was a momentous one, as it was his maiden victory for Ferrari. The 41-year-old recorded his 106th career victory (and first since the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix), ending a 686-day drought. During the race, Ferrari gambled with a three-stop strategy, and Hamilton capitalised on a Virtual Safety Car period. It also helped that Antonelli suffered a shock mechanical failure with just four laps left.
As for Russell, his win in Austria was well-earned. The Mercedes driver led from pole position and fended off Max Verstappen’s challenge to end his 112-day wait for a victory. Overall, it was a positive outing for the Silver Arrows, as Russell’s teammate, Antonelli, finished third.
Leclerc also ended his 624-day drought to win at Silverstone after capitalising on a late safety-car confusion. During the British Grand Prix, Antonelli suffered a wheel-fairing failure when he tried to close in on the Ferrari for the lead and seemed set for another victory. Max Verstappen also crashed at Stowe while chasing Hamilton for second place.
Cadillac still scoreless this season
Cadillac entered Formula 1 this season with low expectations, and the North Carolina-based side was hit with a harsh reality in the first nine races. Despite employing grizzled veterans Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, the team has yet to score a point at the time of writing.
Their highest finish so far was P13, courtesy of Bottas in the Chinese Grand Prix, but there’s not much else to write home about. Before the British Grand Prix, Bottas and Perez hadn’t seen the chequered flag together in the past four races, as at least one of them couldn’t finish. Perez came agonisingly close in Monaco, initially finishing P10, thanks to penalties for others before he picked up a time penalty.
Their worst collective outing happened in the Austrian Grand Prix, where both drivers suffered early car fires and retired on the opening laps. This was a disappointing result, to say the least, because Cadillac introduced a sizeable aerodynamic update package to their machines before the race.
Overall, the 2026 Formula 1 campaign is a huge learning curve for Cadillac. But the team showed some promise in the British Grand Prix, outpacing some of their fellow midfield teams in qualifying.
Verstappen linked to sensational move away from Red Bull
Max Verstappen hasn’t been the same since he finished second behind Lando Norris in last year’s drivers’ championship. This year, the Dutchman is off to a sluggish start with only 76 points in the first nine races, and he has more DNFs (three) than podium finishes (two).
After the British Grand Prix, reports claim that his performance-based exit clause is now in play since he can no longer reach second place in the championship before the summer break, opening the door to a potential shock exit from Red Bull.
Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season, but now he is suddenly linked to McLaren and Mercedes. Several rumours suggest he teams up with reigning champion Lando Norris, with Oscar Piastri going the other way.
For what it’s worth, McLaren CEO Zak Brown dismissed the chatter, saying that he’d be very surprised if Norris or Piastri go elsewhere, given their current contracts. However, snagging a four-time world champion in the open market is too hard to resist, so watch this space.
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