As Formula 1 takes a breather during its traditional summer break, now feels like the ideal time to reflect on a busy first half of the campaign. We asked our writers Lawrence Barretto, Chris Medland, James Hinchcliffe and David Tremayne to give us their take on the season so far, as well as sharing some bold predictions for what might happen during the second half…
What was the best race of the season so far?
Lawrence Barretto (F1 Correspondent & Presenter): Lewis Hamilton’s first Grand Prix win for Ferrari in Barcelona was a stunner. It had tension, jeopardy and some superb strategy from the Italian team in addition to the seven-time World Champion’s supreme pace. It gave us one of the feel-good moments of the year.
Chris Medland (Special Contributor): Probably a tough call between Canada and Barcelona here, given Canada had the extra action of a Sprint that involved the Mercedes drivers fighting each other hard. We’ve had lots of races with great spells and moments in them, but those two either had the tension at the front, or some exciting strategy playing out. I’ll go with Barcelona, because it was also the first time Mercedes were beaten on a Sunday, and Lewis Hamilton’s first win for Ferrari was a big moment.
James Hinchcliffe (IndyCar Race Winner and Analyst): For me the standout race so far was Barcelona. Lewis Hamilton returning to the top step of the podium, for the first time in scarlet, was such a historic moment. It’s been great in general seeing Lewis back to his old form, and he was masterful that day. After all the lows of 2025, seeing the hard work from the team and from himself personally pay off was tremendous. And he did it in style, too! Ferrari went bold on strategy, the race was on from the get-go, the Mercedes pair dicing, late retirement for the championship leader… it had a little bit of everything!
David Tremayne (Hall of Fame F1 Journalist): I’ve enjoyed all of them, and especially witnessing the emergence of Kimi Antonelli as Italy’s best hope for a title since Alberto Ascari. As a dyed-in-the-wool romantic with a passion for the sport’s history, I’m loving all that. But on a purely personal level I hated seeing Lewis brought so low last year, and have to plump for his spectacular comeback to Victory Lane in Spain.
Who are the top three drivers from the season so far?
LB: Kimi Antonelli has been outstanding and deservedly leads the World Championship. I’ve been impressed by Hamilton’s resurgence in his second year at Ferrari, and I’ll give the third spot to Isack Hadjar who has brilliantly absorbed the pressure of racing in the second seat at Red Bull.
CM: Kimi Antonelli is an easy pick, but beyond that I would probably go with Lewis Hamilton for the step he has made compared to last year, and then Isack Hadjar. That second Red Bull seat has been really tough, but Hadjar has handled the promotion so well, and is consistently picking up top-six finishes. Both Hamilton and Hadjar didn’t have their finest weekends in Hungary, but the criteria I’m going with is overall they have all performed above pre-season expectations.
JH: The top three drivers for me so far are Kimi Antonelli, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. In reverse order, I’ve already said how great it is to see Lewis confident and able to attack again. The way he has embedded himself in the team, made his side of the garage what he needs it to be, and stacked up so favourably against Charles Leclerc this year has been mighty impressive.
On to Max, despite the RB22 rarely giving him what he wants and needs from a car, he still consistently drags it higher up the grid than it often deserves to be. The team are working overtime to right the wrongs and give him a car he can regularly challenge with, but Hungary showed us that he still has that Max magic that we’ve become so accustomed to seeing.
And then there’s Kimi. Not quite sure what to say, as I think the teenager has exceeded the expectations of nearly everyone following his rookie season. I would include both Toto Wolff and the man himself in that category, such has been the level of performance and consistency he’s shown this year. Records have already fallen, and you can bet they will continue to do so. Enjoy the show, because we are watching history be made.
DT: Kimi, Max and Lewis.
Which driver has been the most under-the-radar performer this year?
LB: Liam Lawson has had a stunning year. Around a season and a half since getting demoted from Red Bull, the New Zealander has looked reborn at Racing Bulls. He’s scored in six of the last seven rounds, is outperforming his highly-rated rookie team mate Arvid Lindblad and sits ninth in the Drivers’ Championship as the lead midfield racer.
CM: Seeing as I put Isack as a top-three so far, then Liam Lawson for me. The Racing Bulls car is clearly good, and Arvid Lindblad nearly made my top three for his rookie form, but while Lindblad has impressed I think Lawson has had to fight so hard to ensure he is not overlooked. He moved ahead of Pierre Gasly in the standings in Hungary, and has nearly double the points of Lindblad – he just seems to find a way of maximising his result more often than not.
JH: So many drivers that aren’t collecting trophies on race days are having phenomenal seasons. Whether it’s Hadjar holding steady in the second Red Bull, Gasly scoring more often than not, both Racing Bulls drivers having terrific years for different reasons, I think they have all been covered fairly well. The most under-the-radar performer for me so far has been Sergio Perez for Cadillac. Stepping into a brand-new project was a monumental task, and not only has he embraced the challenge wholeheartedly, he has been a huge contributor to the team’s progress throughout the year, and he has consistently had the measure of a 10-time Grand Prix winner in Valtteri Bottas.
He’s the only driver I can think of who was released from a contract, took a year off, had his stock go up in that year due to the struggles of his replacement, then join the field with a team still finding their feet at the back, and likely has had his stock rise again! It’s been a tough season, and that is likely to continue, but the commitment and execution he’s shown in his second go in F1 – Monaco restart notwithstanding – has been mighty impressive.
DT: Well, there’s more than one, that’s for sure! First I’d pick Isack Hadjar. I like his volatile nature over the radio, which I think is more like a motivating pressure release valve because it doesn’t often seem to upset his equilibrium when he’s driving. He has done a great job alongside Max at Red Bull, matching his speed at times in practice and Qualifying, and is working hard on his race pace. He’s scoring points consistently, which is exactly what the team want, and has strong potential.
Then there are Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, who figuratively and often literally have been inseparable chez Racing Bulls. Liam has recovered superbly from his unhappy pair of races at Red Bull and is a genuine points contender every time out when the VCARB 03 is performing well. He’s seasoned now, and also smooth, fast and a good little fighter. And Arvid… well, it says everything that he’s matching Liam already and looks like he’s been in F1 for years rather than just 11 races. He’s mature beyond his tender years, very confident, smooth and quick, doesn’t make big mistakes and seems to be coping extremely capably with everything F1 can throw at a rookie. There’s massive potential there.
Which team and driver will be under the most scrutiny in the second half of the season?
LB: Williams are under pressure to up their game after a painful first half of the season. After finishing P5 last year, they were supposed to be cutting the gap to the front. Instead they’re at the back battling F1’s newest team Cadillac. While the upgrade they are bringing to Baku is encouraging, it’s likely to bring only several tenths rather than seconds so more is needed – and quickly. When it comes to drivers, George Russell will be under immense scrutiny after an underwhelming start to the year where the pre-season favourite has had no answers to his team mate’s impressive performance. He’ll be hoping for a proper reset when the season resumes in the Netherlands.
CM: Team-wise, after Aston Martin’s step forward in Hungary I’m going to say Williams. After so much optimism last season – and largely ever since James Vowles arrived in 2023 – this year has been a major disappointment, and it looks like repeat problems are being faced over the winter. A big upgrade is planned around Azerbaijan, and it really needs to deliver or Vowles could start to find himself coming under significant pressure.
JH: For me this one falls on Aston Martin. Aston will have to answer for the shocking start to the season they have had. We’ve seen the first step of that in Hungary, and it certainly shows they are moving in the right direction. That said, there is still a long way to go to achieve the goals that Lawrence Stroll set out for the team, and keep two legends in Adrian Newey and Fernando Alonso from ending their incredible tenures in F1 on a low note.
DT: Inevitably, of those running up front it will be Mercedes and Kimi; but also Ferrari and Lewis. The former because everyone will want to see if he can keep up his strike rate, the latter because everyone loves a happy story, and what is more engaging than the seven-time World Champion still running at the sharp end at the age of 41, and keeping his young replacement at Mercedes on his mettle? Elsewhere, teamwise, how much more can Aston Martin improve, and when will all the verbiage at Williams finally translate into solid progress?
Who will win the Drivers’ Championship?
LB: Kimi Antonelli has been the class of the field so far this year. The Italian may only be in his second season in F1 but you wouldn’t know it, so fast, confident and assured has he been. It’s difficult to see anyone stopping his march to a maiden world title.
CM: It has to be Kimi Antonelli at this stage. I think we have plenty more twists and turns ahead, and I’m not sure it will always be comfortable, but Antonelli has yet to have a weekend where he looks in trouble in the way George Russell has at times. He has been impressively consistent even when the result hasn’t gone his way through reliability issues or circumstance, so I think that will see him through.
JH: It’s hard to bet against Antonelli at this stage. Not simply because he is quick, or that Mercedes have built a strong car, but because he is simply getting better every week. Gone are the rookie errors that we saw last year, and maybe expected to a lesser extent to continue this season. Gone are the question marks over his ability to handle pressure. Gone are any doubts about his ability to compete – and win – against the best in the world. Every new situation he has been placed in, he has responded exceptionally well, and you struggle to dream up any more curve balls that could be thrown at him that he won’t handle with the same effectiveness that he’s managed everything so far in 2026.
DT: Kimi. Mercedes keep having the odd spell of unreliability, but I don’t see anyone else managing to strike gold and make the sort of astonishing comeback that Max and Red Bull managed last year, so long as Kimi keeps his head and, when he can’t win, does what he did so well in Hungary last time out.
One bold prediction for the second half of the season?
LB: I’m probably punching a bit too high here, but with Honda set to bring an upgraded power unit to Zandvoort and Aston Martin adding more chassis updates in Monza and Baku to the heavily upgraded car they brought to Budapest, I expect them to secure a top-five finish before the end of the year.
CM: McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull all win races after the summer break. This probably sounded more bold prior to Hungary and the drive we saw from Lando Norris, and Mercedes may well make a step forward with their own upgrade around Baku, but I’m going to say the final 12 rounds see wins shared between at least four teams.
JH: A Racing Bulls podium. Not unlike how Hadjar pulled one off last season for the Faenza squad, I feel there is a chance for one this season with how well that team have developed and how strong both drivers are at the moment. I’m not going to say which one I think could be the more likely candidate, simply because I don’t know. Both are delivering at a very high level throughout the weekends, and if things fall just right – maybe in our first rain-affected race of the year – it wouldn’t surprise me if either Lawson or Lindblad were there to capitalise.
DT: Well, Kimi’s already doubled my last bold prediction that he’d win three times… But for what it’s worth, I see Max winning a race or two. You can never rule him or Red Bull out, and that Ford-backed DM01 power unit that was inspired by team founder Dietrich Mateschitz and created by former Team Principal Christian Horner is doing some great things already, even if the package might be giving the four-time champion a few grey hairs.
