SAEDNEWS: Formula 1 returns from its summer break with 12 races still to run in the 2026 championship. Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads George Russell by 50 points, but Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Ferrari and several midfield teams still have major roles to play.
According to SaedNews: Formula 1 is back after the summer shutdown, with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort opening the second half of the 2026 season. The race is also expected to be the final foreseeable F1 event on Max Verstappen’s home ground. With 12 Grands Prix still to come, the first half has left plenty of unresolved questions, from Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s rise and Mercedes’ strength to technical problems with the new-generation cars and Aston Martin’s disappointing campaign.
Antonelli enters the second half as the championship leader. George Russell was widely viewed as a leading title candidate before the season began, but Antonelli’s first victory gave the young Mercedes driver added confidence and he quickly took control. He now has a 50-point advantage over his closest challenger, while Russell is third, 59 points behind his teammate. Recent performances have suggested that Antonelli has improved not only his pace but also his race management.
Mercedes’ apparent advantage with the 2026 power unit and car has helped Antonelli adapt better than Russell so far. If the team retains the fastest package, he has a realistic chance of staying on top and potentially winning the championship. Yet the season is far from settled. Oscar Piastri was also among the leading contenders at this stage last year before a series of mistakes and setbacks, particularly after Baku, changed the picture. Russell can take encouragement from Lando Norris’ 2025 comeback, and a 59-point deficit remains recoverable with 12 races left.
Lewis Hamilton is another potential threat. The Ferrari driver continues to speak about his title hopes, while Ferrari has already claimed two victories and is pursuing a serious development programme. If its next upgrade package cuts the gap to Mercedes, Hamilton could become a major danger to both Antonelli and Russell.
The remaining contenders are further back. Charles Leclerc trails Antonelli by 81 points, Norris is even farther away, and Verstappen is more than 100 points off the lead. Still, Verstappen cannot be completely dismissed. Last season he was also a long way from first place at one stage before dramatically closing the gap. F1 has repeatedly shown how a technical breakthrough, several consecutive wins or a run of wet races can alter a championship.
Ferrari also faces an intriguing internal battle. Hamilton, after a disappointing first season in Maranello, has begun showing signs of the driver who competed at the highest level for years. In many races he has even looked quicker than Leclerc. That matters for the Monegasque, who has been Ferrari’s leading championship hope since joining the team in 2019. Finishing behind the 41-year-old Hamilton would increase the pressure on Leclerc, especially after many believed Hamilton was approaching the end of his career when he joined Ferrari.
The midfield fight could be almost as significant because the final constructors’ positions can affect millions of dollars in revenue. Alpine began the season as the strongest team outside the main contenders, but its decline allowed Racing Bulls to move into fifth. The gap is only five points. Haas, Audi and Williams are also fighting for seventh, with Haas currently nine points ahead of Audi and 10 ahead of Williams. Williams appears to have shifted part of its focus toward the 2027 project.
Aston Martin remains one of the season’s biggest disappointments. With Lawrence Stroll, Fernando Alonso and Adrian Newey involved, the team had been viewed before the season as a possible contender, but it struggled badly and was often even slower than newcomer Cadillac. Some improvement appeared at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Alonso reached Q2 and was happier with the car’s behaviour. Aston Martin is also due to receive a new upgrade package at Zandvoort, along with Honda’s new engine. A title challenge is unrealistic, but finishing the season with positive signs is important for the team.
The 2027 driver market is another unresolved issue. Verstappen’s Red Bull extension has clarified much of the grid, but several seats remain uncertain. Esteban Ocon, who has been overshadowed by Oliver Bearman this season, could lose his Haas seat, with Leonardo Fornaroli and Rafael Camara among the possible alternatives. Within the Red Bull family, Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad could also face changes. If Red Bull promotes Nikola Tsolov to the main team or another seat in its system, one of them could be forced out.
Finally, the new-generation power units remain a major storyline. The increased role of electrical energy created problems early in the season, including sharp speed losses on some circuits and energy shortages on fast tracks. Although the regulations and technical settings have been adjusted, the issue has not disappeared completely at places such as Spa and Silverstone. Baku, Monza and Las Vegas will provide further tests because of their long straights. The second half of 2026, therefore, is about more than the drivers’ title: new-car performance, the midfield battle, the 2027 driver market and Aston Martin’s recovery could all remain decisive until the final race.
