Roundups
Summer Break Roundup: 2026 Season
Despite going off-grid for almost five-months, I have continued to eagerly immerse myself within the world of Formula One, tuning into race weekends as if my life depended on it, and cursing a few drivers with my dreaded ‘sports shirt curse’ along the way – don’t ask.
Given the somewhat predictive nature of my last post at the start of the season, there is a lot to reminisce on.
For example, we need not have worried about a reemergence of the Silver war years at Mercedes, with one driver presently having the season of a lifetime, whilst the other conversely finds themselves asking how it could go so wrong.
Such incohesion has fed the way for Mercedes’ giant Lewis Hamilton to rival his former team and set his sights on a record-breaking eighth world championship title, after a reemergence with Ferrari this season.
Elsewhere, Max Verstappen finds himself blue in his current drive, though where he lands on the scale between Red Bull and introspection is the question on every journalist’s lips, as silly season rumours begin to fly.
Yabadaba Don’t…
Entering the season with a highly competitive Mercedes, and six years’ Formula One experience to his team mate’s one, it goes without saying that many – including the man himself – predicted the 2026 season to be George Russell’s to lose.
However, one can never be too optimistic with a new generational talent in town, especially when this so happens to be your own teenage team mate.
Despite so-called ‘Mr Consistency’ delivering a promising performance at the Australian Grand Prix, Russell’s season has quickly gone down under.
With Kimi Antonelli finishing consecutively first at the next five Grand Prixes, and DNF results for Russell at Canada and Belgium, the Brit has been denied any real chance of catching the Italian up.
As it stands, frequenting the summer break, George Russell is currently third in championship contention, 59-points behind Kimi Antonelli, and nine behind the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton.
While all is not yet lost for the twenty-eight year old, his fortunes must drastically change, if he has any real chance of fighting back for a first championship title.
Kimi Antonelli: From Rookie to Top Cookie
So, exactly how has Kimi Antontelli managed to turn himself from Mercedes rookie to Mercedes leader in the space of a single season?
While it is my intention to write another blog post deep-diving into the Italian’s surprising success, a summer roundup of the 2026 season would be severely redundant without the mention of his name.
Heading into the 2026 season, Kimi Antontelli held the record for the youngest driver to start a Formula One race at 18 years, six months, and 20 days old.
Thus far this season, Antonelli has added to his successes, breaking the following records:
- Youngest driver to lead a Grand Prix
- Youngest driver to secure pole position
- Youngest driver to set a fastest lap
- Youngest-ever world championship leader
Not to mention the fact that he has only missed out on the podium twice this season.
This includes the Silverstone Grand Prix, whereby the Italian – fuelled by nothing but sheer determination – finished despite suffering mechanical failure, which eradicated his race lead with just ten laps to go.
Antontelli’s persistence to not retire the car – despite pleas from his racing engineer ‘Bono’ – ultimately saw him finish in P9 position, and in the points.
This may have been a season-defining 2-points for the Italian, had he not have been controversially demoted to P16 for exceeding track limits, after the race.
Regardless, we can all agree that such a choice demonstrates the mind of a future world champion, irrespective of when that time may come.
All-in-all, not a bad starting repertoire for a nineteen year old, in only his second year of Formula One.
The Return of Hammer-Time
Having secured a career-first Ferrari podium at the start of the season, it is evident that Lewis Hamilton feels more at ease with Ferrari this season.
Despite only having added a further bronze and one gold to this podium list, the British seven-time world champion has been coolly consistent in his races.
While this is where the likes of Mercedes and McLaren have, at times, faltered, Hamilton’s experience has ultimately awarded him a top 5 finish in all but two races this season so far.
As such, this puts Hamilton in contention for a record-breaking eighth world championship title, sandwiching Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in the drivers’ championship rankings.
Ironically, his biggest rival may actually be the FIA, having been awarded five penalties over the span of the last three races.
After more than a decade at his former team, it is only natural for there to be some ‘teething’ problems here and there.
In the case of Ferrari though, sadly, this often means enduring more than most, with strategy that infamously penalises their own drivers.
Can the forty-one year old bypass the system and deny the teenage rookie the ultimate prize?
From Racing Bull to Raging Bull
The smell of summer often drives hand-in-hand with the start of so-called silly season; a period of time in which rumour and speculation dominate the media.
No stranger to a good headline, Max Verstappen is leading this season’s silly proceedings, finding himself linked to teams such as McLaren – in-part after his racing engineer Gianpiero Lambiase signed a contract to join team papaya from 2028 – and Mercedes.
With his contract set to run its cause in 2028, and the sportsman being no stranger in voicing his frustration over the new Formula One regulations, his departure would not come as a shock for many fans of the sport.
It has even been reported that Red Bull – in desperation to keep the Dutchman in the series and, indeed, team – have asked Verstappen to sign a contract extension lasting until 2029, which does not include an exit clause.
Despite a lucrative wage increase attached to the proposed package, a decision from Verstappen is yet to be communicated. This, of course, only fuels such rumors further.
The question thus remains: will Max Verstappen leave the sport for good, or head for pastures new, perhaps joining his long-serving racing engineer Lambiase at McLaren, or even going rogue by opting for eight-time constructors’ champions Mercedes?
Much like the summer, the drought cannot last forever. Only time will tell, though I would not like to be wearing the racing shoes of Oscar Piastri or George Russell right now.
Let’s Lap It Up: Final Thoughts
Between leading both the constructors’ and drivers’ championship; former Mercedes champion Lewis Hamilton sandwiching their two drivers, and Max Verstappen rumored to have eyes for a drive in the near-distant future, the 2026 season is inadvertently becoming a Mercedes masterclass.
While the season is far from over, I struggle to envision a final version of events, by which Kimi Antonelli does not take his first world championship title.
After-all, whether you are a Mercedes fan or not, I believe this is a teenage notion that all Formula One fans could get behind.
Stay tuned to uncover how the season progresses further, with racing next resuming at the Dutch Grand Prix, taking place August 23rd.