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F1 at the halfway point: Five things that will shape the rest of the season
Ahead of an extended second half of the Formula One season, here are the five biggest takeaways from the first half of the season and what they mean for the championship battle.
2026 has been an intensely competitive year in Formula One so far. The battles for the championship and midfield are closer than ever, car upgrades have led to significant form changes, and the second half of the season will have a packed schedule. How will those things impact the remainder of the season, starting with the Dutch GP?
01
The Drivers' Championship battle is more open than in recent years
So far in 2026, the Drivers’ Championship has been fiercely competitive. While Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli won five of the first six Grands Prix, his performances have suffered while other teams have improved in the subsequent five. That has led to the top of the driver standings being closer than in recent years, and that could continue into the second half of the season.
Kimi Antonelli leads the way after 11 races
© Philip Platzer/Red Bull Ring
Just before the Dutch GP in the 2025 season, 133 points separated first and fifth in the standings. This year, though, just 127 points separate the top seven drivers. While Antonelli’s early-season success has put him 50 points ahead of his nearest competitor, there are just 60 points between Lewis Hamilton in second and Max Verstappen in 6th.
With Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and George Russell all winning in the last five races, Mercedes’ competition is improving, which will make for even more competitive racing in the second half of the season.
Both junior and experienced drivers have had success, too. Antonelli’s results are a showcase for the young driver’s talent, but Lewis Hamilton won his first race for Ferrari, making him the seventh oldest race winner of all time.
It's tight at the top this year
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Verstappen’s results have slowly improved throughout the first half of the season, too. Speaking to autosport.com, the Oracle Red Bull Racing driver said: "In general, it’s been very tough. Some good moments, some bright and shining moments, I guess, but overall, it has been tough.”
02
Upgrade packages are drastically changing teams’ competitiveness
A major reason behind the competitive nature of the 2026 season is the impact of teams’ upgrade packages. This season saw the introduction of significant rule changes. Now, drivers have access to a boost button on their steering wheel, and they need to tactically deploy extra power for overtakes and defensive moves. A major factor in the competitiveness of the season has been the teams’ ability to change mechanical setups as they become more familiar with how their cars work under the new regulations.
Verstappen’s results since the implementation of a significant upgrade package before the Austrian GP demonstrate how impactful developments can be. He has finished on the podium in three of the last four races, having not finished in the podium places before Austria.
Max Verstappen has been back in form in recent races
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
McLaren has also confirmed that further upgrades are coming to their cars for the Dutch GP, following impactful changes made prior to the Hungarian weekend. Lando Norris went on to win that race, and the Woking-based team will be hoping to continue that form into the second half of the season.
Elsewhere in the paddock, changes are in the works, too. Speaking to Formula1.com during the summer break, Cadillac Team Principal Graeme Lowdon said, “I have every confidence that we will come back stronger and ready to push again in Zandvoort.”
If the teams chasing Antonelli can continue to improve, the drivers' championship will only get closer.
03
Oracle Red Bull Racing's improved performances continue
Oracle Red Bull Racing’s results continued to improve in the previous five Grands Prix. Verstappen had his joint best result of the season in Hungary before the break, finishing second, but he’s keen to see more. If his form continues, he may get closer to Antonelli and the other drivers ahead of him in the standings.
The four-time world champion will be hoping to close the gap on Antonelli
© Jöerg Mitter/Red Bull Ring
"We need to first find more overall performance. And then we need to fix our problems, where we sometimes just lose performance over a weekend, or even from the start of the race to the end,” Verstappen said to Autosport.com.
Team Principal Laurent Mekies agrees that “the consistency of the delivery of performance” has been an issue for the team all season but is positive about that improving for the second half of the season. “It's probably where some of the potential improvement is in the second part of the year,” he said, speaking to racingnews365.com.
Now that Verstappen has extended his contract with Oracle Red Bull Racing to 2030, the Dutch Grand Prix will be the perfect time for his first win of the season in front of his own fans.
Verstappen has put pen to paper on a contract extension
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
04
Consistency is making the middle of the pack competitive
The middle of the field has been very competitive in the 2026 season, and that could lead to intense battles in the second half. Just four points separate the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls and Alpine in fifth and sixth in the constructors' standings, respectively. Haas are 40 points behind Apline, and Racing Bulls are 111 points behind Oracle Red Bull Racing, so the midfield battle is between the two teams.
We always aim for operational perfection
The teams have amassed impressive points totals in different ways. The Racing Bulls drivers have both finished in the points-scoring places in five of the last six Grands Prix. Alpine haven’t had both drivers finish in the points-scoring places, with individual good results adding to their points total. Pierre Gasly’s third-place finish at Monaco is their best of the season, earning 15 points.
Racing Bulls Team Principal Alan Permane has been positive about the team’s consistency in recent weeks too, saying to Formula1.com, “We always aim for operational perfection, and we came very close to that today,” after the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Arvid Linblad and Liam Lawson have been picking up points recently
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
While there’s a slim chance of Alpine and Racing Bulls catching the teams ahead of them, their battle for fifth in the constructors' standings may be fuel for continued good performances.
05
The second half of the F1 season is longer than usual
Due to changes in the schedule at the start of the season, the second half of the 2026 competition is unusually packed. Not only does that mean more points are available this year, but the schedule will be challenging for every team when it comes to recovery and upgrade implementation.
11 Grands Prix have taken place so far, with 12 still to come. This time last season, 14 had taken place, with 10 remaining. Races will be coming thick and fast, with the Dutch GP being the final one with a week's break either side of it.
That will test the endurance of teams and drivers, alongside the return of unfamiliar tracks. Can teams continue to roll out impactful upgrade packages, and can drivers manage the increased number of races?
A packed second half will test drivers and their teams to the limits
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Malaysia will host the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit, following the event’s postponement earlier in the season. Verstappen was the last driver to win in Malaysia, when the race last took place there in 2017.
As the season progresses, we’ll get a better sense of who’s going to end it as world champion, but the first half of the season has made it clear that it’ll be one of the most competitive seasons in recent memory.
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