F1 driver ratings: Who has impressed at the start of 2026?
Why it matters: Kimi Antonelli's early lead marks him as the youngest championship leader in F1 history after three rounds.
- Kimi Antonelli leads the Drivers' Championship with 72 points, earning an 8/10 rating from Sky Sports F1 for his impressive recovery from a crash and a dominant win in China.
- George Russell also receives an 8/10, winning the Australian Grand Prix and a China Sprint, but Sky Sports notes a recent struggle with wheel-to-wheel racing and a technical issue.
- Charles Leclerc of Ferrari is rated highest at 8.5/10, consistently performing well and securing two podiums from three races, despite a challenging circuit in China.
- Lewis Hamilton, now with Ferrari, shows a reinvigorated start with a podium in China, but his performance in Japan, where he was outpaced by Leclerc, earned him a 7.5/10 rating.
- Lando Norris, the reigning world champion, has had a difficult start to the season, hampered by McLaren technical issues, including being unable to start the race in China, leading to a 7/10 rating.
Kimi Antonelli, at just 19, has made history by becoming the youngest F1 championship leader after three rounds of the 2026 season, despite a major crash in Australia. Sky Sports F1 rates his performance highly, giving him an 8/10, matching his Mercedes teammate George Russell, who started strong with an Australian Grand Prix win but has since shown some fragility.
