Kimi Antonelli wins 2026 Formula 1 championship with 390 points
Kimi Antonelli secured the 2026 Formula 1 drivers' championship with 390 points, leading Mercedes to a constructors' title. Max Verstappen finished second with 279 points, while George Russell placed third after struggling with mechanical setbacks and pace compared to his teammate.
Russell’s 2026 campaign results
Kimi Antonelli claimed the 2026 Formula 1 championship with 390 points, while George Russell finished third with 262 points. Max Verstappen took second place with 279 points, which puts the Red Bull driver 17 points ahead of the Mercedes driver. Mercedes won the constructors’ championship, but Russell’s individual campaign suffered from mechanical setbacks, driving mistakes, and a lack of pace compared to his teammate. Russell now aims to take the P2 position in the drivers’ championship away from Verstappen during the 2027 season, as Toto Wolff remains determined for him to do so. Lewis Hamilton finished fourth with 261 points, and Charles Leclerc took fifth with 251 points. Lando Norris finished sixth with 246 points, while Oscar Piastri took seventh with 152 points. Isack Hadjar finished eighth with 122 points, whereas Liam Lawson took ninth with 87 points. Pierre Gasly took tenth with 42 points, Arvid Lindblad finished eleventh with 38 points, and Franco Colapinto took twelfth with 27 points. Oliver Bearman took thirteenth with 23 points, Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg finished with 14 points, and Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso earned 7 points. Carlos Sainz finished with 7 points for Williams, Alexander Albon took nineteenth with 5 points, and Yuki Tsunoda ended the season in twentieth place with 1 point.
| Position | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 390 |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 279 |
| 3 | George Russell | Mercedes | 262 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 261 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 251 |
Technical gaps and Allison’s verdict
Mercedes technical director James Allison said Russell is "one of the most honest drivers I’ve ever had the good fortune to work with" because he does not hide from his own deficiencies. Allison noted that Russell sees the areas where Kimi has been quicker than him this year and understands he must improve to compete with the 20-year-old talent. The technical director added that he admires how Russell looks "straight down the barrel" of that pace. Russell wants to build a platform that will allow him to have a run at the championship next year alongside his teammate.
Antonelli used extreme mid-corner brake migration adjustments in the Mercedes W17 to preserve his rear tyres and extract blistering pace late in stints. Antonelli outpaced Russell in several tyre-degrading scenarios because Russell uses a conventional, aggressive throttle application on corner exit. Russell now focuses on evolving his set-up parameters to match the benchmark set by Antonelli.
