Every weekend, I've ranked the Formula 1 drivers from first to 22nd based on my evaluation of their performances across each grand prix weekend.

The August break gives us the chance to take a look at how their performances stack up across the season so far.

The rankings are dictated by all aspects of each driver's performance: speed, consistency, racecraft, performance relative to team-mate, mistakes, luck, error rate and the countless other contributing factors that shape a race weekend. Averaging out the resulting positions dictates the order of the list, which is presented in reverse order.

Here's how the ranking order plays out based on the 11 grand prix weekends so far.

Got a question or comment about the rankings and our decisions? Leave your thoughts in the comments on this post in The Race Members' Club and Edd will tackle them next week

Average ranking: 17.545
Best ranking: 10th (Miami)

Worst ranking: 21st (Australia, Monaco, Austria)

The primary problem Stroll has faced is the troubled Aston Martin limiting his performance potential. With little to race for and an inconsistent car in terms of behaviour, his poor average ranking reflects circumstances as much as his own performance level.

However, he has usually lacked Fernando Alonso's edge of pace, and while he's mostly kept things clean - Monaco shunt aside - he's not managed to produce the flashes his team-mate has to elevate his rankings. 


Average ranking: 17.000
Best ranking: 10th (Hungary)

Worst ranking: 20th (Japan, Canada, Monaco)

The trajectory of Bottas's season is a positive one, and while he's been very much the second-best of Cadillac's experienced line-up his performance level has too often been undermined by the team's problems.

When things are running well, which has only occasionally happened, he's done exactly the job you would expect of him.

But while he's been held back at times there have also been some mistakes along the way that have compromised results.

Average ranking: 15.273
Best ranking: 7th (Monaco)

Worst ranking: 22nd (Britain)

Albon has been beset by problems this year and had precious few clean weekends, with Monaco arguably the only time he's been able to string together the level of performance we've become accustomed to at Williams.

He's usually been very much the second-best Williams driver in terms of performance, and doesn't seem as in tune with the challenges of the 2026 cars as team-mate Carlos Sainz.

Average ranking: 15.273
Best ranking: 5th (Japan)

Worst ranking: 22nd (China)

The best weekends, with Japan and Hungary standing out, prove the Ocon of old is still in there, but he's in the perilous position of battling to hang onto his place at Haas for 2027 by his fingertips.

There have been plenty of problems with rear-end instability, poor tyre degradation and aerodynamic problems that emerge from the machinery, but at the same time there's frustration that he has too often not maximised the potential of the equipment even when it's not working as it should be.

Average ranking: 14.727
Best ranking: 7th (Japan)

Worst ranking: 20th (China, Belgium)

Perez has generally been Cadillac's reference, and shown admirable determination in dragging the best out of the machinery.

His relatively lowly place in the rankings is less a consequence of performance, and more just the unforced errors, such as the collision with Bottas in China and the parking errors on the Monaco grid that led to him losing what should have been Cadillac's first point.

But despite that, and the events when the Cadillac machinery wasn't working as it should be, this has been a more impressive comeback season than the average ranking suggests.

Average ranking: 14.455
Best ranking: 2nd (Hungary)

Worst ranking: 22nd (Canada)

It took until Hungary, the race before the summer break, for Hulkenberg to score his first points of 2026 after a patchy first half of the season culminating in a strong weekend at the Hungaroring.

Poor starts, primarily down to Audi's large turbo, and errors have dented his ranking positions, as have the weekends where team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto has had a pace advantage.

The result is too many weekends where the underlying performance was good, but Hulkenberg didn't piece together a rounded weekend.

Average ranking: 14.455
Best ranking: 2nd (Miami)

Worst ranking: 22nd (Austria)

Colapinto's Miami breakthrough and impressive recoveries in Canada and Belgium showed he got on top of the car after a difficult start, although his inconsistency is still a concern.

There have been weekends where he's had the measure of Pierre Gasly and there's no doubt about the quality of his best work, but the run of four races heading into the August break, comprising bad weekends in Austria and Hungary that sandwiched decent ones at Silverstone and Spa, underlines how mixed a bag he's been.

Average ranking: 13.273
Best ranking: 7th (Belgium)

Worst ranking: 22nd (Miami)

Hadjar's first Red Bull season has been impressive, but without troubling the top six in the rankings, which is an unusual combination.

Red Bull's difficulties haven't helped, nor has Max Verstappen's edge of pace, but too often he has found himself at the back of the group of the big four teams thanks to a collection of patchy weekends.

There's no doubt he's owed some big weekends in the second half of the year given how he's been driving.

Average ranking: 12.818
Best ranking: 3rd (Austria)

Worst ranking: 22nd (Monaco)

Bortoleto's peaks have been higher than those of his team-mate, and often his single-lap speed has caught the eye.

Mistakes in China, Monaco and Hungary qualifying, combined with the poor starts that are largely down to Audi's design choices, mean too many weekends where he's had points-threatening pace but not been able to use it. However, his best work remains hugely impressive.

Average ranking: 12.273
Best ranking: 6th (Miami, Monaco, Hungary)

Worst ranking: 21st (Barcelona)

Alonso has often been working within a rankings ceiling caused by the lack of pace of the Aston Martin, and more significantly the sheer inconsistency and difficulty of the car.

However, he's usually been the faster Aston Martin driver and frequently made storming starts to haul the car to positions it didn't deserve. Hungary, albeit with a poor strategy, was a reminder of what he can do in a car that should at least be a midfield force for the rest of the season.

Average ranking: 11.727
Best ranking: 3rd (China)

Worst ranking: 22nd (Japan, Hungary)

Bearman has been comfortably the stronger Haas driver, and even when the car has slipped back has generally managed to put up a good fight even when points aren't on the cards.

His average is dragged down by a couple of poor weekends in Japan and Hungary, albeit with the caveats about inconsistency of parts that both Haas drivers have faced, but despite his position here he has been a midfield standout.

Average ranking: 11.273
Best ranking: 2nd (Japan)

Worst ranking: 22nd (Australia)

This has been a difficult season for Piastri, who hasn't gelled as well with this generation of cars as Lando Norris and has had too many weekends where he's lacked pace.

The high points, leading in Hungary despite struggling for speed, and putting himself into a position to fight for victory in Suzuka, have been strong, but more often than not he's been the second-best McLaren driver. There's more to come here.

Average ranking: 10.818
Best ranking: 3rd (Australia)

Worst ranking: 22nd (Barcelona)

There have been the usual Leclerc high peaks, but also some major lows, particularly in the run from Montreal to Barcelona where he struggled badly before jumping from Brembo to Carbon Industrie brake discs.

The mistakes have crept in and he's had to play second fiddle to Lewis Hamilton too often as he's still not finding the 2026 generation cars to his liking, but at least he appears to have pulled out of the nosedive.

Average ranking: 10.455
Best ranking: 1st (Australia)

Worst ranking: 18th (China, Miami)

Lindblad's rookie season has been outstanding, kicking off with an exceptional debut weekend in Australia and regularly putting the Racing Bulls at or near the front of the midfield.

At times, he's had the measure of Liam Lawson, at others he's been a step behind, but you'd expect such a mixed bag from a newcomer. But overall, he's looked completely at home in F1.

Average ranking: 9.545
Best ranking: 1st (Canada, Austria)

Worst ranking: 22nd (Belgium)

Russell's best work has been good, with Canada and Austria standing out, but Kimi Antonelli has built what is so far a decisive pace advantage.

What drags down Russell's average is the number of weekends where he's lacked the edge of speed or fallen short in terms of execution. Not the season he was expecting in his first shot in a title-chasing car.

Average ranking: 9.364
Best ranking: 1st (Japan, Hungary)

Worst ranking: 16th (Britain, Belgium)

At his best, Gasly has produced stellar work, albeit some of it less obvious as Alpine has slipped deep into the midfield as the season progressed.

There have been times where he's not been at one with the car, for example when struggling for grip in Miami, but overall it's been another bankable Gasly season.

Average ranking: 8.545
Best ranking: 3rd (Monaco)

Worst ranking: 15th (Australia)

Lawson has been a dependable performer in races, even on occasions when he came up a little short in qualifying such as in Hungary.

In many ways, this has to be considered his first genuine 'proper' season in F1 as even last year he was ludicrously axed by Red Bull after two races. That has allowed him to show how dependable a performer he is in a car that has emerged as the class of the midfield.

Average ranking: 8.273
Best ranking: 1st (China)

Worst ranking: 21st (Hungary)

Sainz may have finished the first half of the season in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, but his work across 2026 as a whole has been outstanding.

He's usually maximised the potential of the Williams in a season when scraping into Q2 or finishing 15th is sometimes the equivalent of a pole position or win.

Average ranking: 8.273
Best ranking: 1st (Barcelona)

Worst ranking: 19th (Belgium)

The difference between the lost Hamilton of 2025 and the driver we've seen in the first half of this season is enormous. Not only did he bag his first Ferrari grand prix win, but he's often led the line for Ferrari.

There have been rough edges, where execution fell short in qualifying or penalties were accrued, but overall Hamilton has proved beyond doubt that he has still got it.

Average ranking: 6.636
Best ranking: 1st (Belgium)

Worst ranking: 21st (Miami)

Without Verstappen, Red Bull would be looking at an even bleaker season as he's shown time and again how valuable he is - most recently with second place in Hungary.

He hasn't been perfect, with an unusual number of untidy moments such as the spin on the opening lap in Miami, which have dragged down his average, but overall it's been another outstanding season.

Average ranking: 6.182
Best ranking: 1st (Miami, Britain)

Worst ranking: 13th (China)

Prior to his Hungary win, Norris's season was very much the sleeper hit of 2026.

While he spent most of the first half of the year battling for a podium finish at best, he more often than not was the stronger McLaren driver and produced consistently strong performance.

Even his low point, in China, was partly down to his rankings potential being limited by missing the grand prix.

Average ranking: 4.818
Best ranking: 1st (Monaco)

Worst ranking: 11th (Australia, Hungary)

Perhaps the standout quality of Antonelli's season is how consistent he's been, which added to his impressive pace that has often meant he's had the measure of Russell makes for a formidable average ranking position.

There have been rough edges on display, hence he's only once been ranked first, but overall it's been a massively impressive campaign.