F1 world championship leader Kimi Antonelli enjoys a comfortable lead in RacingNews365's mid-season driver rankings, besting three world champions.
Antonelli holds a 50-point advantage over Lewis Hamilton in the standings during the summer break, with six wins, a second, and two thirds, plus one Sprint win, to his name as he dominated the first 11 races.
As such, the Italian holds a commanding lead at the top of the driver ratings RacingNews365 produce after every grand prix weekend, with each driver receiving a score out of 10 for their performance.
Numerous factors are taken into account, such as qualifying advantage or deficit between team-mates, their race performance, and whether they made any mistakes which handicapped their results. On Sprint weekends, the performance there is also factored into the equation.
After 11 rounds, Antonelli has an average score of 8.8, having received a rare perfect 10 during the Monaco GP where he claimed his fifth successive win, and a grand chelem to boot. His lowest score of the season has been 8 - achieved in Barcelona, Austria, and Hungary.
He holds a strong 0.8 lead over the chasing pack, led by three world champions, with Max Verstappen the lead chaser. His best result of the season has been a 9 in Austria and Hungary, with his worst showing of 6.5 in Japan. They are the only two drivers to average 8.0 or above.
Reigning champion Lando Norris completes the podium in third on an average of 7.8, just missing out on a perfect 10 in Hungary with a 9.5, whilst Lewis Hamilton is fourth on a tie-break.
Hamilton and Racing Bulls duo Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson are all on an average score of 7.4 for the season, but on countback, with the highest individual rating separating them, Hamilton's 10 from his win in Barcelona nudges him ahead of Lindblad's 9.5 in Australia and Lawson's best of a 9 in Austria.
Check out the full 11-1 rating below, with part 1 covering drivers 22-12 available at the following link.
RacingNews365's 2026 mid-season driver ratings - 11-1
| Rank | Driver | Average | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kimi Antonelli | 8.8 | Monaco - 10 | Barcelona, Austria, Hungary - 8 |
| 2. | Max Verstappen | 8.0 | Austria, Hungary - 9 | Japan - 6.5 |
| 3. | Lando Norris | 7.8 | Hungary - 9.5 | Monaco - 5 |
| 4. | Lewis Hamilton | 7.4 | Barcelona - 10 | Japan, Miami, Hungary - 5 |
| 5. | Arvid Lindblad | 7.4 | Miami - 9.5 | Miami - 4.5 |
| 6. | Liam Lawson | 7.4 | Austria - 9 | Australia, Miami - 5 |
| 7. | Charles Leclerc | 7.3 | Australia - 9.5 | Barcelona - 4 |
| 8. | Pierre Gasly | 7.3 | Japan - 9 | Hungary - 6 |
| 9. | George Russell | 7.2 | Australia - 10 | Monaco - 4 |
| 10. | Isack Hadjar | 7.0 | Australia - 9.5 | Miami - 3.5 |
| 11. | Gabriel Bortoleto | 6.9 | Australia - 9 | Miami - 5.5 |
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