The first 4 races of the 2026 F1 season have been quite interesting. The form guide with which the season began has seemingly flipped, and the teams that started the year on the back foot are now surging.
In a set of new regulations, often there are going to be variables when it comes to the pecking order and, hence, how well drivers perform.
In this feature, we are focusing on driver performance as a result. We will be taking a look at how the drivers stack up after the first 4 races.
Criteria: We’ll take the average of driver ratings of each race and rank the drivers accordingly.
F1 Power Rankings for the first 4 races of the season
#22 Valtteri Bottas (Avg rating: 5.50)
At #22, we have Valtteri Bottas. The Finnish driver has had limited opportunities to showcase what he’s capable of, but has been found wanting compared to Sergio Perez at times.
#21 Lance Stroll (Avg rating: 5.63)
At #21 is Lance Stroll. The Canadian has come out as one of the more vocal critics of the 2026 F1 regulations. Having the Aston Martin vibrate at those dangerous levels has certainly not helped. He’s also been a step behind teammate Fernando Alonso for the most part, which hurts his overall rating.
#20 Isack Hadjar (Avg rating: 5.88)
Isack Hadjar’s rating has been compromised by multiple DNFs, a result of struggling with both reliability and the error in Miami. There’s still some upside for the French driver, but we’ll have to wait and see what he will eventually be capable of in that Red Bull.
#19 Alex Albon (Avg rating: 6.00)
Alex Albon has also not been the biggest fan of these cars. The Williams driver has been a step behind teammate Carlos Sainz in general in 2026, even though part of the deficit stems from just the car being very limiting to his potential.
#18 Esteban Ocon (Avg rating: 6.38)
Esteban Ocon struggled severely at the start of the season, as the first couple of races were just not ideal in terms of performance. He’s slowly starting to find his feet with the car and these new F1 regulations, but overall, it has still been an unflattering year for the French driver.
#17 Franco Colapinto (Avg rating: 6.62)
Franco Colapinto turned things around in Miami, but in general, he’s been behind the level that Pierre Gasly has continued to show in the Alpine.
#16 Gabriel Bortoleto (Avg rating: 6.62)
Gabriel Bortoleto, just like his teammate Nico Hulkenberg, has been severely limited by the car, as the reliability issues have been a bit too much. He’s been forced to sit out of races and sessions multiple times, and that has impacted what he’s been able to put together on the track.
#15 Oscar Piastri (Avg rating: 6.63)
Oscar Piastri started the season with two DNS results, which he had no control over. Since then, the next couple of races have been impressive for him as he’s picked up podiums in both of them.
#14 Arvid Lindblad (Avg rating: 6.63)
Arvid Lindblad started the year impressively in Australia, but since then, the wings have been seemingly clipped for the F1 rookie. The issues with reliability and the stop-start nature of the race weekends have held him back from putting together cleaner weekends.
#13 Sergio Perez (Avg rating: 6.75)
Sergio Perez’s only benchmark this season has been Valtteri Bottas, and compared to his F1 teammate, the Mexican has been decently impressive.
#12 Liam Lawson (Avg rating: 6.88)
Liam Lawson started the season on the back foot but has been slowly bringing himself back into contention. He is a fighter, and it shows in how he races as well. He’s continued to grind away and has put together a decent run.
#11 Nico Hulkenberg (Avg rating: 6.88)
Just like his teammate, Gabriel Bortoleto, we don’t have much to speak about regarding Nico Hulkenberg’s season. He has been severely limited because of the unreliable Audi. The driver has been decent whenever he’s had a chance to perform, but the car has been a limiting factor.
#10 Max Verstappen (Avg rating: 7.00)
Max Verstappen’s slightly offbeat first three races have seen him find himself in P10 in the ranking. The driver was upbeat in Miami, and in fairness, that might be the race where the season begins for him.
#9 Carlos Sainz (Avg rating: 7.13)
With what he has under him, it is commendable that Carlos Sainz already has two points-scoring finishes. The Spaniard hasn’t been happy with the car under him, and it’s safe to say that we can’t blame him.
He has, however, made sure that he performs decently enough to keep the complaints at bay.
#8 Lando Norris (Avg rating: 7.25)
Lando Norris finds himself in P8 in the rankings, and it partially has to do with the McLaren being a bit of a limiting factor in the first few races.
#7 Ollie Bearman (Avg rating: 7.25)
Ollie Bearman has been quite impressive in how he makes the most of the car under him. The young Brit has been extracting impressive pace from the Haas and scored a decent haul of points.
#6 Fernando Alonso (Avg rating: 7.38)
Whenever Alonso’s had an opportunity to race that Aston Martin and put it on track, he’s caught the eye. Whether it is with those impressive starts or the ability to climb his way through the field past the Cadillac duo in Miami, the Spaniard has made the most of his limited opportunities in the 2026 F1 season.
#5 George Russell (Avg: 7.50)
George Russell finds himself in P4 right now, and a lot of it has to do with the driver being unable to keep up with his teenage teammate. Much will be written about this, but the pre-season F1 title favorite has his work cut out, that’s for sure.
#4 Lewis Hamilton (Avg rating: 7.75)
Lewis Hamilton has been happier with these F1 regulations and what these cars deliver. With a podium to his name already, the driver has had a much better start to the season.
#3 Pierre Gasly (Avg rating: 8.13)
A surprise name in the top 3 is Pierre Gasly. After spending the 2025 F1 season as a backmarker in an Alpine, 2026 has him driving a much better car and impressing everyone.
#2 Charles Leclerc (Avg rating: 8.38)
Charles Leclerc finds himself in P2 right now. The Ferrari driver has had a pretty impressive start to the year, although he’d hope for a much faster Ferrari under him.
#1 Kimi Antonelli (Avg rating: 8.75)
Kimi Antonelli’s 2026 F1 season has been a surprise for many, especially since the young driver has won 3 races in a row and completely flipped expectations. It will be interesting to see how he takes it from here, as right now, he is certainly the best driver of the 2026 F1 season.
Edited by Charanjot Singh Kohli