After the first stint of the 2026 F1 season, the top F1 drivers have a new look at the top — and it's not what many expected.
Mercedes leads the Constructors' standings behind drivers Kimi Antontelli and George Russell, while McLaren's title defense has stalled under the new rules.
With 19 races left in the 2026 season, and plenty of teams still in the mix, this year's Drivers Championship is still wide open, even with Kimi Antonelli currently up top.
Below, we'll get into the 2026 F1 drivers lineup, listing every driver by team, and a primer for the 2026 season.
Make your 2026 F1 predictions on PrizePicks — including drivers to win or podium every race.
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2026 F1 Drivers Lineup: Every Driver by Team
The start of the 2026 Formula 1 season quickly revealed the top teams and drivers. They include McLaren, which features the defending World Champion, Lando Norris. Oscar Piastri is not far behind.
Mercedes currently leads the pack with two wins in the 2026 season from Kimi Antonelli and one from George Russell.
Ferrari has been a surprise. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton may not have the speed to contend for wins yet, but the duo has managed three podiums in the early going. The right upgrades and in-season adjustments with the new rules could further boost Ferrari's prominence.
Finally, there is Max Verstappen and Red Bull. Verstappen, the four-time F1 champion, cannot be counted out, and Red Bull has much room for improvement.
McLaren F1 Drivers
- Lando Norris — Great Britain — F1 career wins: 11
- Oscar Piastri — Australia — F1 career wins: 9
The battle between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri as to who is the best McLaren driver continues into 2026. The McLaren disappointment in China is well documented, but expect the team to rebound from Miami onward and continue to be a top competitor this season.
Mercedes F1 Drivers
- George Russell — Great Britain — F1 career wins: 6
- Kimi Antonelli — Italy — F1 career wins: 2
Mercedes took advantage of the early portion of the 2026 season racing to the top of the standings, looking well-prepared for the regulation changes for the new season. 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli and veteran George Russell appear to still have the power edge as 2026 moves along.
Ferrari F1 Drivers
- Lewis Hamilton — Great Britain — F1 career wins: 105
- Charles Leclerc — Monaco — F1 career wins: 8
Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have had a ton of fun when it comes to racing so far this season. The top speed may be off from Mercedes and often McLaren, but Hamilton and Leclerc are poised to keep snagging points.
Make your 2026 F1 predictions on PrizePicks — including drivers to win or podium every race.
Red Bull F1 Drivers
- Max Verstappen — Great Britain — F1 career wins: 71
- Isack Hadjar — France/Algeria — F1 career wins: 0
Max Verstappen nearly erased an almost 100-point deficit in 2025. Verstappen is Red Bull, and that is the reality for 2026, even with an underdeveloped, challenging-to-handle car.
Racing Bulls F1 Drivers
- Liam Lawson — New Zealan — F1 career wins: 0
- Arvid Lindblad — Great Britain — F1 career wins: 0
The Racing Bulls have shown some flashes early in 2026. With less worry about harvesting after new regulations, Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad may continue to trend upward.
Haas F1 Drivers
- Oliver Bearman — Great Britain — F1 career wins: 0
- Esteban Ocon — France — F1 career wins: 1
Esteban Ocon has provided good mentorship for Oliver Bearman, as Haas has shown some late-race power. Haas may be a little ways behind, but podiums are possible in 2026.
Alpine F1 Drivers
- Pierre Gasly — France — F1 career wins: 1
- Franco Colapinto — Argentina — F1 career wins: 0
Pierre Gasly has propelled Alpine into the middle of the pack, thanks to a useful Mercedes power unit. The one big question mark remains the handling of the car.
Audi F1 Drivers
- Niko Hulkenberg — Germany— F1 career wins: 0
- Gabriel Bortoleto — Brazil — F1 career wins: 0
Audi had fewer problems than some of the other teams currently at the bottom. The power unit is still a little loud/bumpy and a bit of an unknown as 2026 rolls along.
Williams F1 Drivers
- Carlos Sainz Jr. — Spain — F1 career wins: 4
- Alex Albon — Great Britain — F1 career wins: 0
Williams struggled from the start of 2026 with a high rake and didn't get in as much early testing as other teams. The hope is that the car improves by the end of the year, with mid-level as the goal.
Cadillac F1 Drivers
- Valtteri Bottas — Finland — F1 career wins: 10
- Sergio Perez — Mexico — F1 career wins: 6
Cadillac features two seasoned drivers who have only helped the team in the early going. The Ferrari hybrid engine may hamper qualifying and race speed alike, especially in 2026.
Make your 2026 F1 predictions on PrizePicks — including drivers to win or podium every race.
Aston Martin F1 Drivers
- Fernando Alonso — Spain — F1 career wins: 32
- Lance Stroll — Canada — F1 career wins: 0
Aston Martin has had little, if anything, go right in 2026, with four did-not-finish results. From the pre-season testing until now, the team is still playing catch-up.
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How Many F1 Drivers are There in 2026?
There are 22 F1 drivers across 11 teams in 2026, with Cadillac's landmark entry as the first new constructor in decades pushing the grid from 20 to 22.
Each team fields exactly two drivers, per F1 regulations.
Current 2026 F1 Driver Standings
This is where the current F1 standings for the Driver's Championship stand as of writing.
Last updated: Wednesday, April 29
- Kimi Antonelli – 72 points
- George Russell – 63 points
- Charles Leclerc – 49 points
- Lewis Hamilton – 41 points
- Lando Norris – 25 points
- Oscar Piastri – 21 points
- Oliver Bearman – 17 points
- Pierre Gasly – 15 points
- Max Verstappen – 12 points
- Liam Lawson – 10 points
- Arvid Lindblad – 4 points
- Isack Hadjar – 4 points
- Gabriel Bortoleto – 2 points
- Carlos Sainz Jr. – 2 points
- Esteban Ocon – 1 point
- Franco Colapinto – 1 point
- Niko Hulkenberg – 0 points
- Alex Albon – 0 points
- Valtteri Bottas – 0 points
- Sergio Perez – 0 points
- Fernando Alonso – 0 points
- Lance Stroll – 0 points
2026 F1 Drivers Championship Predictions, Picks
The pause in the F1 season has changed things with new rules and regulations designed to make passing easier and create more riveting racing ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.
However, is it truly the game-changer or a band-aid?
With 19 more events left in the 2026 season, some contenders and favorites still have the upper hand, highlighted by McLaren and Mercedes.
George Russell remains the favorite despite being nine points behind Kimi Antonelli. It is very early in the season, with the final race set for December 6 in Abu Dhabi.
From the front-runners, McLaren's Lando Norris at 16.66x to repeat or Oscar Piastri to win the World Championship at 11.11x deliver considerable payouts because of McLaren’s higher ceiling after a slow start.
The one wildcard from Red Bull is always Max Verstappen. At 33.33x, he becomes a contender if Red Bull can fix the chassis issues they've had in the early going.
2026 F1 Drivers' Championship Favorites, Payouts to Win
Here are the F1 Drivers' Championship favorites and payouts, via PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can pick yes or no on F1 drivers to win the championship.
Numbers below represent real-money payout multipliers. Higher payouts represent less popular picks with lower implied probability; lower payouts represent popular picks.
Last updated: Wednesday, April 29
- George Russell – Yes 2.12x | No 1.66x
- Kimi Antonelli – Yes 2.7x | No 1.42x
- Charles Leclerc – Yes 10x | No 1.03x
- Oscar Piastri – Yes 11.11x | No 1.03x
- Lewis Hamilton – Yes 14.28x | No 1.02x
- Lando Norris – Yes 16.66x | No 1.01x
- Max Verstappen - Yes 33.33x
- All Other Drivers – Yes 33.33x
Make your 2026 F1 predictions on PrizePicks — including drivers to win or podium every race.
How to Make F1 Predictions on Drivers on PrizePicks
There are quite a few options for making your F1 predictions on PrizePicks. With the crowd setting the price, one can side with the crowd or go a little off the path for a higher payout.
The best part? New users get $50 instantly in Lineups after they play $5 when they sign up with promo code PLAYBOOK on PrizePicks.
New users can get in on the F1 action for every race in mere minutes by following these steps.
- Download the PrizePicks app and create your account
- Enter promo code PLAYBOOK to unlock $50 instantly in Lineups — or click here to claim your new user offer
- Verify your identity — required to play, usually takes less than 60 seconds
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- Navigate to the F1 board and choose your Player Picks, or tap the dropdown to go to Team Picks (if available in your state)
With Player Picks and Team Picks available for every Formula 1 race, there's always a unique angle to take on the race to get paid if you're right — from winners, to fastest lap, to points.
