2026 F1 winners and losers; who stands where during this enforced lull?

With an enforced lull in Formula 1 proceedings between now and the Miami Grand Prix in early May—due to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix—there is no better time to assess the winners and losers of the 2026 regulations so far.

Winner – Mercedes

The pre-season hype has delivered, with the Silver Arrows once again perfecting the balance between chassis and power unit.

Undefeated so far in 2026 and having taken all three pole positions, the gulf between Mercedes and the rest of the field is already astonishing.

While many will bemoan Mercedes running away with the championship, back-to-back wins for Formula 1’s youngest-ever standings leader, Kimi Antonelli, at least ensure it will not simply be an automatic George Russell title.

Loser – Aston Martin

Arguably the most high-profile underperformer—and, unfortunately, by some margin. Despite possessing state-of-the-art facilities, the sport’s most renowned aerodynamicist in Adrian Newey, and the financial backing of billionaire Lawrence Stroll, results have been dire.

Honda’s power-unit integration appears to be the primary issue, with a delayed development cycle for 2026 leading to severe reliability concerns—so much so that the safety of drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll has been called into question.

A small positive amid the turmoil was Alonso achieving a classified finish at the Japanese Grand Prix. However, Aston Martin’s start to the season has been nothing short of disastrous.

Winner – Pierre Gasly & Oliver Bearman

While Alpine and Haas could be recognised collectively, their early success in 2026 has been largely driven by their standout drivers.

Gasly has scored points in all three races so far, with a sixth-place finish in China the highlight, helping Alpine draw level with Red Bull in fifth in the Constructors’ Championship.

Bearman, meanwhile, was as high as fifth in the standings heading into Japan, thanks in part to a superb sixth-place finish at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. However, his high-profile 50G crash at Spoon curtailed his early momentum and advantage over teammate Esteban Ocon.

Loser – Williams

While not as catastrophic as Aston Martin, Williams entered 2026 with expectations of becoming a bona fide top-five team under the new regulations.

Early warning signs emerged when the James Vowles-led outfit was unable to participate in the Barcelona shakedown. The consequences are now evident: an overweight car requiring extensive development over the coming months.

Two points from Carlos Sainz prevent Williams from being pointless, but frequent Q1 elimination battles with Aston Martin and newcomers Cadillac underline a disappointing start.

Winner – Cadillac

Despite scoring no points or achieving a headline result, Cadillac can take encouragement from their opening three Grands Prix.

Unlike Haas in 2016, who relied heavily on external components, Cadillac have built their entry more independently and have consistently qualified within the 107% threshold—something teams like Manor and Hispania struggled to achieve early on.

In Japan, Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez even outqualified both Aston Martins and secured their first double classified finish of the season. For a brand-new team, it is a solid foundation.

Loser – McLaren

After rising from backmarkers to back-to-back Constructors’ Champions in 2024 and 2025, McLaren have endured a difficult start to the new era.

As a customer team, they appear to be struggling with the nuances of the new 50/50 power-unit regulations. When operational, their performances have been respectable—but on paper, they remain behind Mercedes and Ferrari.

Reliability has been a major concern. In China, both reigning world champion Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri failed to start due to separate issues, later attributed to power-unit failures.

Winner – Isack Hadjar

This may be a slightly unconventional inclusion, given Red Bull’s struggles, but Hadjar’s performances deserve recognition.

In just his sophomore season, he impressed in qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix, placing the RBPT-Ford-powered RB22 third on the grid ahead of both Ferraris and McLarens. He has also outqualified Max Verstappen twice in three races and has yet to start outside the top ten.

While only four points reflect his efforts, Hadjar has avoided the intense scrutiny that plagued predecessors such as Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda. So far, the pressure of the notoriously difficult second Red Bull seat has not unsettled the 21-year-old.

Loser – Max Verstappen

While his teammate’s performance is not the sole factor, it adds to a growing list of frustrations for the four-time world champion.

A vocal critic of the energy management aspects of the 2026 regulations—frequently describing them as “anti-racing”—Verstappen has appeared increasingly disillusioned, fuelling speculation about his long-term future in Formula 1.

This coincides with Red Bull’s own decline, as they grapple with developing an in-house power unit. At present, they are struggling to be considered even the fourth-best team.

Winner – The Fans

There are two sides to this debate. Formula 1 would argue that the 2026 regulations have been a success and require minimal adjustment.

On-track action has undeniably increased. For example, the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne featured 120 overtakes, compared to just 45 in 2025.

For some fans, this surge in wheel-to-wheel racing is exactly what the sport needed. They argue that it is up to the teams—not the regulations—to adapt and improve.

Loser – The Fans

However, that view is countered by a growing chorus of criticism, echoing the “anti-racing” and “Mario Kart-esque” sentiments voiced by Verstappen and others.

While 120 overtakes sounds impressive, many were influenced by significant disparities in energy deployment and battery levels between cars.

These concerns are difficult to ignore. Although Formula 1, the teams, and the FIA are expected to address some issues before Miami, it raises a broader question: will fan expectations ever be fully satisfied, regardless of regulatory changes?

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Written by

Jawad Yaqub

An eCommerce Specialist by day and reporting on F1 by night. Jawad is passionate about motorsport, having provided accredited F1 coverage for more than a decade. Live blogging (almost) every grand prix too since 2014, as well as articles on the Supercars Championship. Also keen on sustainability, photography, collecting vinyl, (trying to) expertly barbeque and learning to Dad.

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