McLaren’s Lando Norris celebrates after qualifying for pole position in the Formula One F1 Dutch Grand Prix, Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort, Netherlands, on August 22, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The 2026 season of Formula One ushered in some of the most drastic regulatory changes in the sport’s history. As teams and drivers still try to get around the new cars, the year’s first half has been a mixed bag for on-track action. Nonetheless, there has been enough to keep the fans interested. With the F1 carnival reconvening after the summer break in Zandvoort this weekend, The Hindu reviews the major themes so far to see what could lie ahead.

Energy-starved cars

The new rules, which brought hybrid power units closer to a 50-50 split between the internal combustion engine and the electric motor, raised concerns at the outset that the cars would be energy-starved. When pre-season testing began, four-time champion Max Verstappen was scathing in his criticism. The battery’s limitations meant drivers had to ease off through fast corners to maximise electric power on straights, where time could be gained.

Add to it the complex algorithms governing how the battery deploys and harvests energy, and drivers were forced to adapt their driving styles to the car’s limitations. In the first few races, this led to cars being passed and then passing back as the battery pack emptied and recharged, resulting in ‘yo-yo racing’. The fans were none the wiser, as one couldn’t ascertain whether the moves were genuine. It took time for teams to adapt, and a rule tweak in Miami has also helped reduce some of the worst effects of ‘yo-yo racing’. Still, on energy-hungry tracks, the sight of F1 cars unwilling to be driven in anger around fast corners has dampened the spectacle.

Breakout star

One of the great joys of watching elite sport is to marvel at the ability of a wonderkid ruffling the feathers of the established order. Even as F1 has been besieged by negativity around the new regulations, the one bright light has been Kimi Antonelli. The Italian, who will graduate out of his teens on Tuesday (August 25), has taken the F1 world by storm in his sophomore campaign, winning six of the 11 races and leading the championship by 50 points.

The Mercedes driver has taken a clear step up from his error-strewn rookie year, stringing together five consecutive wins at one stage. His aggressive driving style, with sharp steering inputs, seems to work well with the current cars, and the youngster has made full use of the class-leading Mercedes to build a comfortable lead. Team boss Toto Wolff’s decision to throw him in the deep end last year appears a stroke of genius.

While Antonelli has a healthy lead, he has already experienced how fickle it can be. He was once 66 points ahead and saw that whittled down to 25 before he built it back up. With a possible 12 races left this year, it is too early to pop the champagne. However, if he keeps doing what he has been doing, keeping a calm head, he could etch his name into the history books.

Plight of the presumptive favourite

George Russell bided his time in an uncompetitive Williams for three years before earning a promotion to Mercedes in 2022 to partner Lewis Hamilton. Unfortunately, it came at a time when the German marque, which had won eight successive titles, messed up the 2022 ground-effect regulations. He was saddled with a car that could at best fight for the occasional win. But in his three years alongside Hamilton, Russell showed he could go toe-to-toe with one of the greatest drivers in history. By the end of 2024, he was faster.

So when he won the first race in Australia from pole and then dominated the sprint in China, he would have felt that his patience was finally paying off. Yet, it has pretty much been downhill since then. A mixture of reliability issues, bad luck during races, and his driving style not suiting the current car has left the presumptive pre-season favourite 59 points off top spot.

We will soon know whether Russell has found a way during the summer break to address the pace deficit to his colleague. The title fight could still be between the Mercedes drivers; they have the best package. But the last few races have shown that Ferrari and McLaren are not far off. It is an extra set of variables that the 28-year-old could have done without.

Hamilton’s revival

Even as Russell has endured a torrid time, his former teammate has found a new lease of life after four years of struggle in ground-effect cars. Hamilton’s initiation into Ferrari was tumultuous, and there were times last year when one wondered if the seven-time champion was past his best. In fact, the Briton himself pondered if he was the right man for the job. However, the nimble 2026 cars seem to have rekindled his mojo and the 41-year-old is now second in the standings.

His hard work at the factory has helped him build a better relationship with the team, which was far from smooth last year. More importantly, the team has also given in to some of his demands, especially regarding the brakes, allowing him to use his preferred Carbone Industrie discs even though Ferrari has a long-standing relationship with rival Brembo. Hamilton’s better feel for the brakes has allowed him to exploit the car better, and the result was his first win for Ferrari in Barcelona.

While the title challenge is still a long shot, Hamilton will feel that if he can get good results in the next few rounds, the pursuit of that elusive eighth crown will start to become more real.

Max’s Red Bull situation

Verstappen and Red Bull have long maintained that the new-era cars aren’t fun to drive. They have also spoken extensively about the limitations of the power unit. While some called it fearmongering, given that Red Bull was building its own engines for the first time, reality has, to an extent, caught up with what they were warning about.

Although Red Bull has done a tremendous job on the powertrains, its electric component is not as strong as Mercedes’. Combine that with a lack of aerodynamic stability and a faulty rear wing, and it’s no surprise that Verstappen is far from happy with his team. This led to rumours that the Dutchman was trying to leave Red Bull or even walk away from the sport.

But, on the eve of this weekend’s Dutch GP, Verstappen extended his contract up to 2030, showing a commitment to the project under Laurent Mekies, who took over from Christian Horner last year. The Red Bull boss has done a good job of ensuring the team’s biggest asset stays. However, there is now added pressure on him and the engineers to repay Verstappen’s faith and provide him a car worthy of his generational talent.

Published – August 22, 2026 06:30 am IST

Mercedes driver George Russell. File photo: The Canadian Press via AP

Mercedes’ George Russell celebrates on the podium after winning the Australian Grand Prix alongside second placed Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli and third placed Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc
| Photo Credit: Reuters