The 2026 Formula 1 season is nearly here, with early testing in Barcelona already underway. 22 drivers start the season on the grid, and we have broken down their performance in our 2026 Formula 1 power ranking: preseason edition.

We have built a power ranking model to determine who the best driver is beyond their finishes. The model takes into account how they finish on track, of course, but also how well they qualify, their race pace, consistency, racecraft skills, teammate battle, and point scoring relative to expected. More details on the model can be found here, but for now, here’s how the drivers sit going into the 2026 Formula 1 season.

22: Arvid Lindblad: 29.6

Lindblad had a very good season in F2 last season, but the jump from F2 to F1 is a big one. It’s hard to analyze his metrics in Formula 1 without a benchmark for last season, but even with good results in F2, he still falls to the bottom of the grid to start the year.

21: Franco Colapinto: 31.0

While he didn’t race the full season and made the most of what he did have in Formula 1 last season, Colapinto did not score a single point for Alpine. He finished with the lowest overall score of any driver in 2025, with the exception of Jack Doohan, whose seat he took mid-season.

Despite having one of the highest overall consistency scores last season, he still ended right at the bottom. Hopefully up from here.

20: Gabriel Bortoleto: 36.4

While Bortoleto did score points last season, it was just 19 in 24 races. Add in five retirements, and Bortoleto’s numbers ended up ahead of Colapinto, but right near the bottom of the grid.

How he does with the newly renamed Audi side will be key to watch. A second season in F1 should be better than last.

19: Liam Lawson: 37.7

The Red Bull turned Racing Bulls driver finished just above Bortoleto, and was punished heavily by how he performed relative to expected at both teams. This is the curse of the Red Bull second seat.

Unfortunately, the model isn’t kind to supernatural phenomena, and hopefully a good year at Racing Bulls helps him rediscover his form.

18: Lance Stroll: 38.6

F1’s favourite nepo baby is dragged down by terrible performances in the two things that matter most- qualifying and earning points. Racing alongside Fernando Alonso, who managed to pull the Aston Martin up the grid, makes him look even worse.

I wish there was a way to see him take a stride forward in F1 next year, but it’s hard to see him doing any better.

17: Valtteri Bottas: 42.2

F1 gets the moustachioed Finn back this season, but after a season away and now 36-years-old, it’s hard to see how he does exceptionally this season.

Add in three not great years in the sport after leaving Mercedes at the end of the 2021 season, it’s hard to expect much from Bottas with a new team at Cadillac. He starts in 17th this year based on his 2024 results, but how he does this season is anyone’s guess.

16: Pierre Gasly: 45.2

The Alpine driver made the most of his car and the situation around the team, but he couldn’t pull it any further than he did. He did have one of the highest points above expected results on the entire grid, but wasn’t able to translate that into much on the pointsheet. Hopefully this is a better year for the entire team.

15: Sergio Perez: 45.4

Like Bottas, the 36-year-old rejoins the grid after a year away from the sport. However, he goes from the second Red Bull seat, where he put up impressive numbers behind Max Verstappen, to Cadillac, which is not expected to compete like the Austrian side typically does.

When he raced with Force India back in the mid-2010s, Perez was a very good midfield driver, and it’s likely he returns to that part of the grid, but adjusting for age and time away, it’s hard to put him any higher than 15th.

14: Carlos Saniz: 45.5

2025 was one of the best years for Williams in a long time, and Sainz was a consistent performer for the team. However, he was dragged down by being ourperformed by his teammate Alex Albon. Put together, though, his numbers were remarkably consistent, but starts the Formula 1 power ranking at 14.

13: Esteban Ocon: 46.2

Ocon finished barely above Sainz and barely below Hulkenberg. Despite having one of the lowest qualifying scores, Ocon’s racecraft score was one of the highest last season, constantly moving up the grid. He was also remarkably consistent week-in and week-out. This should bode well for him in 2026.

12: Nico Hulkenberg: 49.3

The Sauber driver felt like he was hit with remarkably bad luck last year, particularly in qualifying. His pace in practice was higher than it probablt should have been in the Sauber, but on qualifying day, things just didn’t work out for him. His finishing and racecraft were better of course, but he was better than his teammate and better than expected. This made a difference overall.

11: Kimi Antonelli: 49.5

Antonelli lost out on a spot in the top-10, not because he was necessarily bad, but because he was performing in a very good car and not putting up the numbers expected of him at Mercedes. Like racing alongside Verstappen, racing next to George Russell isn’t easy.

He needs to work on both scoring more points next season, which should be easier now that he has a season under his belt, but also on consistency, which dragged him down to 11th.

10: Oliver Bearman: 49.6

One of the best rookies on the grid last year, Bearman had one of the highest racecraft scores last year, and was able to outduel Esteban Ocon on several occasions. This is what you want from a young driver. He should continue to be one of the best midfield drivers this year, and fight for a spot in a bigger team in 2027. Expect him to move up the Formula 1 power ranking over the next few years.

9: Isack Hadjar: 50.0

Hadjar was so good as a rookie at Racing Bulls that Red Bull offered him the second seat, relegating Yuki Tsunoda out of the starting grid this year. The challenge will be putting up points in the notoriously tough position next to Verstappen. There’s a very good chance that he falls down the grid, but if he can break the curse, it would be outstanding for the French and Algerian driver.

8: Alex Albon: 51.1

What a year for Alex Albon. The Williams driver dragged the team kicking and screaming to 5th place in the Constructors Championship, and earned eighth in our Formula 1 power ranking. Strong consistency, great pace, and a massive performance above expected pulled him to 8th. This should be a big year for him to see if Williams can continue to be one of the strongest midfield teams.

7: Fernando Alonso: 51.4

What more can you say about Fernando Alonso’s outstanding 2025 season? He made the team look very good, even moreso than they deserved. The two time world champion was the best driver in the midfield last season, and will likely end up fighting for that position again in 2026.

6: Lewis Hamilton: 54.4

It was a very bad season for Hamilton by his standards as he acclimatized to Ferrari, but all things considered, he was just fine. He qualified reasonably well, and despite not finishing on the podium all season, his finishes were well above average across the grid.

This is not good enough for Hamilton, who is looking to become the winningest driver of all time. In a perfect season, he should be top-3 in the Formula 1 power ranking, but he starts in sixth.

5: Charles Leclerc: 65.8

Leclerc is the first driver in the upper eschelons, and deservedly so. His numbers were well above average across the board, and was the bright spot at Ferrari, despite their errors. He should continue to push to be in the top-5 this season.

4: Oscar Piastri: 69.4

Piastri got edged out by his teammate, and McLaren’s bizarre use of Papaya Rules, but was still an excellent driver last season. With more consistency, he should challenge for the title again this year. Fourth in the Formula 1 power ranking feels about right.

3: Lando Norris: 69.9

The winner in 2025 is of course dragged down by his inconsistency last season. He had among the best qualifying and pace scores on the grid last year, and with more dominance, he could go back-to-back.

2: George Russell: 77.3

Mercedes are always right there in the title race, and George Russell frankly did not get enough love for how good last season was. He was the most consistent driver on the grid last year along with having great numbers in the points and qualifying conversation. It feels like a matter of time before he becomes a world champion.

1: Max Verstappen: 80.2

There is no better driver on the grid going into 2026 than Verstappen. He’s one of the most daring drivers in the race, and is not afraid to handle overtaking on tight corners. Naturally, he put up the majority of the points on his team, and was strong across the board. He’s the driver to beat this season, despite not winning the WDS last year.

All set for Australia

The season is just over five weeks away, but there is a lot that can change between now and then. For now, all eyes are on Barcelona before the teams head to Bahrain for pre-season testing.