From Antonelli’s rise to a fascinating development war – 5 things we learned from the first half of 2026

The 2026 Formula 1 season has already provided us with lots of action – as well as quite a few learnings along the way. As the championship reaches its halfway point, F1.com takes a look at five key things we learned from the first half of the campaign…

Antonelli has grown after ups and downs of rookie year

After being fast-tracked through the junior categories – his talent having caught the eye of Mercedes as early as his karting days – Kimi Antonelli arrived into Formula 1 with a fair amount of expectation around him, making his debut for the Silver Arrows in 2025 aged 18.

His first season in the sport was not without its difficulties, the teenager enduring a particularly tough spell across the European leg – but a stronger final stint hinted at more to come from the young star.

Despite this promise, perhaps nobody was expecting such a high level of performance from Antonelli so soon into his sophomore campaign. A P2 finish at the season opener in Australia was followed by a maiden victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, while another win in Japan saw the Mercedes driver become F1’s youngest-ever championship leader.

That impressive sequence continued with further triumphs in Miami, Canada and Monaco, and while he has faced some tougher moments across recent rounds – including a DNF in Barcelona due to a mechanical issue – Antonelli has continued to maximise his performances and keep himself at the top of the standings.

There is still a way to go when it comes to the title fight, but the Italian has more than proven himself during the first half.

Hamilton cutting a rejuvenated figure at Ferrari

Like Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton experienced a challenging season in 2025 – but the troubles were perhaps even greater for the seven-time World Champion, whose first campaign as a Ferrari driver saw him struggle to gel with his new car.

The Briton cut a downbeat figure on more than one occasion – particularly after a number of Q1 exits in Qualifying – but a reset over the winter saw Hamilton arrive into 2026 in strong form both on and off the track.

His first podium with the Scuderia came at Round 2 in China, before further rostrums followed in Canada and Monaco – and more was to come with his long-awaited return to victory in Barcelona, marking his maiden triumph as a Ferrari driver.

Speaking during that milestone weekend, Hamilton said: “Last year was not a good year at all in so many ways. [There’s] more harmony in the team. I’m fitter, healthier, I’m in a better place personally, and I arrived with a much better attitude even than I started last year.”

The results of that have certainly shown, and it will be fascinating to see what else Ferrari and Hamilton – who remains Antonelli’s closest challenger in the World Championship standings – can achieve during the second half of the season.

The importance of the development war

Amid the introduction of new technical regulations for the 2026 season, the pecking order was uncertain ahead of the campaign. However, many teams pointed to the key role that development would play across the championship.

That prediction has proven to be correct, with updates during the first half of the season already leading to changes amongst the pack.

Mercedes looked to be the team to beat at the first round in Australia, but the competition has become increasingly fierce as the season has progressed, with five different drivers – from three teams – winning at each of the last five events prior to the summer break.

Development has also had an impact amongst the midfield. While Racing Bulls have climbed to the head of the group, Alpine have slipped backwards to sixth place following a strong start – leading Managing Director Steve Nielsen to concede that the Enstone-based outfit are in a “development war” with their rivals.

Haas have also dropped behind, with Ollie Bearman admitting that they have been “out-developed” by the competition. But with several teams planning further upgrades during the second half of the campaign, there is still plenty of time for the picture to evolve further.

Williams and Aston Martin facing a reality check

The first half of the season has proven particularly challenging for Williams and Aston Martin – something that was perhaps especially surprising for the former, who enjoyed a strong 2025 that saw them claim P5 in the Teams’ Championship.

After being the only team not to participate in the Barcelona Shakedown due to delays in their FW48 programme, Williams set about playing catch-up at pre-season testing in Bahrain – but the squad appeared to be lacking in performance due to their car being overweight.

These struggles – coupled with the progress made by their rivals – have seen them drop towards the rear of the field, the Grove-based outfit currently sitting P9 in the standings. It has been quite the reality check for a team that had previously targeted 2026 as an opportunity to move even further up the pecking order.

However, with an upgrade package planned for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, there is hope for Williams – as has proven to be the case for Aston Martin, who looked to have made steps forward with updates in Hungary following an incredibly tough start to the season.

Needless to say, both teams will be aiming to make even more headway when the campaign resumes.

A solid start for Cadillac in team’s maiden season

This year the grid has grown from 20 cars to 22 following the arrival of Cadillac, the American outfit becoming the 11th team and the first new squad in Formula 1 since Haas’ arrival one decade ago.

Ahead of their maiden outing, Cadillac recruited some experienced names – ranging from their driver line-up of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas to Team Principal Graeme Lowdon – but kept their expectations modest for what they could achieve.

However, the squad have enjoyed a more than solid start to their time in F1, which began with a good amount of mileage in pre-season testing – and while they have faced some reliability gremlins during the opening rounds of the season, these have been fewer than might have been expected for a new team.

Cadillac’s debut point nearly came in Monaco, with Perez initially crossing the line in P10 only to lose this when a post-race 10-second time penalty dropped the Mexican to P15. Despite missing out, the squad took heart from the fact that they had managed to run with the midfield.

Following the last race before the summer break in Hungary, Lowdon hailed the “great progress” made by Cadillac during the first half of the season, before adding: “I have every confidence that we will come back stronger and ready to push again in Zandvoort.”