F1 Standings 2026 After Japanese Grand Prix
Here's how the F1 standings look after round three of the 2026 season in Suzuka, Japan.
Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads the 2026 drivers' championship with a win in Suzuka. Getty Images Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes became the youngest championship leader in F1 history after taking a dominant win at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka. The Italian, 19, translated pole to victory for the second time in a row , crossing the line with a margin of almost 14 seconds ahead of Oscar Piastri in the McLaren.
Having missed out on the two opening rounds , Piastri recorded the team’s first podium of the season in his first grand prix finish after leading the early stages of the race before the safety car was deployed. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari fended off George Russell in the other Mercedes to claim the third podium spot, with the Italian team now scoring three podiums in three races. Defending champion Lando Norris grabbed fifth in the other McLaren ahead of Lewis Hamilton, while Max Verstappen couldn’t pass the Alpine of Pierre Gasly to settle for eighth place behind the Frenchman.
Verstappen has been struggling with his RB22 car since the beginning of the season, saying after the Suzuka race that he feels Red Bull is “more in that midfield battle than up at the front. ” Liam Lawson netted ninth place for Racing Bulls while Esteban Ocon grabbed the final point for Haas. Now Antonelli is leading the world championship with nine points ahead of Russell heading into the five-week break .
The Ferrari duo of Leclerc and Hamilton are still occupying third and fourth respectively, followed by Norris and Piastri. Bearman, who suffered a 50G crash in Suzuka that triggered a safety car period, is currently in a strong seventh for American team Haas with 17 points so far. The young Briton fortunately avoided any bone fractures but had suffered a right knee contusion, the team said.