Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photos: Mark Thompson, Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images, Martin Keep / AFP via Getty ImagesAnalysisAug. 4, 2026 5:00 am EDT Updated And just like that, Formula 1 is out for summer break.The teams will get much-needed respite over the mandatory 14-day shutdown, during which no work can be done on the cars. The paddock will recharge after a stop-and-go start to the 2026 campaign, but the teams and drivers will also reflect on the first half of the season before they set out on the season run-in.Mercedes has set the benchmark so far, winning eight grands prix (with a dominant six consecutive victories to start the season) out of 11. Kimi Antonelli scored the majority of those wins, while his teammate George Russell took two.
But some reliability struggles and the car development race have allowed Ferrari to slightly close the performance gap, leaving 72 points separating the two teams at the top of the championship right now.The midfield is a combination of tight scraps, with a wide spread then covering the back half of the field.The season resumes later this month, with the Dutch GP weekend taking place Aug. 21-23. Before the cars are back on track, The Athletic’s F1 experts Luke Smith and Madeline Coleman have analyzed each team to date this season, handing out midterm report cards.AnalysisBack when Racing Bulls was known as Toro Rosso and under the guise of long-serving team principal Franz Tost, fifth place in the constructors’ championship became its annual goal each season. Each year ended in disappointment. Yet in 2026, 20 years on from the team becoming owned by Red Bull, it finally looks to be in the running for fifth place, after ending the first half of this season at the top of the midfield.The Racing Bulls car has been reliable and, importantly, quick. Back-to-back update packages in Miami and Canada helped lift its performance, eventually overhauling Alpine as the midfield front-runner. Points in all but one race so far in a year where the big four teams typically take the top eight positions are an impressive feat.Liam Lawson finally appears to have his confidence back, performing arguably better than ever on the F1 grid, with his sixth-place finish in Monaco a particular highlight. His 18-year-old rookie teammate, Arvid Lindblad, has shown why Red Bull has been excited about his potential for years now. The team couldn’t have wished for much more from the pair, who are very evenly matched, leading to a handful of close moments between them on the track this year. But Racing Bulls welcomes this as a good problem.Photo:(Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)StatsPoints66(Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)AnalysisThe way Mercedes started 2026 pointed to a return to the peak of its F1 domination between 2014 and 2021. Six straight wins, a new star emerging in Antonelli, and with little threat from the chasing pack, this looked like the Mercedes of old.But as brilliant as Antonelli has been, there have been some cracks in Mercedes’ armor, chiefly with reliability. Recurring engine reliability issues for poor George Russell, who has waited seven years to finally get his hands on a title-contending car, have caused him to lose touch at the top of the standings, along with his own failure to use the W17 as well as Antonelli. He also saw a likely win slip away at Silverstone due to a wheel shield breaking, as well as being stopped in Spain while on for second place due to another engine issue.Mercedes very much remains the team to beat, despite not developing its car as aggressively as its rivals. Antonelli’s grip on the title race is firm, but Mercedes will know it must up its game with new aerodynamic parts to ensure there is no doubt that one of its drivers clinches this year’s title. It cannot leave the door open for anyone else to snare it away.Comfort can be taken in the fact that the team's operations and all-round approach remain those of a presumptive champion. Mercedes still has the magic and gusto from the height of its past success. It just needs to tighten up on reliability, and it’ll be in very good shape.
