Abnormal service resumes as 2026 F1 season restarts at Zandvoort

The 2026 Formula One season reconvened at Zandvoort this weekend after the summer break, following sweeping technical changes to the cars, and Kimi Antonelli leads the championship by 50 points.

The season introduced regulations that pushed hybrid power units toward an approximate 50-50 split between internal combustion and electric power, prompting early concerns the cars would be energy-starved; four-time champion Max Verstappen was scathing about the package during pre-season testing. Teams and drivers struggled with battery limitations that forced them to ease through fast corners to conserve electric deploy for straights, while complex algorithms for harvesting and deployment altered driving styles and produced instances of ‘yo-yo racing’ as packs passed and repassed while batteries charged and discharged. A rule tweak in Miami reduced some of those effects, but on energy-hungry circuits the cars’ reluctance to be driven fully through high-speed turns has affected spectacle.

Kimi Antonelli has emerged as the standout performer in his sophomore campaign and will graduate out of his teens on Tuesday (August 25). He produced a run of five consecutive wins at one stage and has adapted his aggressive, sharp-input driving to the current cars while benefitting from what the piece describes as a class-leading Mercedes. The article credits team boss Toto Wolff’s decision to promote him last year as decisive in giving Antonelli the opportunity to accelerate his development, and it notes the youngster has seen his championship margin swing—once 66 points in front before falling to a 25-point buffer and then rebuilding.

George Russell’s trajectory is described as more troubled: after three years in an uncompetitive Williams he joined Mercedes in 2022 to partner Lewis Hamilton, arriving as Mercedes struggled with ground-effect regulations that season. He won the season-opening race in Australia from pole and dominated the sprint in China but has since been hampered by reliability problems, bad luck and a driving style that has not suited the current car, leaving him 59 points adrift of the lead. The review states, "We will soon know whether Russell has found a way during the summer break to address the pace deficit to his colleague."

Lewis Hamilton’s start at Ferrari was called tumultuous and prompted questions about his form, but the report says the 41-year-old has regained momentum this season as the more nimble 2026 cars have suited him and he sits second in the standings. The article credits his increased factory work for improved relations with the team and notes Ferrari acceded to some of his demands on brakes, allowing him to use Carbone Industrie discs despite the marque’s long-standing relationship with Brembo; that improved brake feel helped produce his first win for Ferrari in Barcelona. The piece adds that, "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."

Red Bull and Verstappen’s concerns about the new cars and the power unit are recounted, with the team’s decision to build its own engines for the first time framed against criticisms that their electric component is not as strong as Mercedes’. The article lists aerodynamic instability and a faulty rear wing among factors that left Verstappen unhappy and says rumours he was considering leaving or walking away followed that discontent. On the eve of the Dutch Grand Prix, Verstappen extended his contract up to 2030, a move the piece links to Laurent Mekies taking over from Christian Horner last year and that it has placed added pressure on Red Bull leadership and engineers to produce a car more suited to him.

The review assesses the wider title picture by noting Mercedes still possess the strongest package and that, despite Antonelli’s lead, Ferrari and McLaren are not far off on recent form. With a possible 12 races left in the season, the article cautions it is premature to conclude the championship, and the paddock now returns to action at Zandvoort this weekend.