Who Will Finish Second in F1 2026? Verstappen vs Russell vs Hamilton
Max Verstappen leads the fight for second place in the 2026 F1 championship with 279 points, 17 ahead of George Russell and 18 ahead of Lewis Hamilton. With three races left and 75 points still available per driver, five drivers can still finish runner-up to champion Kimi Antonelli.
Standings after the São Paulo Grand Prix, from formula1.com. Calendar from the official 2026 schedule.
The fight for second: the standings
| Pos | Driver | Team | Points | Gap to P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 279 | – |
| 3 | George Russell | Mercedes | 262 | -17 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 261 | -18 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 249 | -30 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 246 | -33 |
Oscar Piastri, seventh on 152, is 127 points behind and can no longer reach second. Antonelli (390) is already the 2026 champion.
How many points are left?
Three Grands Prix remain: Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. None of them is a sprint weekend in 2026, and there is no longer a bonus point for the fastest lap, so the most any driver can score is 25 per race, or 75 in total.
- Verstappen cannot wrap up second in Las Vegas. Even if he wins and Russell scores nothing, his lead would be 42 points with 50 still available.
- He can clinch it in Qatar if his lead over everyone behind him is more than 25 points after that race.
- Norris is the long shot. At 33 points behind, he needs to outscore Verstappen by an average of 11 points per race.
Why Verstappen is the favorite
He has the momentum. Verstappen won in Bahrain, Singapore and Mexico City, then drove from 21st on the grid to second in Brazil. He also won the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix and holds the lap record there. Read how he climbed 19 places at Interlagos and our Las Vegas race times guide.
Can Russell or Hamilton catch him?
- George Russell (-17): Mercedes has the best car of 2026, winning 12 of the 20 races, and the constructors’ title is already sealed, so the team can let him chase second freely.
- Lewis Hamilton (-18): his first Ferrari season has had speed, including pole in Mexico City, but grid penalties cost him in Brazil. More on Hamilton’s 2026 at Ferrari.
- Charles Leclerc (-30): needs Ferrari to beat Mercedes and Red Bull, and probably Hamilton too, after their clash in Mexico City.
The last three races (US times)
| Race | Date | ET | CT | PT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas | Sat, Nov. 21 | 11 p.m. | 10 p.m. | 8 p.m. |
| Qatar | Sun, Nov. 29 | 11 a.m. | 10 a.m. | 8 a.m. |
| Abu Dhabi | Sun, Dec. 6 | 8 a.m. | 7 a.m. | 5 a.m. |
Full weekend times are on our 2026 F1 schedule.
FAQ
Who is second in the 2026 F1 standings?
Max Verstappen, with 279 points after the São Paulo Grand Prix.
Can George Russell finish second in 2026?
Yes. He is 17 points behind Verstappen with 75 points still available.
How many points are left in the 2026 F1 season?
75 per driver: three Grands Prix at 25 points each, with no sprints and no fastest lap point.
When can Verstappen clinch second place?
In Qatar at the earliest, if he leads by more than 25 points after that race.
Part of our F1 2026 season hub. Unofficial F1 fan site, not affiliated with Formula 1.
Alex is the editor of Apexline, an independent Formula 1 and US motorsport site for American fans. Alex writes race previews, results and rule explainers, checks every result, point total and session time against formula1.com and the FIA, and converts race times to Eastern, Central and Pacific time. Read how we work in our editorial policy: https://vantage97.design/editorial-policy/
