Antonelli wins eighth 2026 Grand Prix as Mercedes take 11 of first 16 races
Published: October 4, 2026
The 2026 Formula 1 World Championship has reached its 16th round, and the story of the season is unambiguous: Mercedes are in a class of their own, and a young star is rewriting the record books.
Antonelli storms clear at the top
Kimi Antonelli has won eight of the opening 16 Grands Prix of the 2026 campaign, establishing a commanding position in the drivers' standings. The Mercedes driver triumphed in China, Japan, Miami, Canada, Monaco, Belgium, Italy and Spain — a haul that already ranks among the most dominant single-season streaks in recent memory.
Mercedes dominate the constructors' fight
Mercedes have been utterly supreme, converting 11 of the 16 races into victories. Alongside Antonelli's eight, team-mate George Russell has claimed three wins of his own — in Australia, Austria and Azerbaijan — giving the Silver Arrows a stranglehold on the manufacturers' battle.
The other winners
The remaining five victories were shared among four rivals. Lewis Hamilton ended Ferrari's wait with a win at the Barcelona-Catalunya round, before team-mate Charles Leclerc followed up by taking the chequered flag at his home British Grand Prix. Lando Norris delivered McLaren's only two wins of the year so far, in Hungary and the Netherlands, while Max Verstappen kept Red Bull Racing on the board with a commanding drive at the Bahrain Grand Prix on October 4.
Race-by-race results: 2026 F1 season through Bahrain
| Round | Grand Prix | Date | Winner | Team | Laps | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | Mar 8 | George Russell | Mercedes | 58 | 1:23:06.801 |
| 2 | China | Mar 15 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 56 | 1:33:15.607 |
| 3 | Japan | Mar 29 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 53 | 1:28:03.403 |
| 4 | Miami | May 3 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 57 | 1:33:19.273 |
| 5 | Canada | May 24 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 68 | 1:28:15.758 |
| 6 | Monaco | Jun 7 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 78 | 2:23:31.243 |
| 7 | Barcelona-Catalunya | Jun 14 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 66 | 1:32:28.105 |
| 8 | Austria | Jun 28 | George Russell | Mercedes | 71 | 1:26:37.979 |
| 9 | Great Britain | Jul 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 52 | 1:27:11.335 |
| 10 | Belgium | Jul 19 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 44 | 1:24:42.479 |
| 11 | Hungary | Jul 26 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 70 | 1:39:56.180 |
| 12 | Netherlands | Aug 23 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 72 | 2:04:44.859 |
| 13 | Italy | Sep 6 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 53 | 1:51:15.281 |
| 14 | Spain | Sep 13 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 57 | 1:34:23.754 |
| 15 | Azerbaijan | Sep 26 | George Russell | Mercedes | 51 | 1:38:02.143 |
| 16 | Bahrain | Oct 4 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 55 | 1:47:14.808 |
What it means
With more rounds still to come, Antonelli's eight-win cushion leaves him firmly in the box seat for the 2026 drivers' crown, while Mercedes' 11 victories put them on course for a comfortable constructors' advantage. The chasing pack — Ferrari, McLaren and a resurgent Red Bull — will need a dramatic swing of form to disrupt the Silver Arrows' charge.