George Russell has moved ahead of Lewis Hamilton into third place in the 2026 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship following the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos. The Mercedes driver now holds a one-point advantage over his Ferrari rival, while Charles Leclerc remains fifth in the standings after another difficult weekend for the Maranello team.
Lando Norris won the Brazilian Grand Prix for McLaren, strengthening his position in the championship battle. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen extended his advantage in second place, behind newly crowned world champion Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
F1 2026 driver standings after Brazilian GP: Russell overtakes Hamilton
The latest championship standings leave Lewis Hamilton in fourth position with 261 points, just one behind George Russell, who moves into third with 262. Charles Leclerc occupies fifth place on 251 points, ten behind his Ferrari team-mate.
Lando Norris remains sixth with 246 points following his victory at Interlagos, putting the McLaren driver just five points behind Charles Leclerc and keeping him firmly involved in the battle for a higher championship position.
The close margins between the Ferrari drivers and their immediate rivals underline the importance of every remaining championship point. The season-long performance and points gap between the two Maranello drivers can also be explored through the Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton head-to-head statistics.
2026 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship standings after Brazil
| Position | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 390 |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 279 |
| 3 | George Russell | Mercedes | 262 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 261 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 251 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 246 |
| 7 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 152 |
| 8 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 122 |
| 9 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 87 |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 42 |
| 11 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 38 |
| 12 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 27 |
| 13 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 23 |
| 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 14 |
| 15 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi | 14 |
| 16 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 7 |
| 17 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 7 |
| 18 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 7 |
| 19 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 5 |
| 20 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | 1 |
| 21 | Ryo Hirakawa | Haas | 1 |
| 22 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 0 |
| 22 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 0 |
| 23 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 0 |
Max Verstappen strengthens second place as Ferrari faces a close points battle
Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads the championship with 390 points, while Max Verstappen continues to consolidate second position on 279. The Red Bull driver has extended his advantage over George Russell, who now trails him by 17 points.
For Ferrari, the immediate championship battle remains extremely close. Lewis Hamilton is only one point away from regaining third place, while Charles Leclerc holds a narrow five-point advantage over Lando Norris following the McLaren driver’s Brazilian Grand Prix victory.
The small gaps between these drivers mean that changes in finishing positions can quickly alter the championship order. The potential impact of different race results can be explored using the F1 Championship Points Calculator.
Further down the standings, Nico Hülkenberg secured a valuable point in Brazil, bringing his season total to 14. The Audi driver is now level on points with team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto.
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