Eleven Grands Prix have been completed in the 2026 Formula 1 season, yet the championship has still not produced the same podium combination twice. From George Russell’s victory in Australia to Lando Norris winning the Hungarian Grand Prix, every race has ended with a different trio of drivers occupying the top three positions.
It is one of the more unusual statistics to emerge from the opening half of the campaign, particularly in a season in which Mercedes has possessed the strongest car from the outset and Kimi Antonelli has established himself at the top of the championship. Ferrari has also played a prominent role in the pattern, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both winning races and appearing in several different podium combinations.
2026 F1 podiums remain unique after 11 races
The remarkable sequence stretches from Melbourne all the way to the Hungaroring. Although the same leading teams repeatedly appear near the front, the exact combination of drivers has changed at every Grand Prix. Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull have provided most of the podium finishers, while Pierre Gasly also broke into the top three with his third-place result in Monaco.
The variety is especially notable given Mercedes’ early performance advantage. Reliability problems have helped prevent the season from settling into a predictable pattern, while changing competitive form has repeatedly altered the order behind and, on several occasions, ahead of the championship-leading team.
George Russell opened the year with victory at the Australian Grand Prix, ahead of Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc. Antonelli then launched an impressive run of victories, taking five consecutive Grand Prix wins from China through Monaco and building the championship lead he holds after the opening 11 rounds. The full championship picture can be followed through the Formula 1 driver standings.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc add Ferrari victories to the pattern
The sequence changed dramatically when Formula 1 reached Barcelona. After Antonelli’s run at the front, Lewis Hamilton secured his first Grand Prix victory for Ferrari, beating George Russell and Lando Norris. It represented a major result for the seven-time world champion and added another completely new podium combination to the season.
Hamilton has nevertheless left points on the table during the opening half of the championship, making every strong result particularly important as Ferrari attempts to remain involved at the front. A closer examination of those missed opportunities shows how Lewis Hamilton lost 20 points during Ferrari’s 2026 title campaign.
Russell returned to winning ways at the following round in Austria, sharing the podium with Max Verstappen and Antonelli. Silverstone then delivered another major shift, as Charles Leclerc claimed victory for Ferrari ahead of Russell and Hamilton. That result produced the Scuderia’s second win in three races and another top-three combination that had not previously appeared in 2026.
The Belgian Grand Prix brought Antonelli back to the top step, this time with Leclerc finishing second and Verstappen third. At the most recent round in Hungary, reigning world champion Lando Norris became the latest different race winner, leading Verstappen and Antonelli home.
Reliability, upgrades and ADUO help keep the competitive order changing
Reliability has been one factor behind the constant changes at the front. Mercedes has been the benchmark car since the beginning of the season, but technical problems have prevented the team from converting its underlying performance into an identical pattern of results every weekend. Russell was affected by reliability difficulties earlier in the campaign before returning to the top step in Austria.
Car development has also played an important part. Teams have introduced new upgrade packages as the season has progressed, while the ADUO system has provided another route for performance development. Together, those factors have reduced some of the differences between the leading cars and helped create a more variable competitive picture.
Ferrari’s own progression is reflected in its results. Hamilton moved from third place in China to second in Canada and Monaco before winning in Barcelona, while Leclerc converted podium finishes in Australia and Japan into victory at Silverstone. The latest developments involving both drivers can also be followed through ScuderiaFans’ dedicated Lewis Hamilton coverage and Charles Leclerc coverage.
Every podium from the first 11 races of the 2026 F1 season
The complete sequence shows why the statistic stands out. Not one of the following top-three combinations has been repeated:
- Australian Grand Prix: George Russell, Kimi Antonelli, Charles Leclerc
- Chinese Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton
- Japanese Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli, Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc
- Miami Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri
- Canadian Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen
- Monaco Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton, Pierre Gasly
- Barcelona Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Lando Norris
- Austrian Grand Prix: George Russell, Max Verstappen, Kimi Antonelli
- British Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton
- Belgian Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli, Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen
- Hungarian Grand Prix: Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, Kimi Antonelli
Antonelli is clearly the most frequent presence, but even his appearances have come alongside different combinations of rivals. McLaren has contributed through Norris and Oscar Piastri, while Verstappen has become an increasingly regular podium presence for Red Bull. Gasly’s Monaco result remains the standout appearance from outside the four teams that have otherwise dominated the top-three positions.
Ferrari enters the second half with another variable in the title battle
For Ferrari supporters, the statistic illustrates both the unpredictability of the season and the Scuderia’s growing ability to place both cars near the front. Hamilton and Leclerc have already become Grand Prix winners in 2026, while their repeated podium appearances have kept Ferrari involved in a championship that has produced a different outcome almost every weekend.
That competitive situation also leaves Ferrari facing important decisions as the second half approaches. With both drivers contributing significant results but Hamilton holding the stronger championship position, the possibility of prioritising one title challenge has become part of the wider discussion around Ferrari’s potential team-orders strategy after the summer break.
The season resumes with the Dutch Grand Prix as round 12 of the revised 2026 Formula 1 calendar. Whether Zandvoort finally produces the first repeated podium combination remains to be seen, but through the opening 11 races, the championship has delivered 11 distinct top threes.
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