Lewis Hamilton is just seven points behind George Russell in the 2026 F1 championship standings, with Kimi Antonelli leading the way. The Belgian Grand Prix is just around the corner, and Hamilton's chances of winning the title are being closely watched.
Can Hamilton Catch Up?
Hamilton's team-mate George Russell is 25 points behind Antonelli, and Lewis Hamilton is just seven points behind Russell. With Ferrari expected to make progress in the second half of the season, Hamilton's chances of catching up are looking increasingly possible.
What's Holding Hamilton Back?
Despite being one of the fastest drivers on the track, Hamilton has struggled with race starts this season. In the last Grand Prix, he was overtaken by both Ferraris after claiming pole position. This is a key area for improvement if Hamilton is to challenge for the title.
What Comes Next?
The Belgian Grand Prix is just a few days away, and Hamilton will be looking to make a strong start to the weekend. With a near month-long gap to follow the double-header before the season continues, the action in Belgium and Hungary could be crucial in establishing which of the contenders head into the summer break with momentum.
Hamilton has been unlucky in recent Grands Prix, with engine failures and wheel-guard failures ruining his chances of victory. However, he has shown impressive pace in recent races, and will be looking to capitalize on this in the coming weeks.
The 2026 F1 season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent years, with multiple contenders vying for the title. Lewis Hamilton's chances of winning the championship are looking increasingly possible, and fans will be eagerly watching his progress in the coming weeks.
The Road to the Title
With nine rounds complete, Kimi Antonelli holds a 25-point lead at the top of the standings over his Mercedes team-mate George Russell. Lewis Hamilton is just seven points behind Russell, and very much within striking distance should Ferrari continue to make progress over the second half of the season.
The rest of the chasing pack - Hamilton's team-mate Charles Leclerc, reigning world champion Lando Norris and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen - are going to need a special run of form to get into contention. With a near month-long gap to follow the double-header before the season continues, the action in Belgium and Hungary could be crucial in establishing which of the contenders head into the summer break with momentum.
The Final Push
The Belgian Grand Prix is just a few days away, and Lewis Hamilton will be looking to make a strong start to the weekend. With a potentially thrilling title battle shaping up as the 2026 Formula 1 season nears its halfway point, Hamilton's chances of winning the championship are looking increasingly possible.
The 2026 F1 season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent years, with multiple contenders vying for the title. Lewis Hamilton's chances of winning the championship are looking increasingly possible, and fans will be eagerly watching his progress in the coming weeks.
The Championship Leader
Kimi Antonelli arrives in Belgium under quite strange circumstances. Despite being more impressive over the past three races than at any other stage of the season, he has not won any of them and his lead has shrunk by 41 points. He had just passed Russell and was on course to finish second behind Hamilton in Barcelona when his engine failed, and then, last time out at Silverstone, he looked set to chase down Leclerc for victory when a wheel-guard failure ruined his race and pushed him out of the points.
Between those moments of major misfortune, Antonelli finished a very close third behind Russell and Verstappen in Austria. After having been unlucky to miss out on a front-row start in qualifying as Verstappen's crash hampered him, and then making a couple of early errors, he was clearly the fastest driver on track in the race.
Even when Antonelli strung together the first five wins of his career during a historic streak, he didn't appear to have the clear and consistent pace advantage that he's had over Russell in recent weeks. For that reason, the biggest challenge for the 19-year-old if he is to become the sport's youngest-ever world champion is to manage all the other elements, aside from pure pace, that are required to win grands prix.
High on his list of priorities will be sorting out his race starts. Mercedes appeared to have turned a corner in this department after struggling earlier in the season, but Antonelli was overtaken by both Ferraris after claiming pole position at Silverstone.
The championship leader arrives in Belgium under quite strange circumstances. Despite being more impressive over the past three races than at any other stage of the season, he has not won any of them and his lead has shrunk by 41 points.