F1 runner-up fight: Russell, Hamilton, Verstappen and Leclerc split by nine points before Mexico
With Antonelli on 365 points, the scrap for second in the 2026 drivers' standings has four men covered by nine points heading to Mexico City.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli may be closing in on the 2026 Formula 1 world title, but behind the Mercedes driver one of the tightest fights of the season is taking shape. After the United States Grand Prix in Austin, just nine points cover the four drivers chasing second place in the drivers' championship, with five rounds left, starting with this weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix.
The numbers after Austin
Antonelli leads on 365 points after his ninth win of the year. George Russell sits second on 242, a single point clear of Lewis Hamilton on 241. Max Verstappen is fourth on 236 and Charles Leclerc fifth on 233. Lando Norris, the reigning champion, is a further 22 points back in sixth on 211.
That means Hamilton trails Russell by one point, Verstappen by six and Leclerc by nine. Norris is 31 points adrift of second. Five races remain (Mexico City, Brazil, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi), and there are no sprint events left, so up to 25 points per driver are on offer at each round.
How Austin closed the gap
The gap was far healthier for Russell before the Circuit of the Americas. Going into Austin he had 238 points, nine clear of Hamilton (229), 17 ahead of Verstappen (221) and 23 ahead of Leclerc (215).
Sunday's race reshuffled that order. Leclerc finished second for 18 points, Verstappen third for 15 and Hamilton fourth for 12. Russell, running the same upgraded Mercedes that carried Antonelli to victory, could only manage eighth, 54 seconds behind his team-mate, and collected four points. In one afternoon his cushion over Hamilton shrank from nine points to one.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has put Russell's struggles down to the W17's narrow operating window, saying Antonelli has been able to get more out of the car than the Briton.
Form guide for the chasers
Verstappen arrives with momentum. He won in Malaysia on 4 October as Formula 1 returned to Sepang, then won again in Singapore. Austin ended his winning run, but third place there extended a run of six consecutive podiums. His two victories are the only wins Red Bull have collected this season.
The two Ferrari drivers are also rising. Leclerc has now finished second in Singapore and Austin, and Ferrari's final major aerodynamic upgrade of the year made a promising debut in Texas. Hamilton was on the podium at Sepang and ran strongly in Austin. Each Ferrari driver has one win this year.
Russell, by contrast, has three wins but a patchy recent record, including a retirement from third place in Malaysia with an engine problem.
What Mexico City could change
The high-altitude Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez could reshape the order again. Thin air at around 2,200 metres puts extra strain on the power unit, and analysts expect it to expose Ferrari's straight-line deficit. That could favour Red Bull and Mercedes, but Russell first needs to rediscover the setup window that has escaped him.
Russell, Verstappen and Norris will also lose running time on Friday because they sit out first practice for young drivers, which squeezes their preparation for an unusual track.
In Malaysia, the race starts at 4am on Monday, 2 November.
Key takeaways
- Russell (242) leads Hamilton (241) by one point, Verstappen (236) by six and Leclerc (233) by nine in the fight for second.
- Before Austin, Russell's lead over Hamilton was nine points and over Leclerc 23.
- Five rounds and no sprints remain, so 125 points per driver are still available.
- Verstappen has six straight podiums, including wins in Malaysia and Singapore.
FAQ
Q: Who is second in the 2026 F1 drivers' championship?
George Russell of Mercedes is second on 242 points, one point ahead of Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton.
Q: How many races are left in the 2026 F1 season?
Five: Mexico City (1 November), Brazil, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, which closes the season on 6 December.
Q: Why did Russell lose so much ground in Austin?
He finished eighth while Leclerc, Verstappen and Hamilton finished second, third and fourth. Mercedes blames the car's narrow setup window, which Antonelli has handled better.
Sources: Crash.net, RacingNews365, Formula1.com, PlanetF1, Scuderia Fans, Report.az