On 6 September 2026 Andrea Kimi Antonelli won the Italian Grand Prix from nineteenth on the grid. No Italian had won at Monza since 1966, in the days of Ludovico Scarfiotti. A week later, in Madrid, came his eighth win of the season, and his championship lead grew to 81 points. Six months ago he was a nineteen-year-old in his second Formula 1 season. Today he is the driver to beat.

Updated September 2026, with the standings after the Spanish Grand Prix on 13 September.

Deciding who is “the best” in Formula 1 is harder than in almost any other sport. There are 22 drivers on the grid, one for each of the two cars of eleven teams, following the arrival of Audi and Cadillac in 2026. All of them have extraordinary talent, and results depend enormously on the car: a champion in a mediocre car scores less than a good driver in the best one. That is why the ranking below starts from points, which are an objective figure, but for each driver adds what matters to anyone assessing a sponsorship: what they represent, for which audience and in which markets.

In short:

• 2026 is Mercedes’ year: Antonelli and Russell hold the top two places.
• The reigning world champion is Lando Norris, who beat Max Verstappen by two points in 2025.
• For a brand, championship position is only one criterion: nationality, audience and fit with the brand’s values also count.

The standings after the Spanish Grand Prix

1. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 292 points

His first win came in China in March, from pole position: at nineteen and a half he became the youngest pole-sitter in history and the second-youngest winner after Verstappen. He has won seven more times since. For Italian brands he represents an opportunity that had not come along for decades, a home driver fighting for the title, a topic we explored when writing about the Italian window opened by Antonelli.

2. George Russell (Mercedes), 211 points

Antonelli’s team-mate is his closest pursuer and completes the Mercedes one-two in the standings. He is British, highly visible in the UK media and, since 2021, one of the directors of the GPDA, the Formula 1 drivers’ association. A solid, institutional profile, suited to brands looking for reliability rather than noise.

3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), 191 points

Seven world titles, now in his second season with Ferrari after his 2025 move. At 41 he still has the broadest commercial profile on the grid, well beyond the racing audience: fashion, culture, social commitment. For a brand his value lies above all in being a bridge to people who do not follow Formula 1.

4. Lando Norris (McLaren), 186 points

2025 world champion, crowned at the final race in Abu Dhabi by two points over Verstappen, the smallest margin since the current points system was introduced in 2010. He has a very direct relationship with younger fans and a digital presence built up over the years, off the track as well. He is the face of a McLaren back at the top.

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 167 points

Monegasque and at Ferrari since 2019, he is the driver most closely identified with the Scuderia over the past decade. As quick over a single lap as few others, he brings with him Ferrari’s huge and cross-generational fan base. For a luxury or Made in Italy brand the pairing is a natural one.

6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull), 145 points

Four consecutive titles from 2021 to 2024 and second place in 2025 by just two points. In 2026 the Red Bull is not the benchmark car, but Verstappen is still the driver everyone else names as the strongest. He has a huge following in the Netherlands and across Northern Europe.

7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren), 120 points

In 2025 he led the championship for longer than anyone else and finished third, 13 points behind Norris. 2026 has been harder so far, but he remains one of the most sought-after drivers in the paddock. He is Australian, and for a brand with interests in the Asia-Pacific region he is a profile worth considering.

8. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull), 71 points

French, he took his first podium as a rookie at Zandvoort in 2025, at the fifteenth round of the season, with Racing Bulls. In 2026 he was promoted to Red Bull alongside Verstappen. He is the classic medium-term bet: costs still contained and clear growth potential.

9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls), 59 points

A New Zealander, he is the leading driver of Red Bull’s sister team, where he partners rookie Arvid Lindblad. A solid, no-nonsense driver with a personal story of resilience after his brief spell at Red Bull in 2025.

10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine), 41 points

At Monza in 2026 he took his first pole position and the first in Alpine’s history, at the same circuit where he had won in 2020. French, experienced and very popular with fans: for a brand that wants to enter Formula 1 with a more contained budget, he is a credible partner.

Who should sponsor a driver, and who should look elsewhere

Two numbers govern an individual sponsorship, and confusing them is a common mistake: the cost of the driver’s image rights and the cost of what it takes to use them. A top driver can be worth millions a year in personal deals, and any published figure on these contracts should be treated with caution, because the real values remain confidential. If you want an order of magnitude, we covered it in how much Formula 1 drivers earn and in our analysis of the most sought-after drivers for endorsement deals.

Driver sponsorship works for brands that need a face: consumer goods, fashion, watches, drinks, services aimed at the general public. It works less well for business-to-business companies, which usually get more from the team, with client hospitality, technical rights and partner activities. There is also a risk to factor in: a driver can change team, lose form or get injured, while the team stays. That is why, in our experience, a deal with a driver works best when it fits into a broader programme, not when it replaces one. Team-level options are gathered on our page dedicated to Formula 1 sponsorship.

How to move forward

September’s standings will not be December’s, and those of 2026 will not be those of 2027. Anyone assessing a driver should look less at today’s points and more at the trajectory: age, contract, team, key markets. For those looking for the names that made history, the ranking is a different one: the best Formula 1 drivers of all time. On two wheels, we have prepared the equivalent for MotoGP 2026.

Finally, it is worth understanding how our work is structured. In most cases RTR Sports’ commission is paid by the team or the driver’s management, not by the brand. It is this separation that allows us to recommend the right driver, or to advise against one, without having a stake in the answer.

Sources: Formula 1, Antonelli wins at Monza from nineteenth; RacingNews365, the standings after the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix; Formula 1, Norris 2025 world champion; Formula 1, the 2026 grid.