Max Verstappen leads the F1 2026 momentum ranking with +13.17. Behind the leader come Charles Leclerc (Ferrari, +4.07), Isack Hadjar (Red Bull, +2.21), Esteban Ocon (Haas F1 Team, +1.12) and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin, +1.12). First to fifth is separated by 12.05. Recent points-per-race rate compared with the season-to-date average.
The biggest move at the Singapore Grand Prix was Franco Colapinto, down 10 places to P18. Nobody has pushed harder over the last three rounds than Max Verstappen (Red Bull): 18, 25, 25 across Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia and Singapore Grand Prix — comfortably clear of the level set over the rest of the season. Going the other way, Lando Norris (McLaren) has given up the most ground: 0, 2, 12 across Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia and Singapore Grand Prix, below the standard set earlier in the year.
So why is this ranking worth your time? Because it is exactly the kind of question every fan argues about and almost nobody actually counts. This one is counted: 22 drivers and 17 races of the F1 2026 season, built race by race from the official classifications. No votes, no opinions, no cherry-picked highlights — if a driver moves here, something real happened on track. And it recomputes itself after every Grand Prix, so the next time the argument comes up, the answer is already up to date.
Updated after the Singapore Grand Prix
Through 17 rounds of 2026, Max Verstappen (Red Bull) leads this table at +13.17, built from 17 counted races.
The chase is led by Charles Leclerc at +4.07; Isack Hadjar sits third with +2.21.
As with every Measure ranking, the numbers are computed directly from official race data and refreshed after each round. The big mover this round is Nico Hülkenberg, up 7 places to P6. Franco Colapinto heads the other way, down 10 places to P18.
Round 17 at the Singapore Grand Prix leaves the Momentum ranking still headed by Max Verstappen of Red Bull on +13.17, with Charles Leclerc (+4.07) and Isack Hadjar (+2.21) next in line. The biggest upward mover is Nico Hülkenberg, climbing 7 places to 6th on +0.83, while Lewis Hamilton rises 5 to 17th (−1.88) and Oscar Piastri gains 4 to 16th (−1.07). On the downside, Franco Colapinto drops 10 places to 18th (−1.93), Andrea Kimi Antonelli falls 4 to 21st (−4.67), and Liam Lawson slips 2 to 8th while sitting exactly on 0.00. The standout feature of this update is the shape of the table: Verstappen is operating in a different tier, and even with movement elsewhere, the fight for the next-best momentum looks far more compressed. That dynamic makes mid-pack surges like Hülkenberg’s especially meaningful, because gains can quickly translate into a prominent position behind a clear runaway leader.
Average championship points per race over the most recent 3 rounds, minus the average over every earlier round this season. A positive value means a driver is scoring faster right now than they were before; negative means they have cooled off. Requires at least 3 recent rounds plus 2 earlier rounds as a baseline, so this ranking only appears once enough of the season has been run. Ties are broken by total season points, then alphabetically.
Average championship points per race over the most recent 3 rounds, minus the average over every earlier round this season. A positive value means a driver is scoring faster right now than they were before; negative means they have cooled off. Requires at least 3 recent rounds plus 2 earlier rounds as a baseline, so this ranking only appears once enough of the season has been run. Ties are broken by total season points, then alphabetically.
After every Grand Prix. The standings above reflect results through the Singapore Grand Prix.
A higher value is better — the driver at the top of the table is the strongest by this measure.
Max Verstappen (Red Bull), with +13.17.