Round 3 of the 2026 season reshaped the early championship picture at Suzuka Circuit. Andrea Kimi Antonelli now heads a Mercedes 1–2 at the top, while several ranking tables saw sharp jumps and drops after Japan.
By Julian Reyes
The 2026 Japanese Grand Prix weekend at Suzuka Circuit (Suzuka, Japan) delivered a decisive early-season standings reset in Measure’s championship view, with Mercedes emerging from round 3 holding both P1 and P2 in the points.
Antonelli’s season line now reads P2 in Australia, then P1 in China (with points including sprint), and P1 again in Japan—enough to flip the lead at the top. Behind that, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton remain key figures in the top five, while McLaren’s Lando Norris holds P5 after three rounds despite a “Did not start” noted in China’s race finish cell.
After Suzuka, Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) leads the 2026 championship on 72 points. George Russell (Mercedes) is second on 63, making it a Mercedes 1–2 at the top after three rounds.
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) is third on 49. The next two in the top five are Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) on 41 and Lando Norris (McLaren) on 25, underscoring a tightly packed fight behind the leading Mercedes pair.
Oscar Piastri (McLaren) was the standout mover across the ranking pages: up 14 to P4 in Teammate head-to-head (race) with a 2–1 record, and up 11 to P9 in Most top-10 finishes with 1.
Elsewhere, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) dropped 8 places to P11 in Most positions lost (value +2), while Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) also fell 8 to P15 in the same ranking (value +3). Sergio Pérez (Cadillac F1 Team) climbed 8 to P11 in Teammate head-to-head (race) at 2–1, and George Russell (Mercedes) slid 8 to P12 in that head-to-head table at 1–2.
Suzuka also triggered fresh talking points across Measure’s other weekend rankings: Antonelli remains central in Best average race finish (1.33), Best qualifying average (1.33), and Most consistent drivers, while Leclerc continues to set the pace in the Power ranking (69.0) ahead of Antonelli (63.7).
For race-craft and recovery narratives, the weekend’s updates include Most overtakes (Hülkenberg leads 23–22 over Verstappen), Most positions gained (Verstappen leads at +17), Points from outside the top 10 (Verstappen remains P1), and Most positions gained on lap one (Alonso leads). Teammate storylines also evolved, with Piastri taking over Teammate head-to-head (qualifying) and Gasly leading Teammate head-to-head (race) at 3–0.
| Driver | Team | Before | After | Δ | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 2 | 1 | +1 | 72 |
| George Russell | Mercedes | 1 | 2 | -1 | 63 |
| Lando Norris | McLaren | 6 | 5 | +1 | 25 |
Three rounds in, the 2026 title fight is already being defined by fine margins between the two Mercedes drivers at the top and a Ferrari pairing close enough to apply pressure if momentum shifts. With multiple Measure rankings highlighting Antonelli’s consistency and pace, and sharp volatility in teammate and positions-lost tables, the next rounds should clarify whether Suzuka was the start of a trend—or just the first major swing of the season.