Mercedes lead both championships after three rounds of the 2026 season, and have won every race thus far courtesy of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. The Italian is the youngest man in history to lead the Drivers\u2019 Championship, as the Silver Arrows \u2013 for the moment \u2013 remain the team to beat. But can they keep their nose in front as the development race hots up?<\/p>\n
How has the 2026 season gone so far?<\/p>\n
After dominating the turbo-hybrid era, Mercedes<\/a> struggled in the ground effect era of racing that lasted from 2022 to 2025, managing no titles and just a handful of wins. But in these new regulations, the Silver Arrows are off to a flying start.<\/p>\n Many expected them to be strong, with the power unit set to play such a crucial part in determining the pecking order. And so it has proved, with the Mercedes PU the pick of the bunch.<\/p>\n The team had a few wobbles in pre-season testing on the reliability front, but since Melbourne they have been unstoppable. Russell<\/a> won the first race of the year and then the first Sprint, while Antonelli<\/a> tasted victory for the first time in Shanghai, before going back-to-back with a win at Suzuka.<\/p>\n They have also grabbed every pole on offer, with their drivers again splitting the four opportunities to start from P1 at two apiece.<\/p>\n The only real blot on their copybook was Antonelli\u2019s crash in FP3<\/a> at Albert Park, but he bounced back from that admirably to qualify second just hours later, and then finish in P2 in the Grand Prix.<\/p>\n All of that leaves the team with a healthy lead in the Teams\u2019 Championship<\/a>, and Antonelli nine points ahead of his team mate in the Drivers\u2019.<\/a><\/p>\n Reasons to be hopeful<\/p>\n Mercedes could not really have hoped for better \u2013 Russell was off the podium in Japan, but apart from that it has all been going to plan for the Silver Arrows. They have two drivers who are performing well, both over one lap and during the race.<\/p>\n The way Antonelli has stepped up in his second season in F1 is also a big positive, with the teenager really carrying some self-belief to each and every race \u2013 something that will only increase if he continues to win.<\/p>\n Their engine is the best on show at the moment, and Mercedes seem to have a better understanding of it than any of their customer teams including McLaren<\/a>, giving them an edge over the current World Champions.<\/p>\n They might have lost a few key staff members over the past few years, but with Toto Wolff at the helm, Andrew Shovlin in situ and Pete \u2018Bono\u2019 Bonnington steering Antonelli in the right direction, Mercedes still have plenty of experience where it matters.<\/p>\n Reasons to be cautious<\/p>\n Reliability has been good, but not perfect for Mercedes \u2013 Russell suffered some issues when Qualifying in China, and Antonelli also ran into problems in the race.<\/p>\n Antonelli\u2019s crash in Australia also showed how on edge these cars can be, and how easy it is to get it wrong \u2013 something that will be less forgiving at some circuits.<\/p>\n Then of course there is the small matter of the intra-team battle that is brewing. Russell came into this season as the favourite, now into his eighth year in the sport. But Antonelli has already shown himself to be a match for his team mate, and not yet overawed by the fact they seem to be fighting for the Championship.<\/p>\n Wolff will remember 2016, and the sometimes bitter fight between Lewis Hamilton<\/a> and Nico Rosberg, and will be keen to oversee something more akin to last year\u2019s battle between Lando Norris<\/a> and Oscar Piastri<\/a> \u2013 which most agreed was tough but fair.<\/p>\n