If you think winning the Formula One Drivers Championship is just about having the fastest car and holding a steering wheel, you’ve basically been watching a different sport. Honestly, it’s closer to a high-stakes chess match played at 200 mph while wearing a fireproof suit. People love to argue that it’s "all the car," but tell that to Sergio Pérez, who watched his teammate Max Verstappen secure a fourth consecutive title in 2024 while he struggled to stay on the podium.
The 2025 season just wrapped up, and it was a complete mess in the best way possible. Lando Norris finally did it. He snatched the Formula One Drivers Championship away from Verstappen by a mere two points—423 to 421. It came down to the wire in Abu Dhabi, a season-long slugfest that proved McLaren is officially the new benchmark. But as we stare down the 2026 season, everything we think we know about how these titles are won is about to get nuked by new regulations.
Why the Points Table Doesn't Tell the Whole Story
Most fans look at the standings and see a ladder. 25 points for a win, 18 for second, and so on. But winning a Formula One Drivers Championship requires a level of psychological warfare that the points system can’t capture.
Take Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 debut with Ferrari. It was, frankly, a bit of a nightmare. He finished 6th in the standings with 156 points, while his teammate Charles Leclerc hauled in 242. If you just look at the numbers, you’d say Hamilton is "washed." But look closer. He was fighting a car (the SF-25) that didn't suit his braking style, and he was clashing with his race engineer, Riccardo Adami, nearly every Sunday. Ferrari has already replaced Adami for 2026 because they know the "human" element is why they lost out on a better championship position.
The math is simple; the execution is impossible.
Ten drivers score.
One gets the glory.
The current scoring system, which has been the standard since 2010, rewards consistency over "checkers or wreckers" aggression. In the old days—think the 1980s—drivers could actually drop their worst results. Now, every single DNF (Did Not Finish) is a catastrophic blow to a Formula One Drivers Championship campaign. One engine blowout in Singapore can effectively end a season’s hopes, no matter how many poles you've tucked away.
The 2026 Reset: New Rules, New King?
We are currently sitting on the precipice of the biggest technical shift in a generation. 2026 isn't just another year; it’s a total overhaul of the engines and aerodynamics. If you want to understand the Formula One Drivers Championship, you have to understand that the hierarchy is about to be shuffled like a deck of cards.
The Power Unit Gamble
The 2026 cars are moving to a 50/50 split between internal combustion and electric power. This sounds like a snooze-fest until you realize drivers will have to manually manage "Manual Override" modes to boost speed on straights. It’s adding a layer of "gaming" to the physical act of driving.
- Red Bull Ford: They are building their own engine for the first time. It’s a massive risk. Max Verstappen has even changed his permanent race number from #1 back to #3 for 2026 (with Daniel Ricciardo's blessing), perhaps seeking a fresh start after losing his crown to Norris.
- Audi's Arrival: The Sauber team is becoming Audi. They’ve brought in Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto. No one expects them to win the Formula One Drivers Championship in year one, but they could play spoiler.
- The McLaren Target: Lando Norris is entering 2026 as the hunted. History shows that defending a title is often harder than winning the first one. Just ask Jacques Villeneuve or Nico Rosberg.
What Most People Get Wrong About "The Best"
There’s this obsession with the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) debate. Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton both have seven titles. Juan Manuel Fangio has five. Max Verstappen has four.
But titles don't always equal talent.
Stirling Moss is widely considered one of the greatest drivers to ever live, yet he never won a Formula One Drivers Championship. Conversely, some drivers have "lucked" into a title by being in a dominant car while their teammate had a string of bad luck.
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To win, you need the "Trinity":
- A car that doesn't explode.
- A strategy team that doesn't panic under a Safety Car.
- The ability to drive a car that is "pointy" (oversteering) at the limit for two hours without hitting a wall.
Survival of the Most Consistent
If you want to track the Formula One Drivers Championship like a pro, stop watching the winner. Watch the guy in P4.
The 2025 season was won by Lando Norris not just because he won races, but because he stopped making those "silly" mistakes from his early years. He finished every single race. Max Verstappen, despite his brilliance, had moments where the Red Bull's handling fell off a cliff, and he had to settle for P5 or P6. In a tight title race, a "bad" day being a P5 instead of a DNF is exactly how championships are decided.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're looking to follow the title race this year, keep these factors in your notebook:
- Track Temperature: Some cars (like the recent Ferraris) "eat" their tires when the track gets above 40°C. If a championship contender struggles in the heat, the mid-season European leg will be their graveyard.
- The Second Driver Factor: Can Oscar Piastri take points away from Max Verstappen to help Lando? If a teammate is too slow, the lead driver is left 1-on-2 against a rival team’s strategy.
- Update Cycles: Teams usually bring big upgrades to Spain or Silverstone. If a team misses the mark there, the Formula One Drivers Championship is effectively over for them by July.
The 2026 season officially kicks off in Melbourne on March 6. With a revamped steering wheel interface designed by Hamilton and Leclerc to handle the new power systems, the physical workload is going up. The driver who adapts to the "energy management" game fastest will likely be the one lifting the trophy in Abu Dhabi.
Keep an eye on the telemetry. The numbers don't lie, but they also don't tell you how much a driver's heart rate spikes when they see a McLaren in their mirrors.
Next Steps for Your F1 Tracking:
- Audit the 2026 Entry List: Familiarize yourself with the new driver pairings, especially the "Cadillac" entry (formerly the Andretti-linked project) featuring Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas.
- Monitor Pre-Season Testing: Watch the "long run" paces in Barcelona. Qualifying laps are for show; consistent 15-lap stints are where the Formula One Drivers Championship is actually won.
- Study the Active Aero Rules: Read up on how the "X-mode" and "Z-mode" wing adjustments will work, as these will be the primary overtaking tools replacing the old DRS system.