Hamilton stands alone with perfect points record through 11 races

Lewis Hamilton has built the most reliable foundation in Formula 1 this season. Eleven races into 2026, the Ferrari driver is the only man on the grid to score points in every grand prix, a run of consistency that leaves him second in the championship on 169 points, 50 behind leader Kimi Antonelli.

Why it matters:

While Mercedes has often set the pace this year, Hamilton's bulletproof reliability has kept him within striking distance of an eighth world title. Championship leader Antonelli already has a DNF on his record, and George Russell in third has also endured a scoreless weekend, making Hamilton's worst finishes of sixth—in Japan and Miami—increasingly valuable as the title fight intensifies.

The details:

• Hamilton's season features a victory in Barcelona and podiums in China, Canada, Monaco and Silverstone, with his SF-26 never finishing outside the top six.
• Costly penalties: A five-second penalty for a first-lap clash with Russell at Spa denied him a podium, dropping him to fourth. In Hungary, a pit-lane speeding penalty under the Virtual Safety Car demoted him from fourth to fifth, while a three-place grid penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri compounded the damage.
• The gap: Without those sanctions, Hamilton's deficit to Antonelli would be far less daunting, underscoring how fine the margins are at the front.

What's next:

Hamilton has stressed the importance of extracting every possible point from each weekend, but consistency alone won't win the title. Ferrari must close the development gap to Mercedes over the remaining rounds to give him a car capable of regular victories. If the Scuderia can deliver, Hamilton's perfect scoring record suggests he won't waste the opportunity.