Max Verstappen remains 'F1 king' as former teammate Carlos Sainz suffers sharp fall in 2026 driver ratings

Max Verstappen once again tops the driver ratings for Codemasters' upcoming F1 2026 game, scoring 95 out of 99. The ratings, which measure Experience, Racecraft, Awareness, and Pace, reflect a mix of established stars and rising talent. Notably, Carlos Sainz has suffered the biggest overall decline, falling four points to 86 despite a strong season with Williams.

Why it matters:

Driver ratings in official F1 games have become a benchmark for perception of driver skill, influencing fan discussions and even sponsor narratives. Verstappen's continued dominance and Sainz's drop highlight how quickly fortunes can shift in the sport, with the latter's fall coming despite his first two regular-season podiums for Williams since 2017. Meanwhile, the surge of rookies like Kimi Antonelli—who leads the real-world 2026 championship—shows how on-track performance directly translates into virtual ratings.

The details:

• Top of the table: Max Verstappen leads with 95, followed by Lando Norris and George Russell (+3 each), Oscar Piastri (+4), and Charles Leclerc (+1). The gains for Norris, Russell, and Piastri moved them ahead of Leclerc in the overall order.
• Biggest faller: Carlos Sainz dropped four points to 86, the largest decline among established drivers. Despite a solid first season at Williams, his rating slipped in areas like Pace and Racecraft.
• Rookie surges: Isack Hadjar gained 15 points to reach 83, the highest increase of any driver. Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, winner of four consecutive grands prix and championship leader, jumped 11 points to 83 as well. Codemasters used a full season of real-life data from 2025 to recalibrate ratings for the class of 2025 rookies.
• Game format change: For the first time since 2009, a dedicated F1 game is not being released; instead, the 2026 season will be an add-on to the existing F1 2025 game, featuring all-new cars, teams (Audi, Cadillac), and the Madring circuit.

What's next:

With Antonelli leading the real championship by 43 points, a mid-season rating update is expected to reflect his performance. The virtual ratings serve as a snapshot of driver form heading into the second half of 2026, and further shifts could come as the season progresses.