Why it’s so hard to tell who’s actually good in F1 2026

Formula 1 has tipped the balance too far in favour of the machinery in 2026.I’ve long pushed back against such claims, for motorsport has always been about the synthesis of man and machine, but the erosion of the human contribution has been profound under the current regulations.My position has changed primarily as a consequence of compiling The Race’s driver rankings after every grand prix. In one form or another, I’ve done this for the majority of races stretching back to the start of 2009, a sample of more than 250 grands prix spent closely scrutinising every single driver from front to back of the field. It has never been more difficult to extract a clear signal of the person behind the wheel’s contribution than it has been this year – and the shift is significant.Some of this will be due to …