Kimi Antonelli continued his historic season at the Mexican Grand Prix, becoming the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history with another podium finish.
With the young Italian finally putting the inevitable to a close, even with four races remaining on the 23-race 2026 schedule, the attention can now turn toward the other battles on the grid.
Here are three others to watch over the season's final four races.
1. P2 in the drivers’ championship
Early in the season, George Russell seemed to have a strong hold on P2, even challenging Antonelli for P1. However, after several unlucky moments and some tough performances, the British driver has slid back to P4 in the championship.
As it stands, only 16 points separate Max Verstappen in P2 and Charles Leclerc in P5. Lando Norris is only 24 points behind the Monegasque and could join the fight in coming races as well. This could give us a dramatic finish to the drivers’ championship in Abu Dhabi.
2. P3 in the constructors’ championship
The battle largely lies between Red Bull and McLaren, and both teams have had rather bumpy seasons with lots of inconsistencies. As of late, Red Bull have seen a resurgence, with Max Verstappen finding himself at the top of the podium three times in four races.
However, both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are capable of finishing on the podium at certain tracks. McLaren are due to bring an aerodynamic package inspired by their 2027 designs, so they could really begin to reap the benefits soon.
3. Audi vs. Haas
Audi’s performance this season has been rather impressive given the fact that this is their first official season in Formula 1, after having spent years building the project. Both Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto have put in many good performances.
At the moment, they are fighting with Haas for P7 in the constructors’ championship, which sees about a $10 million difference in prize money. With Oliver Bearman carrying the load for the American team this season, the team have the opportunity to try out Rafael Camara and Ryo Hirakawa as Esteban Ocon's replacements to close out the year.
Nevertheless, even though Mercedes will sweep both championships this season, there are plenty of battles to watch up and down the grid during the final four races of 2026.
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