STA · Lights out & the opening rush
Race StartF1 race start ranking, 2026
The launch and the opening rush: net positions and ground gained or lost by the first sector of lap one. Documented car problems at the start are neutralised — only the driver’s part is scored.
Race Start ranking, 2026
each round on its own, the season against the grid · click a column to sort| Pos | Driver | MEL | SHA | SUZ | MIA | CAN | MON | ESP | AUT | GBR | SPA | HUN | NED | ITA | MAD | BAK | MAL | SIN | SEASON |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SAICarlos Sainz | 9.8 | 8.8 | 8.4 | 9.3 | 7.2 | 7.9 | 9.5 | 8.4 | 9.0 | 8.7 | 8.2 | 7.1 | 8.5 | 8.7 | 7.3 | 10.0 | 9.3 | 9.27 |
| 2 | LAWLiam Lawson | 7.9 | 8.5 | 9.0 | 9.8 | 8.5 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 9.2 | 8.5 | 9.8 | 7.9 | 8.3 | 7.9 | 8.5 | 10.0 | 8.5 | 9.26 |
| 3 | OCOEsteban Ocon | 9.3 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.5 | 8.8 | 9.5 | 7.9 | 8.8 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 9.3 | 7.9 | 9.9 | 8.5 | 9.02 |
| 4 | LECCharles Leclerc | 10.0 | 8.7 | 9.2 | 10.0 | 8.5 | 7.9 | 9.8 | 8.0 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 6.8 | 9.2 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.4 | 6.7 | 8.0 | 8.84 |
| 5 | LINArvid Lindblad | 10.0 | 9.5 | 8.5 | 8.4 | – | 7.9 | 8.5 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.4 | 10.0 | 6.9 | 8.76 |
| 6 | PIAOscar Piastri | – | – | 10.0 | 9.9 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 8.5 | 7.9 | 7.2 | – | 10.0 | 7.6 | 9.2 | 6.6 | 8.8 | – | 7.9 | 8.64 |
| 7 | COLFranco Colapinto | 7.2 | 9.0 | 8.4 | 9.2 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 9.0 | 6.0 | 9.5 | 9.2 | 8.5 | 9.0 | 8.5 | 9.2 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 8.4 | 8.62 |
| 8 | ALBAlexander Albon | 8.5 | – | 7.9 | 9.2 | 7.1 | 7.9 | 8.7 | 8.2 | 7.1 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 8.4 | 8.3 | 8.8 | 8.5 | 10.0 | 8.4 | 8.54 |
| 9 | HADIsack Hadjar | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 8.3 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 8.7 | 8.5 | – | – | – | 7.6 | 9.2 | 8.7 | 7.95 |
| 10 | NORLando Norris | 7.4 | – | 9.3 | 8.7 | 10.0 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 7.5 | 9.0 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 6.8 | 7.9 | 7.86 |
| 11 | PERSergio Perez | 7.2 | 7.7 | 8.2 | 9.0 | 8.2 | 8.8 | 7.8 | 8.2 | 9.0 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.9 | 8.7 | 7.7 | – | 7.5 | 7.85 |
| 12 | HAMLewis Hamilton | 8.5 | 10.0 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 8.8 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 7.4 | 6.7 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 6.7 | 7.9 | 7.78 |
| 13 | ALOFernando Alonso | 9.9 | 8.7 | 8.3 | 7.2 | 9.2 | 8.7 | 7.7 | 8.3 | 7.0 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 7.9 | 7.0 | 7.1 | 8.7 | 7.2 | 7.0 | 7.76 |
| 14 | STRLance Stroll | 8.3 | 7.7 | 8.3 | 8.7 | 7.7 | 8.3 | 7.7 | 8.3 | 8.7 | 7.1 | 8.3 | 8.7 | 7.1 | 8.7 | 7.7 | – | 7.0 | 7.75 |
| 15 | ANTKimi Antonelli | 6.7 | 7.4 | 6.0 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 9.4 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.6 | 8.5 | 8.8 | 9.2 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 10.0 | 8.0 | 7.62 |
| 16 | RUSGeorge Russell | 7.4 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.9 | 7.0 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 8.0 | – | 7.9 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 9.1 | 10.0 | 9.2 | 7.56 |
| 17 | GASPierre Gasly | 9.3 | 7.4 | 7.9 | 7.2 | 7.9 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 8.4 | 7.2 | 8.5 | 9.2 | 7.7 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 6.6 | 7.2 | 7.54 |
| 18 | BEAOliver Bearman | 6.7 | 9.8 | 8.7 | 7.3 | 8.4 | 8.2 | 7.9 | 7.3 | 7.0 | 8.5 | 8.4 | 8.2 | 9.2 | 7.7 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 7.53 |
| 19 | TSUYuki Tsunoda | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8.5 | 7.9 | 7.2 | – | – | – | 7.47 |
| 20 | VERMax Verstappen | 8.2 | 6.0 | 8.5 | 6.7 | 7.9 | – | 7.9 | 7.9 | 8.5 | 7.4 | 8.7 | – | 7.9 | 7.9 | 8.5 | 7.0 | 7.9 | 7.28 |
| 21 | HULNico Hulkenberg | – | 6.6 | 6.9 | 6.0 | 7.5 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.1 | 6.9 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.3 | 7.5 | 9.2 | – | 9.2 | 6.88 |
| 22 | BOTValtteri Bottas | 8.7 | 8.7 | 6.5 | 6.7 | 8.3 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 8.3 | 6.7 | 7.1 | 8.3 | 7.7 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.3 | 6.83 |
| 23 | BORGabriel Bortoleto | 7.2 | – | 6.7 | 8.3 | 7.9 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 8.5 | 7.9 | 7.2 | 7.9 | 6.0 | 7.5 | 7.2 | 7.5 | – | 7.2 | 6.42 |
A race grade rates one afternoon; a season grade rates a driver across the year against the rest of the grid. They answer different questions, so the season figure is not the row added up. – = not classified that race, never counted towards the season.
The spread
every race grade, driver by driverRace-by-race distribution
dot = one race · diamond = season averageAcross the season
toggle driversBest single-race performances
top 10 driver-race gradesHow the grid reads on Race Start in 2026
This season, Carlos Sainz leads Race Start: 9.27 against the grid, across 17 rated races. The single best Race Start performance of the year belongs to Charles Leclerc — 10.0 at the MEL.
At the top. Carlos Sainz leads Race Start on 9.27, level with Liam Lawson on 9.26. 23 drivers have enough running to be rated, and the field runs from 9.27 down to 6.42 — a spread of 2.86 of a grade point.
The speciality. Franco Colapinto is P7 on Race Start but only P22 on The Index overall — 15 places better here than at everything else put together.
The soft spot. Max Verstappen runs the other way: P1 on The Index but only P20 here, 19 places worse.
Same car, same measure. The tightest team-mate pair on the grid is Aston Martin — Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll separated by just 0.01. The widest is Haas F1 Team, where Esteban Ocon is 1.49 ahead of Oliver Bearman.
What this number is not. Race Start is one of nine independent measures, and a driver can lead it while sitting mid-table overall. It is a rating against the rest of the grid this season, not against history.