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F1STAT: Mercedes domination replaces McLaren supremacy in all-new technical era Comparing the opening stages of the 2026 Formula 1 season with those of 2025 is far from straightforward. The two campaigns have featured different calendars, with the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix cancelled this year due to the conflict in the region, while Imola also disappeared from the schedule after its contract expired. However, by comparing the first 11 races of the 2026 season with the same number of comparable Grands Prix from last year, one thing becomes immediately clear: the balance of power at the front of the field has changed dramatically. While McLaren dominated the corresponding period in 2025, Mercedes has emerged as the clear benchmark during the opening phase of the new 2026 technical era. McLaren dominated the opening stages in 2025At this point last year, McLaren was virtually untouchable. The team won nine of the first 11 comparable Grands Prix, establishing itself as the dominant force during the final season of the previous aerodynamic and power unit regulations. Lando Norris was responsible for five of those victories, while his teammate Oscar Piastri added another four. Only two races escaped McLaren's grasp. At the Japanese Grand Prix, four-time World Champion Max Verstappen produced a typically clinical performance for Red Bull Racing to take victory at Suzuka. Then, in Canada, Mercedes' George Russell ended McLaren's remarkable winning streak by triumphing in Montreal. The result was a season-opening run in which McLaren established a level of dominance that few could challenge. Mercedes takes control in 2026The picture could hardly be more different this year. Mercedes has won eight of the opening 11 Grands Prix, making the German manufacturer the dominant team of the new regulatory era so far. George Russell got the campaign off to a perfect start by winning the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. However, after securing his second victory of the season in Austria, the spotlight shifted decisively towards his young teammate. Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been the standout driver of the opening phase of 2026. The Italian won five consecutive races in China, Japan, Miami, Canada and Monaco, establishing an extraordinary run of form and demonstrating the pace and consistency of both himself and the Mercedes package. Antonelli's six victories from the opening 11 races account for the vast majority of Mercedes' success, while Russell has added two wins of his own. The numbers underline just how different the competitive order has become. McLaren won nine of the first 11 comparable races in 2025. Mercedes has won eight of the first 11 in 2026. Ferrari provides three interruptionsThere have been three occasions when Mercedes has been beaten this season, and each victory has come from a different driver. At the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton secured his 106th Formula 1 victory, taking his maiden win for Ferrari and adding another significant milestone to his extraordinary career. Ferrari then celebrated again at the British Grand Prix, where Charles Leclerc converted the Scuderia's pace into victory. Finally, McLaren returned to the top step of the podium at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with reigning World Champion Lando Norris triumphing at the Hungaroring. Norris' victory was particularly significant because it came at a circuit where he had already won the previous year. Only one repeat winnerPerhaps the most interesting statistic to emerge from the comparison is that only one of the winners from the corresponding races in 2025 managed to repeat that success in 2026. That driver was Norris. The McLaren driver won the Hungarian Grand Prix in both seasons, making him the only driver to successfully defend a victory from last year's corresponding race. Every other comparable Grand Prix produced a different winner this year.