Maak persbericht

F1 Season 66 Review: Winners

10.09.2026 - Winner: Philippe de Saint-Germain III (1st) - Best When It Mattered

For much of the season, there was little to choose between the leading drivers. In the end, de Saint-Germain was the one who found that little bit extra when it mattered most.

The most impressive part of his season was his qualifying consistency. He took nine pole positions, more than any other driver in the championship fight, and repeatedly put himself in a position to control races.

De Saint-Germain III finished the season on 373 points, 43 clear of Starostachev II, but the final standings do not tell the full story of his championship-winning season.

With six races remaining, the title race was still wide open. De Saint-Germain III led the championship with 236 points, but Vidmar was only five points behind, while Zakrajsek, Starostachev II and Cannon were all within 30 points of the lead.

That was when de Saint-Germain III produced a decisive run.

His final six qualifying results were P4, P1, P2, P1, P1, and P1. This underlined his superb one-lap pace, which he converted into 110 points over the final six races. Two victories and four additional podiums gave him the strongest finish of any title contender, allowing him to turn a close championship into a comfortable 43-point victory.


Winner: Dmitry Starostachev II (2nd) - The Master of Consistency

If de Saint-Germain III won the championship through a spectacular late-season surge, Starostachev II built his campaign on something far less dramatic but equally impressive: consistency.

His 330 points were enough for second place, with perhaps the most telling statistic of his season being the absence of a single zero-point finish, rather than his three pole positions.

His qualifying profile reflected the same trend, as only de Saint-Germain produced a better record on Saturdays. While his rivals experienced dramatic highs and lows, Starostachev's relentless consistency meant he was rarely left with too much to do on race day.

Like de Saint-Germain, he also performed at his best down the final stretch of the season. His final six races yielded 91 points, which was more than enough to secure second place.


Winner: Luka Zakrajsek (3rd) - The "What If" Season

Zakrajsek's season was perhaps the hardest to define and that is exactly what made it so impressive. There were weekends when he looked like a genuine championship contender, and others when he just wasn't at one with the car. It was a campaign defined by fine margins and ultimate "what ifs." While his qualifying form swung dramatically, he was always ready to seize any opportunity that came his way.

This is why his season never quite settled into a comfortable rhythm for him, yet he remained firmly in the championship fight. His six victories matched the tally of champion de Saint-Germain and underlined his race-winning potential, leaving fans wondering what could have been with just a bit more consistency.

Despite taking four pole positions and regularly showing front-row speed, there were plenty of weekends when he found himself starting further back. This forced him to fight his way through the field, a resilient trait that became a defining feature of his campaign.

This is the essence of Zakrajsek's "what if" season in miniature: enormous potential, blistering race pace, and just enough inconsistency to prevent a genuine title assault. Still, six wins, 321 points, and third place in the championship represent an excellent campaign, even if he leaves the paddock with the distinct feeling of unfinished business.


Winner: Remco Raveel (9th) - The Serial Overachiever

Remco Raveel once again proved that he is capable of delivering results well beyond what the machinery underneath him should allow. While Pegaso was far from being one of the strongest cars on the grid, Remco managed to turn it into a race-winning package when it mattered.

The clearest indication of his level came from the other side of the garage. Raveel finished the season with 119 points, while his teammate Jan Bonmati scored just 41. That is not simply a strong intra-team result—it shows just how much of the team's performance was being extracted by Raveel himself.

But what makes his season truly impressive is that he wasn't just scoring points in a midfield car. He actually won a race. In a championship dominated by the leading machinery, he secured a victory in a car that was nowhere near the front on paper. This stands out as the finest individual achievement of the season.

Over the years, Raveel has established himself as one of the drivers who can consistently outperform the equipment available to him. And given how much he has delivered without a truly competitive car, it is hard not to wonder what he could have achieved if he had ever been given one?


After Novikov's dominant performance against his rookie teammate last season, Robert Kubica had every reason to believe he could turn things on their head in Season 66. With a year of experience behind him and Novikov now 40, this looked like the season when the balance inside the Senna garage would finally shift.

But it never quite happened.

Instead, Novikov remained ahead. Although Kubica managed to reduce the gap from 109 points last season to just 6 this year, few expected Novikov to withstand the challenge.

Novikov also produced one of the standout moments of the season with a brilliant victory in Canada. While the outright speed that once made him a four-time champion may no longer be there, his experience and racecraft allow him to remain extremely dangerous when the opportunity presents itself. He knows how to manage a race, recognise an opportunity, and make the most of situations where less experienced drivers might struggle.

That is what makes his sixth place such a strong result. After everything he has already achieved, Novikov is no longer expected to dominate every weekend. But Season 66 proved that the veteran simply cannot be written off. He didn't just hold his ground against a younger and faster teammate — he went out and secured a race victory, a milestone Kubica failed to reach. That ability to deliver on the biggest stage is precisely what makes him a winner.