Formula 1 is on the brink of one of the most dramatic technical revolutions in its history. From the 2026 season onwards, the sport will enter a brand-new regulatory era in which power units will be split evenly between electric energy and internal combustion. With a 50/50 power balance, redesigned aerodynamics, and the removal of DRS, the next chapter promises to reshape the competitive order.
As the paddock prepares for this change, now is the perfect time to reflect on the turbo-hybrid era that began in 2014 and is now coming to an end. When the numbers are laid out, one conclusion stands above all others: Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have dominated Formula 1 in a way rarely seen before.
A New Technical Era for Formula 1
The 2026 regulations represent a decisive step in the FIA’s long-term vision towards electrification. Although Formula 1 will not abandon combustion engines entirely, the balance of power will be unparalleled, with electric energy accounting for half of the total output. Alongside this, the cars themselves will be redesigned to place greater emphasis on efficiency and sustainable performance.
Such sweeping changes often reset the competitive landscape. Previous regulatory changes have enabled new teams and drivers to emerge, while others have struggled to adapt. This uncertainty is part of what makes 2026 so fascinating, but it also highlights the achievements of the current era even more sharply.
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Verstappen and Hamilton have dominated the turbo-hybrid era
Since the introduction of turbo-hybrid engines in 2014, Formula 1 has largely belonged to two drivers: Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have won 10 of the 12 world championships on offer between them. Hamilton claimed six titles during Mercedes’ era of dominance, while Verstappen secured four as the balance of power shifted towards Red Bull.
Only two drivers have managed to interrupt their stranglehold: Nico Rosberg famously beat Hamilton in 2016, while Lando Norris broke through in 2025. Aside from these exceptions, the championship narrative has revolved almost exclusively around Hamilton and Verstappen.
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The Numbers Behind the Dominance
The statistics underline just how extraordinary their performances have been. Since 2014, Hamilton has amassed an impressive 3,916.5 points, placing him at the top of the cumulative points table, despite a dip in results from 2022 onwards. Verstappen follows with an impressive 3,444.5 points, an even more remarkable achievement given that he only made his Formula 1 debut in 2015 and joined Red Bull’s senior team in 2016.
The gap to the rest of the field is staggering. Valtteri Bottas, third on the list, has accumulated 1,793 points — over 2,000 fewer than his former Mercedes teammate, Hamilton. This illustrates just how much the turbo-hybrid era has been shaped by these two exceptional drivers.
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Can 2026 change the order?
With new rules come new opportunities. The 2026 regulations could shake up the established order and create opportunities for new challengers. However, history shows that exceptional drivers tend to adapt regardless of the machinery beneath them.
As Formula 1 prepares to turn the page, the turbo-hybrid era will be remembered as a time defined by the relentless excellence of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Whether the next era will deliver a similar rivalry — or something entirely different — is one of the sport’s biggest questions.
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Top 10 cumulative points scored since 2014
1) Lewis Hamilton – 3,916.5
2) Max Verstappen – 3,444.5
3) Valtteri Bottas – 1,793
4) Charles Leclerc – 1672
5) Sebastian Vettel – 1,647
6) Sergio Perez – 1,509
7) Lando Norris – 1,430
8) Carlos Sainz – 1,336.5
9) Daniel Ricciardo – 1,299
10) George Russell – 1033
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NEXT ARTICLE – Red Bull push back at Audi ‘cheating’ accusations
The FIA have hastily arranged a meeting of the Formula One powertrain manufacturers for Thursday January 22nd. This follows complaints formally made to the sport’s governing body that Red Bull and Mercedes may have designed their power units with clever heat expanding components.
Within the all new 2026 technical regulations there is a requirement that each power unit’s internal combustion engine must have a compression ratio which does not exceed 16.1, however suspicions have surfaced that Red Bull and Mercedes are delivering a higher rate due to components which expand when hot.
The FIA’s test for the rate of compression is delivered with the car stationary and at ambient temperature which of course would not account for any changes in the compression rate when the car is operating at extreme temperatures when on track.
Audi demand FIA action
Audi’s technical director, James Key – speaking at the Autosport business forum in London, has insisted his team will not accept a compromise which allows Mercedes and Red Bull to continue with their design, although the FIA restated its position regarding the way the compression checks will be performed.
“We have to, as we do, trust the FIA with making the right decisions here,” he said at the Audi team’s launch this week. “It’s new regs. You’ve got to have a level playing field. If someone came up with a clever diffuser and you said it’s not the right thing to do, no one else can have it, but you can have it for the rest of the year. It doesn’t make sense. We’d never accept that.”
Key’s reference to the double diffuser relates back to the F1 2009 season when Williams, Brawn and Toyota arrived pre-season with a clever double diffuser which exploited a grey area in the FIA’s chassis specifications.
This created a furore in the paddock with McLaren and Ferrari arguing to continue to allow the double diffuser was a politically motivated decision to hurt the chances of the Scuderia and the Woking based McLaren team. Yet the double diffuser remained and Adrian Newey at Red Bull set about designing a version of the double diffuser which saw the team roar back into contention later…CONTINUE THIS STORY
Thiago Treze is a Brazilian motorsport writer at TJ13 with a background in sports journalism and broadcast media, alongside an academic foundation in engineering with a focus on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). This combination of technical knowledge and editorial experience allows Thiago to approach Formula 1 from both a performance and narrative perspective.
At TJ13, Treze covers driver performance, career developments, and key storylines across the Formula 1 grid, while also analysing the technical factors that influence competitiveness. This includes aerodynamic development trends, simulation-driven design approaches, and the engineering decisions that shape race weekend outcomes.
His reporting bridges the gap between human performance and machine development, helping readers understand how driver execution and technical innovation interact in modern Formula 1. Coverage often connects on-track events with the underlying engineering philosophies that define each team’s approach.
With a global perspective shaped by both journalism and technical study, Thiago also focuses on Formula 1’s international reach and the different ways the sport is experienced across regions.
Treze has a particular interest in how Computational Fluid Dynamics and aerodynamic modelling contribute to car performance, offering accessible explanations of complex technical concepts within Formula 1.
