Corey Heim

The part-time 23XI Racing driver continues to make history in just a handful of starts this year. Just over a month after a shock win in San Diego, Corey Heim won a NASCAR crown jewel, passing his boss, Denny Hamlin, and conquering the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. He is the youngest winner of that race since 1994, the first part-timer to win multiple Cup races in the same season since 1987, and he's now the quickest to reach two career wins since A.J. Foyt did it in his first 14 starts in 1965.

Joey Logano

Many people had written off Joey Logano’s 2026 season before the month of July, but the three-time Cup champion reminded us all why you should never underestimate him. He came out of nowhere to earn one of the most dominant wins of his Cup career, leading 323 of 450 laps at North Wilkesboro. He was below the Chase cutline before that North Wilkesboro victory, but in just two races, he has gone from sitting in the red to65 points above the cutline.

Christopher Bell

It’s shocking that Christopher Bell has yet to win a race during the 2026 season, but in July, he was by far the most consistent. He scored three runner-up finishes in four July races and was just a few car lengths away from each race win. He is now within 30 points of fifth in the championship, even while sitting tenth, making huge gains on the drivers directly ahead of him.

Todd Gilliland

Todd Gilliland was the true underdog story of the month. The Front Row Motorsports driver marched his way through the In-Season Challenge as the No. 25 seed, earning the $1 million prize while defeating champions like Chase Elliott in the semi-finals and ultimately, Ryan Blaney. This challenge will have no impact on the championship, of course, but it’s still a big ‘win’ for a little team.

Alex Palou

While a result of fifth at Mid-Ohio was far from his usual stellar antics, Alex Palou delivered victory in Nashville by fending off oval maestro Josef Newgarden and left Team Penske finishing 2-3-4. Additionally, the win helped extend his championship lead by 27 more points, with the reigning and four-time IndyCar titlist now holding an 83-point advantage over David Malukas (457-374).

David Malukas

David Malukas reclaimed second in the championship standings from rival Kyle Kirkwood after scoring finishes of eighth (Mid-Ohio) and third (Nashville). The latter of the two races became a remarkable feat considering the Team Penske pilot started last (25th) after a crash in opening practice sent him to the hospital and forced him to miss qualifying.

Pato O’Ward

There was plenty of talk about Pato O’Ward not winning or even scoring a podium entering the month of July, but he put that chatter to bed with a forceful win over Arrow McLaren teammate Christian Lundgaard at Mid-Ohio. Between his first win of the season and a seventh in Nashville, the Mexican holds a firm fifth in the overall standings, 17 points behind Lundgaard for fourth (353-336).

Rinus VeeKay

Rinus VeeKay was right at the sharp end of the grid throughout the month, converting a Fast Six qualifying outing into a fourth-place finish at Mid-Ohio - the best road course result for Juncos Hollinger Racing since 2024 (Romain Grosjean at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca). The Dutchman was also hovering near the front in Nashville until an untimely caution left him settling for 12th.

Kevin Magnussen

The Dane’s charging opening stint from fourth on the grid, including an aggressive pass on Earl Bamber’s Cadillac, played a decisive role in BMW’s victory at Sao Paulo. The result followed four years after Magnussen claimed Haas’ first and only pole position in F1 so far.

Alessandro Pier Guidi

Ferrari appeared set for a tough day in Brazil, until Pier Guidi guided a car that qualified outside the top 10 into podium contention. At one point, he closed the gap to the winning BMW to just two seconds.

Tom Dillmann

After taking the reins from co-driver Jeremy Clarke, who qualified the #43 ORECA 07 Gibson for Inter Europol Competition on pole, the Frenchman throttled to a staggering 9.796s victory in IMSA’s LMP2 headliner at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. It was redemption for Dillmann, who suffered a broken back after crashing out from the lead on the final lap at the same track a year ago.

Ben Barnicoat / Jack Hawksworth

After starting sixth in the #14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3, the duo utilized a short-fill to gain track position and lead 78 laps en route to a GTD Pro class victory at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. It was the team’s 18th IMSA class win, but first-ever at the challenging circuit commonly known as Mosport.

Marc Marquez

Pole position, sprint win and grand prix: Marc Marquez completed a clean sweep at the Sachsenring to head into the summer break as the title favourite.

Ai Ogura

While factory Aprilia riders continue to give away points, Ai Ogura has further cemented his position as one of the series’ best performers.

Raul Fernandez

Despite a ‘compression shock’ leaving him with back troubles, Raul Fernandez bagged yet another big haul of points with a podium in Germany.

Fabio Quartararo

Qualified his Yamaha on the second row of the grid again and masked M1’s weaknesses to grab a double top 10 result.

Charles Leclerc

After a difficult spell in late spring, Charles Leclerc has rediscovered his best form. A setup breakthrough in Austria helped him regain the upper hand over Lewis Hamilton, before he followed it up with victory at Silverstone to silence those who had begun writing him off.

Lando Norris

Lando Norris has been McLaren's standout driver throughout the 2026 season, consistently getting the better of Oscar Piastri. The team's major Hungary upgrade finally gave him the car to match his form, as he claimed pole position and his first victory as reigning world champion - perhaps the start of a charge towards the drivers ahead.

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen has made no secret of his frustration with Red Bull's 2026 car, but he continues to extract remarkable results from it. Despite still lacking the package to fight for wins, he has delivered back-to-back podiums - proof that his relentless standards haven't changed, even if victory remains the only result that will truly satisfy him.

Kimi Antonelli

Kimi Antonelli's biggest strength this season has been consistency. While June and July weren't flawless, a victory at Silverstone and a podium in Hungary extended his championship lead to 50 points, with George Russell increasingly looking like Mercedes' second driver rather than his title rival.

Three-wide battle for Atlanta win

EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta) once again delivered a sensational finish, with Ryan Blaney battling three-wide for the win against Carson Hocevar and Bubba Wallace. The three drivers raced door-to-door through the final set of corners, before a helpful push allowed Blaney to surge ahead right at the finish line. The margin of victory was just 0.068s, even after Wallace was stripped of P2.

Marquez’s Sachsenring domination

Marc Marquez’s double win in Germany provided the clearest indication yet that he can defend his title. On a weekend in which championship rival Marco Bezzecchi suffered a painful shoulder injury, Marquez did everything right to continue his winning run at the Sachsenring.

Dillmann’s redemption

Tom Dillmann returned to the scene of the very track, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, where he broke his back in a final lap crash while leading and took a dramatic victory. It marked his second IMSA victory at CTMP in three years, having also won at the track in 2024.

Verstappen's overtake on Hamilton

It's well known Max Verstappen doesn't need an invitation when he's on the attack - and he proved it once again in Hungary with a stunning move on Lewis Hamilton under braking while the pair were passing Liam Lawson. Hamilton admitted he didn't even expect Verstappen to make a move there.