Formula 1 standings update: Hamilton pulls ahead, Verstappen chases down Bottas!

As we head into the summer break, here is how both the drivers' and the constructors' championship standings are shaping up, with 12 out of the 21 Grands Prix in the books!

Although the points total is ultimately what matters most in Formula 1, it sometimes doesn't tell the whole story. A good example is at the bottom of the standings with Williams teammates Robert Kubica and George Russell. The former leads his teammate with one point to nil, but the British rookie has simply been the way better driver in the season as a whole. Kubica did however score a point after moving up two places post-race from P12 to P10, with two cars ahead of him being disqualified for having an illegal clutch mapping.

At the top, however, the story is quite fairly portrayed. Mercedes are by far the best team this season, although Lewis Hamilton has been the better driver within the team. After an incredible start to the season, Valtteri Bottas' form and confidence have both dipped. His early-season brilliance is keeping him ahead of in-form Max Verstappen, who has won two of the last four races.

Staying with Red Bull Racing; the disparity between Verstappen and teammate Pierre Gasly is becoming rather painful. The Dutchman has 118 points more and even lapped Gasly during the Austrian Grand Prix on his way to his first victory of the season. The Frenchman is just five points ahead of Carlos Sainz, who has been one of the best drivers on the grid this season with consecutive P5-finishes for McLaren.