F1 Pundits Make Their 2026 Season Predictions: Titles, Winners, and Bold Calls

Ahead of the 2026 season opener in Melbourne, the Sky Sports F1 punditry team has cast their votes, with George Russell emerging as the overwhelming favorite for the Drivers' Championship. However, predictions for the Constructors' title and race winners reveal a season expected to be wide open under the new technical regulations, with bold calls ranging from a Haas podium to a rookie title challenge.

Why it matters:

The collective insight from experienced observers provides a calibrated snapshot of pre-season expectations in a year of significant regulatory change. Their predictions highlight which teams and drivers are perceived to have adapted best during testing, while also underscoring the anticipated volatility and learning curve that could lead to surprise results, especially in the early races.

The details:

• Championship Favorites: Seven of the seven Sky Sports pundits polled—including Martin Brundle, David Croft, and Karun Chandhok—predicted George Russell will win the 2026 Drivers' Championship, citing his preparation and Mercedes's consistent pace.
• Constructors' Divide: Predictions for the team title were split, with votes for McLaren (Brundle, Croft, Chandhok), Mercedes (Simon Lazenby, Rachel Brookes), and Ferrari (Natalie Pinkham). Anthony Davidson called the top four "incredibly tight."
• Race Winners: The panel expects more winners than in 2025, with estimates ranging from five to ten different drivers standing on the top step. Croft and Pinkham predicted eight, while Brookes went as high as ten, citing the variable energy management demands at different circuits.
• Australian GP Podium: Predictions for the first race varied widely, though Russell featured in six of the seven proposed top-threes. Other popular picks included Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and Charles Leclerc.

The big picture:

The consensus around Russell suggests Mercedes is seen as having nailed the launch of the new era, providing a stable platform for a title bid. The split over the Constructors' crown and the high number of predicted race winners reflects a belief that performance will be closely matched and highly circuit-dependent, with driver skill and team strategy playing enormous roles. The new Cadillac team is broadly expected to score points, but likely through attrition or anomalous conditions rather than pure pace.

Bold predictions & what's next:

The panel's most audacious calls for 2026 include:

• Haas scoring its first-ever podium (Karun Chandhok).
• Isack Hadjar winning a race (Simon Lazenby) or securing a podium in the first half of the season (Natalie Pinkham).
• Kimi Antonelli winning the World Championship (Anthony Davidson).
• Oliver Bearman scoring a podium for Haas (David Croft).

All talk and speculation culminates this weekend at the Australian Grand Prix, where the true competitive order will begin to reveal itself. As Davidson noted, Melbourne represents the "step into the unknown," setting the stage for a season poised for unpredictability.