Hinchcliffe predicts Racing Bulls podium: 'It wouldn't surprise me'

Former IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe has backed Racing Bulls to score a podium before the end of the 2026 season. The Faenza squad enters the summer break fifth in the constructors' standings, leading the midfield charge with a narrow advantage over Alpine. Hinchcliffe believes both Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad are operating at a level high enough to capitalize if a front-runner stumbles.

Why it matters:

A podium would confirm Racing Bulls' transformation from lower-midfield runner to genuine threat behind the top four. Alpine currently stands as the only team outside the elite bracket to reach the rostrum this year after Pierre Gasly's Monaco result, so a Racing Bulls breakthrough would reshuffle the midfield order and validate the team's steep development curve.

The details:

• Racing Bulls leads the midfield battle by five points over Alpine, consistently placing both cars inside the top 10.
• Despite this consistency, Alpine holds the distinction as the sole 'best of the rest' squad to secure a podium in 2026, courtesy of Gasly's Monaco third place.
• Hinchcliffe cited the team's rapid progress and the strong form of Lawson and Lindblad as reasons the prediction is realistic.
• He pointed to Isack Hadjar's surprise podium for the Faenza outfit last season as proof that opportunity knocks when circumstances align.
• The Canadian highlighted a rain-affected race as the most likely scenario where midfield contenders could gatecrash the top three.

What's next:

The second half of the season offers plenty of chances for midfield chaos, with variable weather still a factor across the remaining calendar. Racing Bulls will need to maintain its development push while keeping its drivers in position to profit from any drama ahead, because in Formula 1, podium chances tend to favor those already knocking on the door.