F1 2026: Predictions from Sky Sports F1 team for Australian GP podium, world champions, race winners, driver surprises | F1 News

Is this bookies’ favourite George Russell’s year? Can McLaren see off competitive rivals for a constructors’ title hat-trick? Will more drivers win a race than just the four in 2025?

With at least some of the pre-season talking to stop when the stopwatch on competitive track action starts in Melbourne this weekend, it’s almost time to find out who really is looking quick for the start of the sport’s new era.

So just before then, and for a bit of fun, we caught up with seven members of the Sky Sports F1 team and asked them to look into their crystal balls for some predictions before round one of the 24-race campaign…

What will the 1-2-3 finishing order be this Sunday’s Australian GP podium?

Martin Brundle: Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Oscar Piastri.

Simon Lazenby: George Russell, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton.

Natalie Pinkham: Lando Norris, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton.

David Croft: George Russell, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris.

Karun Chandhok: George Russell, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris.

Rachel Brookes: George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Antonelli.

Anthony Davidson: George Russell, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris.

How many drivers will win a Grand Prix in 2026?

Simon: Five.

Crofty: Eight.

I’m going to go big because there’s a lot of opportunity from race to race and drivers having to learn from race to race and, even for the more experienced drivers, there’s a lot of learning to be done. So I’ll say eight, but it wouldn’t surprise me if we had a ninth or 10th in there as well.

Rachel: Ten.

Every track is going to be so different in terms of energy management. But I think at the start of the year, we will see a lot of different drivers winning races. I think the back end of the year, they’ll all be on top of it. I think we could have as many as 10 different winners.

Anthony: Seven.

Karun: Five.

Natalie: Eight.

Martin: More than usual because I think it’s going to be a bit wild. At least six.

Who will win the 2026 Drivers’ Championship?

Natalie: George Russell.

Crofty: George can cope with a lot of adversity but also knows the preparation that he’ll need to put in for each and every race and is prepared to do it.

So George Russell, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Antonelli, Isack Hadjar. George will be the favourite but I think Lando and Oscar and Max are running close.

Martin: George Russell.

Karun: George Russell.

Rachel: George Russell. He will be pushed all the way, but I think George will win it.

Anthony: George Russell. I think he seems to have started off on the right footing. The car is quick enough to consistently be up there now, rather than the odd performance that was good enough and he’s ready to win a world championship.

Simon: George Russell. I think he’s ready and he will have the car to do it.

Who will win the 2026 Constructors’ Championship?

Simon: Mercedes.

Natalie: Ferrari.

Martin: McLaren.

Crofty: The strongest driver line-up pairing is probably McLaren. I would be surprised if McLaren aren’t constructors’ champions but it could go right down to the wire and every point is precious. So McLaren as constructors’ champions but if Kimi Antonelli drives like he did at certain times last year, then Mercedes might take a bit of stopping.

Rachel: Mercedes.

Karun: McLaren.

Anthony: The top four are incredibly tight. Mercedes have a really strong chance. You can’t count out McLaren. Everyone has been super surprised by what Red Bull have achieved straight away, so they’re only going to improve rapidly as the season progresses. Ferrari looked genuinely quick in Bahrain.

The two McLaren drivers are so evenly-matched at nearly every circuit in all circumstances, I think that gives you as a constructor great strength, so their experience as a driver pairing could be the thing that gives them that slight advantage over the course of a season, with all that it’s going to throw at you.

Make one BOLD prediction for the season?

Karun: Haas to get their first podium.

Simon: Isack Hadjar to win a race.

Anthony: Kimi Antonelli wins the World Championship.

Natalie: Hadjar to be on the podium in the first half of the season.

Which race are you looking forward to the most?

Anthony: Melbourne. It’s that step into the unknown for many teams and fans.

I’m excited to see if all that we know about these cars in these early stages will come to light in Melbourne and deliver some quite unpredictable wheel-to-wheel racing.

Natalie: Japan because I haven’t been at a race since September!

Simon: I always look forward to Melbourne, this year more than anything. Saturday in Melbourne, all of the talk stops and we get going and then you’re like, ‘right, this is where we are, this is the starting pecking order’.”

Crofty: Silverstone – Best track, best fans, the best place to be in Britain in the summertime. It’s a circuit that just comes alive when F1 is there.

Rachel: Australia. I can’t wait to see these cars on track this year and see firsthand what all the teams have been working on because it’s always a complete unknown.

Karun: British GP with George, Lando and Lewis all in contention.

Martin: The next one!

Will Cadillac score their first points – and where – during their debut year?

Martin: Ironically, I think it could be towards the beginning of the season, so let’s say China.

Anthony: If they’re going to do it, it’s going to come through reliability, which has to be their main focus. They’ve got two incredibly experienced drivers, so that’s going to help.

Let’s say they’ll score their first points in Montreal.

Natalie: Austin.

Simon: Yes. There will be an anomaly – whether that be weather-related or something else. But I don’t think they’ll do it on pure pace. I think it will need something special in the first half of the season, particularly.

Karun: No.

Rachel: Yes. In Brazil because I think it’s going to take a very, very long time.

I’m not sure they will score a point, but if they do, it could be a wet race with mixed-up conditions, all sorts going on, and it will be a Brazil, like Kevin Magnussen did with Haas when he put it on pole that year, I think it will be a completely mixed up race, mixed up conditions, and they’ll take advantage of things going their way.

Crofty: They could score their first points in Australia but I’m going to say China because if you’re good on your tyres in China it pays dividends and China is going to be a massive headache for the teams and drivers because it’s a Sprint weekend. And it may even rain in China, which would be a huge leveller.

What will be the surprise/shock of the season?

Crofty: Oliver Bearman to score a podium. He is an exceptional talent and I think Haas are in a really good place, so I’m going to go biggest surprise is Ollie Bearman. Biggest shock – Fernando Alonso says he’s going to carry on racing in 2027.

Rachel: Pierre Gasly on the podium this season.

Martin: Aston Martin are heading the way of a negative shock. In terms of a positive shock, probably Alpine.

Sky Sports F1’s Australian GP schedule

Thursday March 5
3am: Drivers’ Press Conference
6am: Paddock Uncut
9.45pm: F3 Practice
10.55pm: F2 Practice

Friday March 6
1am: Australian GP Practice One (session starts at 1.30am)*
2.55am: F3 Qualifying*
3.30am: Team Bosses Press Conference
3.50am: F2 Qualifying*
4.35am: Australian GP Practice Two (session starts at 5am)*
6.15am: The F1 Show*

Saturday March 7
0.10am: F3 Sprint*
1.10am: Australian GP Practice Three (session starts at 1.30am)*
3.05am: F2 Sprint*
4.10am: Australian GP Qualifying build-up*
5am: AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING*
7am: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook*
9.45pm: F3 Feature Race*

Sunday March 8
12.20am: F2 Feature Race*
2.30am: Australian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
4am: THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX*
6am: Australian GP reaction: Chequered Flag*
7am: Ted’s Notebook*
7.55am: Australian GP race replay*
10am: Australian GP highlights (also on Sky One)*

*Also on Sky Sports Main Event

Watch every race of the 2026 Formula 1 season live on Sky Sports, starting with the Australian Grand Prix from March 6-8. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime