F1 2026: 10 bold predictions for the season

The pre-season testing is behind us, and there have been some interesting takeaways. As we inch closer to the start of the 2026 Formula One season, with teams putting all their resources into piecing together a car capable of taking the chequered flag, we at SportsKhabri have come up with our own list of predictions for the upcoming season.

Here, we present ten bold predictions for the 2026 Formula One season.

#10 Cadillac will score their first points

There’s no doubt that Cadillac are currently last in the development race and not expected to threaten anybody, perhaps with the exception of the struggling Aston Martin.

But, as history has often taught us, Albert Park at the start of a new technical cycle can be pretty hectic — just ask fans of the 2009 and 2014 campaigns.

Moreover, with so much going on in the background, the first few races will throw some unexpected results at us. As long as one Cadillac manages to stay out of trouble and keep it out of the walls, the team have a good chance of squeezing into the top ten in a race with few finishers.

#9 Fernando Alonso to retire at the end of the season

It has all gone downhill for the two-time world champion at Aston Martin. The last thing the 44-year-old would have wanted is a repeat of the 2015 disaster with McLaren and Honda.

The arrival of Adrian Newey as team principal brought a lot of optimism around the British outfit. However, the lack of competitiveness and reliability of the new Honda engine has pushed them down the order going into the 2026 season.

With no short-term fix in sight, Fernando Alonso is poised to endure a difficult start to the season. Even if they manage to pull things together, how long they take to do so and how competitive they manage to be is another matter. Thus, we expect the Spaniard to hang up his helmet this year with a rather disappointing end to his glittering career.

#8 Williams to finish the season as the best of the rest

Williams have been the biggest disappointment among the midfield teams. They were the first team to stop their 2025 development, shifting focus entirely to the 2026 car as early as April last year.

However, following a no-show in Barcelona, the latest iteration of the Williams car in Bahrain has been a huge disappointment. The FW48 is overweight by at least 25–40 kilos and is difficult to drive. As a result, neither Carlos Sainz nor Alex Albon have been able to extract the full potential of the car or fully understand its aerodynamics and chassis aspects.

However, as the season progresses, the car will continue to shed weight and extract more performance from its new parts. Moreover, with two quality and experienced drivers behind the wheel in Sainz and Albon, we back Williams to finish the season as the best of the rest.

#7 Max Verstappen to mount a late title charge

It might not seem so bold to back a four-time world champion, who was two points away from mounting one of the greatest comebacks of all time in his quest for a fifth title last year.

However, amid McLaren’s double crown, Ferrari’s pre-season exploits, and the expectation that Mercedes have the best package, Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing — now complete with the new Red Bull Ford power unit — have very much flown under the radar. They’ve been there or thereabouts throughout all three pre-season tests and, in the hands of arguably the best driver on the grid, the Red Bull car has the potential to do wonders once certain issues are ironed out.

Thus, by the time the teams and drivers return from the mid-season break, expect the Dutchman to be right up there fighting for podiums and wins.

#6 Kimi Antonelli to win multiple Grands Prix

The young Italian was thrown in at the deep end during his debut campaign in the 2025 season and learned some valuable lessons along the way. Getting used to the car and delivering consistent performances was a challenge throughout the season. However, it was during the closing races that Kimi Antonelli provided further glimpses of the talent Mercedes — and everyone else — knew he had.

With Mercedes already considered favourites for the Constructors’ Championship and the front-runners heading into Melbourne, the 19-year-old will find himself fighting for podium places on a consistent basis. Although the experienced and rapid George Russell should still have the upper hand over Antonelli, we back the Italian to claim a maiden win this year and, hopefully, add at least one more win on top of it.

#5 Haas to score their first podium

Haas have come on in leaps and bounds ever since Ayao Komatsu took charge as team principal. The team delivered some promising results last season, with Oliver Bearman coming very close to securing that first podium when he finished fourth in Mexico City, while Esteban Ocon also finished fifth in China.

Although much of the pre-season testing times are irrelevant compared to real on-track action, looking at the long runs on different tyre compounds, the expected gap between the lead pack and the midfield may make standout displays harder to come by in 2026. That said, both Haas and Alpine currently look like they are leading the midfield train, with Williams and Aston Martin further down the pecking order.

#4 Lewis Hamilton to become the oldest race winner since 1970

2025 was a fairly miserable season for the seven-time world champion, with just a Sprint win and a podium finish to add to his tally, and promising outcomes in the main races being few and far between.

However, with Ferrari seemingly putting in a sizeable effort to rectify last year’s blemishes, with a car that is already turning heads across the paddock to make many believe the Scuderia are closely behind Mercedes, there is belief that Lewis Hamilton can finally step onto the top step of the podium in a red suit, especially on a Sunday.

Although he is not quite at the same level of comfort with his car as his teammate, Charles Leclerc, the British driver looked fired up and rejuvenated in his SF-26 nonetheless. With all signs pointing towards a competitive season for the Tifosi, we’re backing Hamilton to take at least one win this year. If he does so after April, he’ll become the oldest person to win a race since 1970.

#3 McLaren to have the fastest car by the end of the season

There’s no doubt that McLaren will be starting the 2026 season on the back foot compared to their rivals, with their development path seemingly more laid-back than the rest.

While most teams have taken one of many radical approaches, McLaren are heading into the season opener with a much simpler concept, one that will help them learn and evolve their car at a much faster pace than the other front-runners.

Therefore, by the time we reach the final run-in of the 2026 season, we expect McLaren to once again become the pace-setters in Formula One, setting them up nicely for the 2027 season and beyond.

#2 Charles Leclerc and Ferrari to be title contenders

After a spirited showing during the 2024 season, where they narrowly missed out on the Constructors’ title to McLaren, the way Ferrari botched the 2025 season from the start was a huge disappointment.

Thus, expectations were low for the Scuderia entering 2026. However, following their recent showing across the three pre-season testing sessions, one can confidently say that they are right up there alongside Mercedes, already looking better in some aspects, such as race starts.

Moreover, Charles Leclerc has been incredibly consistent for Ferrari over the years. He has been equally unlucky as well, with either the team or the car, sometimes both, letting him down time and again.

Now 28 years old, the Monégasque is in the prime of his career and may finally have a car capable of mounting a serious title charge. The fact that he has been faster than Hamilton throughout 2025 and during last month’s pre-season testing further suggests that all hopes will hinge on him to bring home Ferrari’s first title since 2008.

#1 George Russell to win his first world title

Throughout the 2025 season, there was constant chatter surrounding Mercedes’ supposedly superior 2026 power unit that would blow away their competitors just like in 2014.

Although that didn’t exactly come to fruition, Mercedes are still, in many people’s eyes, the class of the field heading into the season opener in Melbourne. Barring Kimi Antonelli’s small power unit–related issue on day two of the final Bahrain test, it was a smooth and productive outing for the Brackley-based outfit. On both single-lap and race simulations, they appear to be the team to beat, although it was Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who recorded the fastest time on the final day.

Moreover, the fact that George Russell — barring Mercedes’ calamitous performance at Monaco — finished outside the top five on only four occasions in a 24-race calendar proves his incredible maturity and consistency. Thus, with a car that should be among the fastest on the grid, and a driver displaying this level of consistency, we’re backing Russell to win his maiden F1 Drivers’ Championship.