F1 | No doubts for the former Ferrari driver: the prediction on who will win the World Championship
The 2026 F1 season has only just begun, yet the first predictions are already emerging about who could win the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles. Former Ferrari driver and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel has also made his call, and without hesitation he revealed the name of the driver he believes starts as the clear favourite to win the 2026 world championship.
Who will win the world championship?
So far, teams have completed just two test sessions with the new-generation cars — one in Barcelona at the end of January held behind closed doors, and another in Bahrain last week. On Wednesday, 18 February 2026, they will return to the track for three more days of testing at the Sakhir circuit, the final opportunity to gather crucial data ahead of the season-opening race scheduled for 8 March.
Speaking on Sport und Talk aus dem Hangar-7 on Servus TV, Sebastian Vettel answered without hesitation when asked: “Who will win the 2026 world championship?” The four-time world champion stated: “George Russell and Mercedes.”
The #63 driver is coming off one of the strongest seasons of his career. The former Ferrari driver then explained the reasoning behind his prediction: “I would bet on George [Russell] because I recognise his great intelligence, I know that he works hard on himself and I believe he is smart enough to understand what he can realistically do as a driver to make the difference.”
Sebastian Vettel then added: “There are several capable drivers in the group, but in the current situation my instinct tells me that George [Russell], together with Mercedes, could manage to do it better than anyone else this year.”
Leave a Reply