Riccardo Patrese: Verstappen favorite for 2026, Ferrari and Hamilton remain dangerous outsiders. Riccardo Patrese believes Max Verstappen will adapt best to the 2026 Formula 1 regulations.

According to Riccardo Patrese, the favourite to win the 2026 Formula 1 world championship is Max Verstappen. The former Italian driver sees Ferrari as a team that is ready to fight at the front and believes a highly motivated Lewis Hamilton could still play an important role.

Revolution or restoration?

Never before has the word “revolution” been used so frequently in Formula 1 coverage as it has this year. The 2026 cars will undergo a radical transformation in both appearance and philosophy, with every aspect of the machinery affected by the new technical regulations. However, this does not automatically mean that teams who were stuck at the back of the grid in 2025 will suddenly climb the order and start winning races.

On the contrary, the 2022 season offers a clear lesson in this regard. Red Bull remained firmly on top with Max Verstappen and laid the foundations for one of the most dominant championship campaigns in Formula 1 history, which fully unfolded in 2023.

While the vast majority of observers currently consider Mercedes to be the main favourite heading into the new era, Red Bull cannot be ruled out. The primary reason is Max Verstappen himself, widely regarded as the best driver on the grid even after Lando Norris managed to take the world championship crown away from him. According to Riccardo Patrese, it will be “Super Max” who ultimately emerges as the 2026 world champion.

Patrese’s words

“Max is certainly the driver who is most ready to adapt to the new rules. He feels perfectly at ease in this environment. He is always in the simulator and works extremely well with all the controls. But he is not the only one; all drivers of the new generation know how to do it. It is then the team’s job to explain to them how to use everything,” Riccardo Patrese told BetVictor.

“For me, probably, it will be Verstappen who wins the title.”

The former Brabham, Benetton and Williams driver does, however, see Ferrari as a genuine contender. “Maybe they will surprise us! Lewis Hamilton has the motivation, he can be very competitive and return to fighting alongside Charles Leclerc. At the moment, though, I think Charles Leclerc can show that he has more speed than Lewis.”