Six bold predictions for the 2026 F1 season
- DIVEBOMB Motorsport
- 17 minutes ago
- 6 min read
Our writers give six bold predictions for the 2026 F1 season – including maiden victories and new teams making a splash.
The 2026 Formula One season is fast-approaching, and with the dawn of a new era in technical regulations as well as a number of variables in the mix, this year is shaping up to become a thrilling showcase of spectacle, speed and spontaneity.
From the addition of an 11th team to a changing of the guard in the Drivers’ title, there’s plenty of exciting factors going into this landmark year of F1. Our writers share some of their boldest predictions for 2026, a year that's set to mark one of the most unpredictable F1 seasons in recent history.
Williams will finish top three in the Constructors' Championship – Kavi Khandelwal
Williams enters 2026 from a position of genuine momentum and strategic focus. They finished fifth in the 2025 Constructors’ Championship with two podiums and regular points finishes. The team then committed fully to their 2026 car rather than chasing short-term updates in 2025, and gave it more runway to optimise their car for the new regulations.
With a long-standing Mercedes power unit supply, Williams’ main focus would be on chassis and aerodynamic gains once the 2026 technical reset season begins. Combined with a strong driver pairing in Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, both of whom have shown strong pace and consistency, the alignment of technical, development and personnel factors could put the team in a top-three finish if they execute flawlessly and take full advantage of the reset.
Isack Hadjar will secure his maiden Grand Prix victory – Chloe Buckley
In his rookie year with Racing Bulls in 2025, Isack Hadjar seriously impressed the audience with his consistency and results. He had a career highlight in Zandvoort last season when he scored his first ever F1 podium finish, receiving praise from drivers and fans alike. With a 12th place finish in the Drivers’ Championship and finishing sixth with RB in the Constructors’, Hadjar was eventually announced to be racing for Red Bull in 2026.
In previous years, Red Bull hasn’t had the best of luck with their second driver. Constantly swapping drivers out and consistently collecting lacklustre results, the team has not been able to find the right match for the car. This season, with the new regulations and a fresh driver lineup, it could finally be time to see some more stability for the team.
Hadjar has already proven his ability to put in great results under pressure, often maximising the potential of the VCARB 02. If he can maintain this ability this year, we could have the chance to see Hadjar unlock even more potential, such as winning his first ever race in F1.
Lance Stroll to win the Drivers’ Championship – Benjamin Crundwell
Lance Stroll is widely regarded as the driver who least deserves a seat in F1, but is he underrated? It would be wrong to say the Canadian pilot has never shone, it's just that he's not shone on enough occasions. In Stroll’s rookie season (2017), he finished three points behind his teammate, who was none other than Felipe Massa. During that season, Stroll qualified on the front row for the Italian Grand Prix and became one of only a few drivers to take a podium in their rookie season since the turbo hybrid era began in 2014.
Stroll’s performance has not stood out since, the most notable moment being when he took pole at the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix in some of the most tricky conditions of the 21st century. Stroll could have won that race, but his plea to stay on the intermediate tyre was ignored, so he fell down the order when his car had slicks put on. It can’t be forgotten who Stroll has had the daunting challenge of as teammate, and while he’s never won a head-to-head, he has been competing against and learning from some of the most respected names in the sport, such as Fernando Alonso and Sebastien Vettel, during his days in Aston Martin.
With Adrien Newey in control of the 2026 Aston Martin architecture, the Silverstone-based team is expected to be a dark horse in 2026. If they do have a clearly competitive car then Stroll will have to beat 43-year-old Alonso. Is it a long shot? Yes. But is it impossible? No.
We have seen before that Stroll has the skill to out-perform the rest of the grid; his 2026 performance depends on whether he can unlock this ability across a full season of motor racing.
Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz will both win a Grand Prix – Maham Mir
In 2025, Williams enjoyed one of their most successful seasons for over a decade with a points tally of 137, more points than their last seven seasons combined. Additionally, Albon and Sainz became the first Williams drivers to finish in the top 10 of the World Drivers Championship since 2015.
On the individual level, Albon rose to the challenge of leading the team, becoming the first Williams driver to finish in the top eight of the Drivers’ standings since 2016. Albon’s performance, especially at the start of the season as Sainz struggled to find consistent pace, gave them the foothold needed to go on and secure P5 in the Constructors’.
After initially struggling upon first arriving at the team, Sainz turned things around in the second half of the season by becoming the first Williams driver to record multiple podium finishes in a single season since 2015. The performance and pace demonstrated by both drivers over the course of 2025 makes it almost comfortable but bold enough to predict that they will both stand on the top step of the podium on at least one occasion each.
As a four-time race winner, Sainz has the experience of knowing how to push a team towards winning ways having achieved those four victories in cars that were certainly not the best of the field at the time. While Albon has never won a race, he’s come close on many occasions in the past, proving that he is able to put together a race winning performance when he’s given a car capable of winning.
Williams have not been shy about their hopes and expectations of the next set of regulations, with James Vowles having always had this era as the team’s main target. Running with a Mercedes power engine already rumoured to be superior to the rest of the grid, Albon and Sainz could be set to leave the rest of the grid in their mirrors.
Haas will clinch their first podium – Caitlyn Gordon
The American-based outfit finished in eighth overall in 2025, one position lower than the team's target for the season. Despite this, Haas had a strong season, with regular points from both of its drivers.
Oliver Bearman grabbed the team's best result of fourth place in Mexico, climbing up to the position from ninth place, after producing a thrilling battle of defence to hold championship contender Oscar Piastri behind. Esteban Ocon also recorded a strong result in 2025, finishing fifth in China.
The team have made significant progress in the past two seasons to create a reliable and midfield fighting car. While the new regulations leave a lingering question mark over where teams will be in the upcoming season, the trajectory and momentum the team carry coming into 2026 means that a podium isn’t an unrealistic goal for Haas.
Audi and Cadillac will each win more than one race – Meghana Sree
As the two new teams on the block, it can be easy to dismiss Audi and Cadillac on their F1 debuts. But in the hands of experienced drivers and talented personnel leading the two outfits into their first F1 campaign, I predict that both Audi and Cadillac have the calibre to win more than one race each this season.
For Audi, with Jonathan Wheatley in team principal duties after a move from Red Bull and Mattia Binotto heading the project, 2026 is the perfect opportunity to enter the sport as a new outfit and capitalise on the overhaul in technical regulations.
With their R26 chassis powered by a factory-made power unit, I expect Audi to surprise the grid upon their debut during this era of regulations.
As for their drivers, Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto have proven their mettle across numerous occasions in 2025. With a maiden podium secured for Hülkenberg, he’ll no doubt be eager to secure his first F1 win after 15 years in the sport — and it would be doubly sweet to do so as a German driver for a German team.
Bortoleto on the other hand enters his second year in F1 with a lot to prove after a solid but quiet debut in 2025. The Brazilian driver executed impressive drives in his maiden F1 campaign, and even outscored his veteran teammate in the qualifying head-to-head. With more performance to unleash, a competitive car underneath him could very well see Bortoleto winning a race in 2026.
Meanwhile, Cadillac enters this season as one of the most experienced teams on the grid despite this being their first foray into F1. Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas will return to the grid after a year away, and both drivers, known for their reliability as supporting drivers in their time at Red Bull and Mercedes respectively, will be eager to get back to their winning ways this year.
