By Duniya Jan
Who will win the 2026 WDC? The summarised version: it’s impossible to tell. Seasoned drivers including Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso have all expressed concerns regarding the changes in the 2026 cars. Alongside this, testing in Barcelona and Bahrain are likely providing us with inaccurate times due to the likelihood of sand-bagging. These unknowns, however, are minor inconveniences in my (already fixed) predictions of the top 5 WDC contenders. I solemnly swear that I have been as unbiased as possible.
Fifth Place: Kimi Antonelli
If Mercedes really is as powerful as everyone is expecting it to be, then Kimi Antonelli’s rise is definitely on the cards. Whilst 2026 marks just a second Formula 1 season for Antonelli, he showed incredible talent and potential throughout 2025, finishing in 7th in the driver’s standings. This was the highest amongst the rookies. From holding off Max Verstappen in São Paulo to 14 top half finishes, Antonelli has definitely shown himself to be an emerging contender in future WDC showdowns. He is my ‘wildcard’, so to speak, as Antonelli’s 2025 season was definitely littered with mistakes and DNFS. This being said, he has demonstrated remarkable promise against many senior drivers. In combination with the prowess that drivers and fans alike are expecting the Mercedes challenger to possess, Kimi Antonelli is the one to watch in the 2026 season.
Fourth Place: Charles Leclerc
Okay, this one is completely hinged on whether Ferrari have actually fixed their car. Leclerc himself has what it takes; his smooth yet aggressive driving style has outmatched his fellow competitors, even in the dying machinery that was the SF-25. Bahrain testing has looked encouraging for Leclerc, where he has been consistently setting the pace and producing quicker times than most of the grid. On Friday, he even set the fastest time. His talent is certainly monumental enough to genuinely contest for the World Drivers’ Championship. Regardless, the old joke still applies: ‘the only thing that can stop Ferrari is Ferrari’.
Third Place: Max Verstappen
I wholeheartedly believe the one time I have – and ever will – agree with a statement made by Zak Brown is when the McLaren CEO compared Max Verstappen to a horror movie: ‘[when] you think he’s not coming back, he’s back’. Many have counted the consecutive 4-time WDC winner out of the 2026 season for a myriad of reasons; a lack of hype surrounding the Red Bull, rumours swirling of Verstappen’s retirement and the driver’s visible lack of praise for the racing overhauls. But, if past history is anything to go off, Max Verstappen can become a threat at any point in the season. His immense talent and overtaking domination is enough to count him in for 2026 and however many more seasons he competes for. Nevertheless, it will likely come down to whoever has the better car between Verstappen and Leclerc.
Second Place: Oscar Piastri
There is a WDC coming in Oscar Piastri’s career. The former Formula 3 and Formula 2 champion has rocked the world of Formula 1, genuinely looking like he would surpass his senior driver Lando Norris and be first to clinch the WDC in the first half of 2025. His driving style is superb to watch and difficult to beat; cool, calculating and menacing, often dubbed the leader of the ‘overtaking masterclass’. 2026 marks just the fourth season in the Australian’s F1 career, with Piastri narrowly missing out on the title last year through a combination of his own faults and poor management from McLaren. Though the McLaren will likely not be the ‘rocketship’ it has been in the past two years, it should still be serviceable enough to harness Piastri’s talents and allow him to compete for his maiden title. And, if the rumours serve correctly of the cars being more similar to Formula 2, the former Formula 2 champion Oscar Piastri has a great advantage.
First Place: George Russell
The fans believe it is Russell’s year, and one would be hard pressed to disagree with them. The British driver has proved himself to be consistent, being the only driver to avoid a DNF throughout the 2025 season. Russell is certainly an all-rounder, managing to stay calm in wheel to wheel fights and come out on top. With Mercedes promising a ‘rocketship’ for 2026, there should definitely be a chance for a senior driver of the Silver Arrows. That being said, I am not confident he will take first place. Whilst consistency is necessary for a WDC champion, it is ultimately meaningless unless said consistency is within the podium finishes. From what I have seen of Russell, he rarely takes chances and lacks the ability to capitalize from poorer starts. A driver won’t always start on pole, making race recovery a key skill in a championship fight. Unless he improves his attacking racecraft, Russell would be reliant on the failures of other drivers to secure his title. Nonetheless, should the comments of Verstappen, Norris and other drivers regarding the ‘lack of driver input’ in the new cars hold up, Russell’s adaptability could be the key to finally attaining his first title. He is certainly in the best position on the grid to do so.
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