– According to the most famous TV experts in the Formula 1 world, there can almost only be one world champion in 2026: George Russell. Before the 2026 season opener, the Briton is not only the big title favorite with the bookmakers, but also with most experts.
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Christian Danner from RTL explains to sport.de, for example, that he expects a Mercedes world champion in 2026. And since Russell is “the better one in the Mercedes cockpit” compared to teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the Briton is therefore “also my title candidate.”
It looks very similar for the English-speaking Sky colleagues. There, when asked, three more former Formula 1 drivers, Martin Brundle, Karun Chandhok, and Anthony Davidson, commit to Russell as the 2026 world champion.
“I think he seems to have made a good start. The car is fast enough to consistently compete at the very front now, instead of just showing good performances occasionally, and he is ready to win a world championship,” says Davidson.
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So while you hear the name George Russell almost everywhere, German Sky expert Ralf Schumacher interestingly has a different opinion. “My personal favorite is – and this might sound crazy – Kimi Antonelli,” Schumacher told Sport Bild.
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His reasoning: “He is simply extremely talented. If he maintains his learning pace from the second half of the [2025] season, he is the stronger man for me. George had a great start last year, but then fell off when it became more and more about his contract.”
“The car could be a weapon,” Schumacher says about the Mercedes W17, “and Kimi could surprise with it.” If Antonelli actually becomes world champion at the end of the year, he would be by far the youngest champion in the history of Formula 1 at just 20 years old.
This record is currently held by Sebastian Vettel, who was “already” 23 years old when he won his first title in 2010.
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