Pre-season chat ends when the lights go out in Melbourne. Seven members of the Sky Sports F1 team have made their calls ahead of round one of the 24-race 2026 campaign, weighing in on the Australian GP podium, the title races and a few bold season-long forecasts.
Australian GP podium predictions
– Martin Brundle: Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Oscar Piastri
– Simon Lazenby: George Russell, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton
– Natalie Pinkham: Lando Norris, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton
– David Croft: George Russell, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris
– Karun Chandhok: George Russell, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris
– Rachel Brookes: George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Antonelli
– Anthony Davidson: George Russell, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris
How many different race winners in 2026?
– Simon Lazenby: Five
– David Croft: Eight — he thinks eight likely, and a ninth or tenth wouldn’t surprise him
– Rachel Brookes: Ten — expects varied energy-management demands to open opportunities
– Anthony Davidson: Seven
– Karun Chandhok: Five
– Natalie Pinkham: Eight
– Martin Brundle: At least six — he expects a wilder season with more winners than usual
Who will win the 2026 Drivers’ Championship?
– Natalie Pinkham: George Russell
– David Croft: George Russell (also names likely contenders: Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Antonelli, Isack Hadjar)
– Martin Brundle: George Russell
– Karun Chandhok: George Russell
– Rachel Brookes: George Russell
– Anthony Davidson: George Russell — feels Russell has started the year well
– Simon Lazenby: George Russell
Who will take the 2026 Constructors’ Championship?
– Simon Lazenby: Mercedes
– Natalie Pinkham: Ferrari
– Martin Brundle: McLaren
– David Croft: McLaren — cites a very strong driver pairing and expects them to be the favorites
– Rachel Brookes: Mercedes
– Karun Chandhok: McLaren
– Anthony Davidson: Open — sees the top four extremely tight: Mercedes and McLaren strong, Red Bull improving, Ferrari quick in Bahrain
One bold prediction for the season
– Karun Chandhok: Haas earns its first podium
– Simon Lazenby: Isack Hadjar wins a race
– Anthony Davidson: Kimi Antonelli becomes World Champion
– Natalie Pinkham: Isack Hadjar stands on the podium in the first half of the year
Which race are they most looking forward to?
– Anthony Davidson: Melbourne — the first step into the unknown
– Natalie Pinkham: Japan
– Simon Lazenby: Melbourne — Saturday will reveal the early pecking order
– David Croft: Silverstone — best track and best fans
– Rachel Brookes: Australia
– Karun Chandhok: British GP — likely a three-way fight with George, Lando and Lewis
– Martin Brundle: The next race!
Will Cadillac score its first points in its debut F1 year, and where?
– Martin Brundle: China (early season)
– Anthony Davidson: Montreal — if reliability holds and with experienced drivers on board
– Natalie Pinkham: Austin
– Simon Lazenby: Yes — possibly via an anomaly such as weather; likely in the first half of the season
– Karun Chandhok: No
– Rachel Brookes: Brazil — wet, mixed-up conditions could level the field
– David Croft: China — on a Sprint weekend with tyre management and potential rain
Surprises or shocks to watch for
– David Croft: Oliver Bearman to score a podium; biggest shock would be Fernando Alonso deciding to keep racing in 2027
– Rachel Brookes: Pierre Gasly returning to the podium this season
– Martin Brundle: Aston Martin suffering a downturn, while Alpine could be a positive surprise
Sky Sports F1’s Australian GP schedule (UK local times)
Thursday March 5
– 03:00 Drivers’ Press Conference
– 06:00 Paddock Uncut
– 21:45 F3 Practice
– 22:55 F2 Practice
Friday March 6
– 01:00 Australian GP Practice One (session starts 01:30)
– 02:55 F3 Qualifying
– 03:30 Team Bosses Press Conference
– 03:50 F2 Qualifying
– 04:35 Australian GP Practice Two (session starts 05:00)
– 06:15 The F1 Show
Saturday March 7
– 00:10 F3 Sprint
– 01:10 Australian GP Practice Three (session starts 01:30)
– 03:05 F2 Sprint
– 04:10 Australian GP Qualifying build-up
– 05:00 Australian Grand Prix Qualifying
– 07:00 Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
– 21:45 F3 Feature Race
Sunday March 8
– 00:20 F2 Feature Race
– 02:30 Australian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday
– 04:00 The Australian Grand Prix
– 06:00 Australian GP reaction: Chequered Flag
– 07:00 Ted’s Notebook
– 07:55 Australian GP race replay
– 10:00 Australian GP highlights (also on Sky One)
Watch every race of the 2026 Formula 1 season live on Sky Sports, starting with the Australian Grand Prix from March 6–8. Stream Sky Sports with NOW — no contract, cancel anytime.