Formula 1: 2026 outright predictions with 3/1 WDC prediction!
Content Editor at Free Super Tips, Alex was born in the shadow of Old Trafford and is an avid Man Utd fan. After graduating from university he combined his love of football, writing and betting to join FST and now closely follows goings-on in all of the top European leagues.
The 2026 Formula One season begins in Melbourne on Sunday with the Australian Grand Prix, and those tuning in for the first race can expect to see plenty of changes.
A new generation of cars will take to the track at Albert Park, with the power units now a 50-50 mix of combustion engine and electric battery power, while the cars are smaller and lighter than last season.
The DRS system is gone, replaced by an Active Aero system that sees both front and rear wings opening on the straights, and drivers also have access to boost buttons for overtaking, but must play a more active role in managing their battery power over each lap.
There’s also a new team, with Cadillac joining the fray, so there will be 22 drivers in each race, with 18-year-old Briton Arvid Lindblad the only rookie in the field, driving for the Racing Bulls team.
Formula 1 expert Phil Agius takes us through his best bet for the upcoming season, priced up with bet365, where new customers can claim £30 in free bets by signing up below.
Defending champion falls down the pecking order
Tip – Max Verstappen to win the World Drivers’ Championship at 3/1 with bet365
Lando Norris defends his crown after winning for the first time last season, but the McLaren man is only sixth in the betting with some bookmakers this season at 10-1.
George Russell is the favourite at 9-4, but Mercedes’ power advantage under the new regulations may not be as large as many had expected, with Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren also performing solidly in pre-season testing.
Ferrari were the most interesting team in the Bahrain test, debuting an innovative rear-wing design and showing lightning pace off the line in their practice starts, and Charles Leclerc set the fastest overall time for the Italian team in the second Bahrain test.
Red Bull had been expected to take a step back in their first season of manufacturing their own power unit, but there was no sign of that in the early skirmishes and they appear to have done a fine job on that front.
As such, it would be foolish to write off the chances of Max Verstappen challenging for a fifth title success. The Dutch driver is the second favourite at around the 3-1 mark, and if the car is even reasonably competitive, he has the talent to make a real run with it.
Verstappen was more than 100 points behind in the world championship last year but went on a fantastic run in the second half of the season, winning six of the last nine races to finish just two points behind Norris.
If he gets off to a more even start this time, his experience could count for plenty against Russell, who has never been in the heat of a world title fight before.
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