Carlos Sainz believes the 2026 title race will come down to Mercedes’ George Russell and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Russell has been picked by many as the early favourite, with Mercedes expected to be a step ahead of the field in terms of car performance. He also comfortably outperformed his rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli last year.
But Verstappen fell just two points short of matching Michael Schumacher’s five consecutive titles, and he still sits behind only Lewis Hamilton and Schumacher in terms of career championships. Even though many experts have Red Bull ranked fourth heading into 2026, Verstappen remains a legitimate contender.
Carlos Sainz picks George Russell and Max Verstappen as 2026 title favourites
Appearing on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Sainz was asked who he thought would win the title in 2026. He picked both Russell and Verstappen.
He didn’t go into much detail about why but did mention that Red Bull’s new power unit had caught his eye during testing in Bahrain.
Wolff has said in the past that Red Bull have built a great engine, though many still feel like it was a classic case of playing down Mercedes’ early advantage. Only time will tell how true those words turn out to be.
Sainz said: “I’ll say two names, okay. George Russell or Max Verstappen.”
Host Tom Clarkson pressed him for more details, but Sainz kept it short: “No, you cannot!” he joked.
Sainz replied: “From what I’ve seen in Bahrain, three days of testing.”
The idea of a tight title race between them would make for compelling viewing. While their relationship seemed to thaw last year after their fallout back in December 2024, being thrown into another head-to-head battle could easily bring old tensions back to the surface.
George Russell was the F1 title favourite, but that’s changed to Max Verstappen
Jolyon Palmer has said that Verstappen is a ‘difference-maker’ who can win without having the fastest car. His 2025 title challenge came down to just two points, even though his teammate Yuki Tsunoda finished all the way back in 17th.
While Red Bull’s car might only rank fourth in most hands, Verstappen’s ability to extract more than what’s on offer is well-established. If they’re even close to the leaders in pace, he’ll be right in the thick of it.
Meanwhile, James Hinchcliffe had initially backed Russell for the championship but switched to Verstappen after pre-season testing eased some of his concerns about Red Bull Powertrains.
This season could be decided by which team brings better upgrades over time. Last year, Red Bull managed development better than anyone else on the grid and expect something similar again in 2026.
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