Ecclestone and Marko agree on who will be crowned 2026 F1 world champion

Speaking to Swiss publication Blick, both Ecclestone and Marko shared the same opinion on the outcome of this year's title fight, with the pair making it clear who they expect to come out on top: "Antonelli will be world champion, Verstappen remains the strongest driver in the field."

So far, the young Italian has been the standout performer of the season, taking six victories and opening up a 50-point advantage over Lewis Hamilton at the top of the drivers' standings. That lead has come despite a retirement in Spain and a pointless outing at Silverstone after damage to his front wheel shield compromised his race.

Antonelli can therefore head into the second half of the season knowing he effectively has the luxury of two races in hand and would still remain at the top of the drivers' standings. That advantage is further strengthened by the difficulties faced by teammate George Russell, whose campaign has also been disrupted by a series of setbacks and technical problems.

Verstappen, by contrast, has endured a frustrating campaign with far more lows than highs. The Dutchman has been forced to retire from three races so far this season, first in China with a cooling system issue, then in Monaco after suffering a power unit failure on the opening lap despite starting from the front row, and most recently at Silverstone after an active rear wing mechanism failure sent him off the circuit, the same issue that had already struck during qualifying in Austria. Those setbacks have left the reigning world champion 110 points adrift of Kimi Antonelli heading into the summer break.

Despite a difficult season, Verstappen has still produced several strong performances, claiming a podium in Canada, finishing second in Austria, returning to the podium in Belgium and securing another runner-up finish in Hungary.

Speaking to Krone Zeitung, Marko played down Verstappen's chances of fighting his way back into the title battle, arguing that Red Bull currently lacks the consistency needed to challenge at the front.

The Austrian also pointed to the team's pace deficit compared to McLaren and Ferrari, as well as the car's instability, as key factors behind his assessment. Verstappen heads into the second half of the season 110 points adrift of Antonelli, while Marko also made it clear that he hopes the Dutchman will remain with Red Bull in the future.