F1 legend picks the driver who he thinks will win the 2026 F1 title

The former F1 driver, giving his prediction for the upcoming campaign, chose the Red Bull Racing driver as his favourite to win the title.

Patrese, in his assessment, highlighted Verstappen being at ease with his environment as pivotal to his prediction. The former Williams F1 team driver also noted the Dutch driver’s simulator work among key reasons for his view.

“Max is certainly the driver who is most ready to adapt to the new rules. He feels perfectly at ease in this environment. He is always in the simulator and works extremely well with all the controls,” Patrese said via a gaming platform.

“But he is not the only one; all drivers of the new generation know how to do it. It is then the team’s job to explain to them how to use everything. For me, probably, it will be Verstappen who wins the title,” he concluded.

Despite Patrese’s confidence in Verstappen, early bookmaker odds currently list Mercedes driver George Russell as the favourite for the 2026 championship.

Verstappen, who won four consecutive titles between 2021 and 2024, saw his streak halted in 2025 after finishing just two points behind Lando Norris.

Earlier, Russell admitted he is ready to fight for a drivers’ championship. The 27-year-old highlighted how he would relish a title fight with the four-time champion.

The four-time race winner, however, did not discount Norris, whom he expects will again be competitive, considering the McLaren team will have the Mercedes power unit under the new regulations.