Russell reacts boldly to major F1 predictions as 2026 season kicks off

Speaking to GPblog during media day at the Australian Grand Prix, the Mercedes driver was quick to embrace the tag of benign title favourite, stressing how it doesn’t change anything but is simply flattering.

“Not a lot, really. It doesn’t change anything. I think there’s a lot of chat around us, Mercedes, and I take it as a compliment, I guess,” Russell said.

The British driver, however, stressed that once the visor gets locked in, the noises and predictions don’t matter, as he is fully focused on racing.

“However, once the helmet’s on and the visor’s down, you’re just flat out, and you don’t really think about any of this additional noise. Just take it race by race and see how we go,” he added.

Further pressed about whether the favourite tag will impact how he handles his racing, Russell detailed that nothing changes, stating that he continues to focus on his work with the team, taking the season one race at a time.

“It doesn’t change anything at all for me, to be honest. We obviously sit here on a Thursday and talk about it for an hour, but then when I walk away, I go back to business and work with my team. And what’s been discussed here or written in the media doesn’t help me go faster or slower,” Russell added.

“I think that’s the approach I’ve always had with media, for good or for bad. You’ve got to just not pay too much attention to it because it never positively impacts your own well-being or performance. I think I’ve done a good job of that in the past, and that’s still the same approach I’m taking. As I said, I’ll take it race by race, not thinking about the big picture whatsoever, and recognise that no matter how this weekend goes, it’s a 24-race season. It’s very, very demanding on everybody, and a lot can change between now and Abu Dhabi,” he concluded.

Russell enters the 2026 campaign as the bookmakers’ favourite for the Drivers’ Championship. The 28-year-old in the Silver Arrows is also widely speculated to be a favourite for the title among his fellow drivers, with Williams F1 team's Carlos Sainz singling out Russell alongside Verstappen as his pick.

Sainz, in his recent appearance on the Beyond the Grid podcast, opted for both Russell and Verstappen as favourites.

When quizzed further about the reason behind his pick, the Spaniard, who was previously a teammate of Verstappen, opted against elaborating further.