Johnny Herbert disagrees with Damon Hill’s Lewis Hamilton prediction at the Australian Grand Prix

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The start of the 2026 F1 season is now just days away from getting underway, and Damon Hill has joined Johnny Herbert in predicting who they think will claim victory at the Australian Grand Prix.

While the opening lap of an F1 season is hardly a representation of the ensuing campaign, the top five after the first lap at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix happened to be the same names and order as the final drivers’ championship standings 23 races later.

However, now that an era of brand-new technical regulations is upon us, the coincidence is unlikely to be replicated this season.

With pre-season testing now in the books, Mercedes and Ferrari are currently looking like the teams to beat for the rest of the F1 grid, and George Russell looks to be the favourite for the majority of figures within the paddock.

On the other hand, Martin Brundle is optimistic about Lewis Hamilton’s second term in Ferrari colours, highlighting his confidence in the seven-time world champion being able to succeed after falling short of expectations last year.

• READ MORE: David Croft is adamant that F1 ‘GOAT’ Lewis Hamilton can beat Charles Leclerc at Ferrari this year

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Damon Hill and Johnny Herbert predict the winner of the Australian Grand Prix

During a recent episode of the Stay On Track podcast, hosts Damon Hill and Johnny Herbert shared their predictions for who will be standing on the top step of the podium in Melbourne.

Both Hill and Herbert agreed that Russell is a dark horse for the 2026 F1 title in an earlier episode, but their guesses for the Australian Grand Prix were split between two drivers who have already shown signs of strong pace during testing.

The 1996 F1 world champion thinks Hamilton will claim his third career win at Albert Park, while Herbert is under the impression that Russell will kick the season off with a victory instead.

After a fairly disappointing maiden season with Ferrari, Hill has been impressed with Hamilton’s optimism for the new campaign and believes that the seven-time world champion will be able to stamp his authority over the rest of the grid immediately this year.

On the other hand, Russell has made two trips to the podium in Melbourne, but has never finished better than P3.

With Mercedes’ new F1 power unit displaying signs of being the benchmark in pre-season testing, the upcoming race weekend could provide the British driver with a maiden victory at the Victoria-based circuit.

• READ MORE: David Croft says George Russell is putting himself under ‘a lot of pressure’ to win the 2026 title

F1 fans think Lewis Hamilton is the favourite for the 2026 world championship

The Ferrari star hasn’t only been tipped to add a 105th Grand Prix victory to his collection this weekend, but F1 fans also believe that Hamilton will secure his eighth world title this season as well.

The 41-year-old received nearly one-third of all votes in a poll run by F1 Oversteer, with the reigning world champion, Lando Norris, being backed by just 4% of those who took part in it.

As for the season-opener, McLaren aren’t expected to be in the running for the top step of the podium, but could potentially snatch a top-three finish if things go their way once the five lights fall to indicate the start of the Grand Prix.

If so, it will be especially frustrating for Oscar Piastri, who is looking to redeem himself after a mistake at last year’s season-opener cost him a dream podium appearance at his home Grand Prix.