Martin Brundle says ‘outstanding’ driver will fancy his chances of winning his first F1 title in 2026

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As the new Formula 1 season inches ever closer, Martin Brundle shares his thoughts on who we will see dominate the proceedings in the coming year.

Lando Norris enters his very first season of F1 as the defending world champion following his maiden title rout with McLaren last season.

That means that there is a swathe of other drivers on the grid who are vying to dethrone Norris, including his two title rivals from the 2025 term, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri.

However, there’s no guarantee that both McLaren and Red Bull will dominate the front row this year, with the new regulations offering a chance for the rest of the grid to emerge as a competitive force.

Now entering his fifth season with the works Mercedes team, George Russell has his heart set on emulating Michael Schumacher, and he isn’t alone in his hopes.

• READ MORE: Formula 1 fans decide who will have the better 2026 season between Oscar Piastri and George Russell

Martin Brundle thinks George Russell will be eyeing his first F1 drivers’ championship this year

After yet another strong season that saw Russell hover just outside of race-winning contention for the majority of the term, Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle believes that the Mercedes star will be eyeing the top spot in 2026.

During an interview on the red carpet of the 2026 Autosport Awards, Brundle touched upon his thoughts on how the upcoming term will play out, starting with Norris.

He said, “I think for Lando, all that pressure goes away of can I win it? Will I win it? Will I actually get there at the end of the season? Of course, he did.

“It will also motivate Oscar Piastri, probably even more, to be frank. I think he’ll come back with a vengeance.

And obviously, George Russell will fancy his chances this year. We will have to wait and see how all the other cars go.”

Brundle has been an admirer of Russell’s talents for several seasons now and believes that it is just a matter of time before the British driver stakes his claim as a world champion.

In fact, the F1 icon was stunned at the fact that Russell’s victory at the Singapore GP was only his fifth career win.

• READ MORE: George Russell has already displayed one trait that makes him a definite 2026 F1 title contender

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Karun Chandhok also has a ‘sneaky feeling’ that George Russell will emerge as a world champion in 2026

Brundle’s Sky F1 colleague, Karun Chandhok, was also present at the star-studded event, and gave his own prediction on who’s going to end the year as the F1 champion of the world.

He said, “We haven’t seen everyone run, but at this point, I’ve just got a sneaky feeling it’s a George Russell year.

“I thought last season he was outstanding. In my opinion, the second-best driver on the grid, behind Max Verstappen, last year, on pure performance. So if Mercedes deliver, then he will too.”

Chandhok saw a new version of Russell last season following the Briton’s new contract at Mercedes. Now that he has cemented himself as the leading Silver Arrow, the final piece of the puzzle will be getting a car from Mercedes that is worthy of winning a championship.