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Alex Wurz claims his “gut feeling” is that George Russell will beat Max Verstappen to clinch the 2026 F1 drivers’ title, as he now has the “maturity” and the car to win it all.
Wurz has no doubts that Verstappen “must” fight for the F1 drivers’ championship in 2026, which would mark the Red Bull racer’s sixth successive title fight. But he does not think the Red Bull RB22 will start the campaign competitive enough compared to the Mercedes W17.
Mercedes have been backed to be the team to beat since long before the first cars built to F1’s 2026 regulations hit a track. And pre-season testing in Bahrain plus the first weekend of the year at the Australian Grand Prix have only helped to support the Silver Arrows’ status.
Many in the paddock, including some of his rivals, even feel Russell is therefore the favourite to win the title this term. Carlos Sainz believes only Russell can deny Verstappen the 2026 F1 title, which would also see the Briton contest the first championship challenge of his career.
Prove him wrong: Lando Norris believes George Russell is an F1 champion in the making
Alex Wurz thinks George Russell has the ‘maturity’ and car to win the 2026 F1 drivers’ title
Russell enjoyed the best year of his F1 career to date in the final season of the ground-effect era last year, with P4 in the drivers’ standings. The 28-year-old also led Mercedes to second in the constructors’ standings, with 319 of their 469 points alongside Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
READ MORE: All you need to know about the 2026 F1 season, from the calendar to drivers
Now, Wurz believes Russell has the “maturity” to win the F1 drivers’ title and Mercedes also have the car for him to win it all. So, even though Wurz expects Red Bull and Verstappen will be in the mix, he tips Russell to take an early lead and make it impossible for the Dutchman.
“I’m predicting George Russell will be world champion,” Wurz told OE24. “He’ll narrowly beat Max Verstappen. George now has the necessary maturity as a racing driver. He is extremely fast, makes few mistakes and is in the right car. That is a fantastic combination.”
Wurz added: “As a driver, Max can, should and must compete for the world championship. However, his car won’t be competitive until mid-season.
“Then we’ll see a thrilling duel with Russell. But my gut feeling tells me that George will have collected enough points by then to clinch the title.”
George Russell has proven his F1 champion mentality without having the car to win a title
What do you expect from George Russell in the 2026 F1 season?
The 2026 F1 season could be the year that Russell has been waiting for, having never had a car with which he could battle for the drivers’ title since he joined Mercedes in 2022 at the start of the ground-effect era. He has also never won more than two Grands Prix in a term.
Russell won two Grands Prix in 2024 and 2025 for his most productive campaigns so far, as well as reaching nine podiums last year for another personal-best tally. Now, however, the King’s Lynn native begins 2026 as the title favourite as F1 enters its latest regulatory cycle.
Many believe in Russell’s potential to win the F1 title this year largely due to Mercedes’ car, but also what the Briton has shown in recent seasons. Russell has refused to back down to Verstappen, and he proved in 2025 that he can lead Mercedes after Lewis Hamilton’s exit.
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