'King' George Russell ready to win F1 2026 title

Mercedes F1 star George Russell has done enough waiting and is now ready to take the coveted prize of the drivers' championship according to a much-respected legend of the sport.

Russell's fellow countryman Lando Norris is the latest F1 champion, having beaten team-mate Oscar Piastri and four-time champion Max Verstappen to the drivers' title in a nail-biting fight at last year's season finale.

But following January's Barcelona shakedown and two stints of pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, it is still Mercedes who have been tipped by many to have mastered the sports' new regulations.

For 2026 and beyond, F1's chassis and power unit rules have received a comprehensive overhaul, and given the Silver Arrows own experience as a PU manufacturer and the fact they have the data of three other customer teams to guide them through 2026 rules reset, they seem well positioned to challenge for wins, if not the title this season.

So, if Mercedes are the ones to beat in 2026, will it be Russell or his teenage team-mate Kimi Antonelli who can handle the pressure of leading the pack?

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George Russell 'king' at Mercedes

We still do not know for sure just how much sandbagging was going on during pre-season testing, with Mercedes yet to actually prove they are the favourites in 2026.

But with so many changes entering the sport this year for the fans and the drivers, it won't necessarily be the case that the Silver Arrows will dominate from the get go at this weekend's Australian Grand Prix.

One expert who certainly isn't buying into the idea that Mercedes are the 'clear favourites' is ex-F1 driver and Sky Sports legend Martin Brundle, who admitted he thinks Russell is ready to shine should he find himself at the wheel of a car that finally allows him to do so.

Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the first round in Melbourne, Brundle said: "I do think he's ready for it," in regards to the 28-year-old, who is preparing for his eighth season in F1 having already proven he has what it takes to hold his own around a champion.

Russell was promoted into the Mercedes F1 team for the 2022 campaign, where he joined seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, something which holds him in good stead to go up against pretty much anyone else on the grid in the form of his team-mate.

On top of this, his current Mercedes partner Antonelli is only in his second year in the sport, with Russell the clear No.1 at Toto Wolff's F1 team and oozing confidence heading into 2026.

"He's a smart guy; they're all smart guys. George has got the team around him. Kimi [Antonelli] will be stronger this year in the other car, but George is completely out of Lewis [Hamilton]'s shadow there, he's the king of the castle at Mercedes-Benz," Brundle continued.

"He did all those years at Williams and then he went to Mercedes when they just stopped dominating, so he's done the hard yards.

"I think he's got the experience, he's got the car control, and I think he will command the respect in the team to help drive what's going to be an incredibly changeable year."

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