Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

Early odds crown two favourites for 2026 as bookmakers overlook major names

20:01, 04 Feb

byTobia Elia

According to the bookmakers, two names stand out as leading favourites to win both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles in 2026.

Those two names are George Russell for the Drivers’ title and Mercedes for the Constructors’. While the Silver Arrows last lifted the teams’ crown in 2021 — before Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari shared the honours in the years that followed — the Briton has never truly been in a sustained title fight. However, his outstanding 2025 campaign showed that his level is now firmly high enough to be considered a genuine contender for the sport’s biggest prize.

The early bookmakers’ odds offer an intriguing snapshot of expectations for 2026, with Mercedes leading the Constructors’ market at 5/4, ahead of McLaren on 10/3, while Ferrari (8/1) and Red Bull (10/1) trail further back. In the Drivers’ Championship betting, George Russell tops the list at 2/1, followed by Max Verstappen on 4/1, with Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris both priced at 8/1.

Alonso’s presence so high in the market is something of a surprise after a low-key 2025 spent away from the front, while the reigning world champions appear to have been quietly overlooked in the early odds.

Photo: Race Pictures

Toto Wolff strikes cautious note as Russell leads 2026 title odds

Mercedes’ CEO and team principal has played down bookmakers’ early backing of his driver for the 2026 world title, despite the Briton coming off the strongest season of his career last year — even if a genuine title fight never fully materialised.

Speaking to GPblog among other media, the Austrian welcomed the recognition but insisted he would rather let the track do the talking before drawing any conclusions.

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