Former F1 driver predicts Kimi Antonelli will take the 2026 Formula 1 world title. After the 2026 F1 shakedown and preseason testing, former driver Ralf Schumacher makes a surprising prediction.

F1: surprising prediction from former driver – “Antonelli will win the world championship”

After completing the shakedown of the new 2026 Formula 1 cars in Spain and finishing two testing sessions in Bahrain, the F1 world is preparing for the first race of the new season, which will take place on March 8 in Australia. Between the end of the Sakhir tests and the season opener in Melbourne, the eleven teams on the grid have returned to their respective factories, dedicating time to in-depth data analysis and carrying out final simulations to fine-tune their packages for the “first” race, while continuing the development of the brand-new cars created from a clean sheet.

These cars, it should be noted, feature major aerodynamic and power unit innovations. By the end of next week, teams will reveal their true performance and stop hiding, showing the real values on the grid.

Predictions are challenging

In this context, many expect Mercedes to be particularly competitive, if not dominant. Watching the Australian qualifying will be especially interesting to understand the hierarchy of the new technical cycle in Formula 1.

Before that, making predictions is far from simple, although it seems clear that the top fight will be reserved for the usual suspects: Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari. Ralf Schumacher tried to make a small prediction on the podcast ‘Backstage Pitlane,’ offering a surprising forecast not about the team to beat, but rather about who could become the next world champion – a prediction that caught many by surprise.

Schumacher speaks

“I think only after the first three races of the 2026 season will we have a clear idea of the real performance levels, who will be at the front and who won’t. For now, it’s like reading a crystal ball. Mercedes this year has two top drivers, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, and I think they have the best chances to do well because the car has been strong from the start of the year. The same goes for Charles Leclerc and Ferrari. Then, of course, there’s Max Verstappen, who is obviously in a class of his own, but we’ll have to wait and see how strong he and Red Bull are, and how well the car-driver combination performs. But today my instinct says that the championship will be won by Kimi Antonelli!”