Punters Are in a Quandary as Formula 1 Introduces New Rules

by Roy Brindley, 14 January 2026

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is Formula 1’s 2026 betting favourite, but Damon Hill warns Adrian Newey’s magic wand could come into play, making Aston Martin the team to beat.

Adrian Newey has designed cars that have won twelve Formula 1 Constructors’ Championships. © Getty Images

Key Facts:

• Formula 1 teams will unveil their 2026 cars and liveries in the coming weeks.
• Pre-season testing is set to begin on January 26.
• Max Verstappen is the favourite to win the World Drivers’ Championship.
• Damon Hill and others are expecting Adrian Newey to wave his magic want at Aston Martin.

The opening race of the 2026 Formula 1 season is scheduled to take place on March 8 at its traditional starting point, Melbourne, Australia. But, with new rules and regulations, described by Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle as the sport’s “biggest changes ever,” the race for success is well underway.

Over the coming weeks, Formula 1 teams will unveil their 2026 cars and liveries. They will also conduct two days of ‘shakedown’ testing, during which only 200 kilometres of running are permitted – with the specific purpose of ensuring basic system functionality – and no meaningful data can be gathered.

Pre-season testing will begin on January 26 in Barcelona with four days of ‘behind closed doors’ action when no timing data will be made public and cameras will not be present. Six days of official pre-season testing will then take place in Bahrain, from February 11 to 13 and February 18 to 20.

Bookmakers Like Max in 2026 Title Race

Only when these sessions are complete will fans and punters have a glimpse into the potential 2026 pecking order. Even then, a rabbit could be pulled from the hat ahead of the decisive first qualifying session in Australia.

Some of the UK’s top online betting sites have opted to compile their current prices based on results from the past few seasons. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) is the favourite to prevail. The four-time world champion, who got within three points of claiming the title in 2025, is priced on 5/2 odds by William Hill.

McLaren’s Lando Norris was in a protracted duel with his teammate, Oscar Piastri, for much of the 2025 season. Norris eventually came out on top. At 7/2 odds, the reigning world champion is expected to confirm his superiority over Piastri. The Australian is 7/1 in the 2026 title betting.

Mercedes’ George Russell, a 152-race veteran, has never finished better than fourth in the world championship standings; however, the Brit trades as the second favourite in the 2026 World Drivers’ Championship betting lists. Coral bookmakers quote the 27-year-old on industry-best odds of 13/4.

Can You Hear the Drums, Fernando?

The most intriguing candidate for the World Drivers’ Championship is Fernando Alonso. The two-time world champion is now 44 years old. However, he comprehensively outperformed his teammate, Lance Stroll, in 2025 by finishing ahead of him in 15 of the 17 races in which both drivers saw the chequered flag.

In 2023, the Spaniard finished on the podium eight times, whereas Stroll did not collect any silverware. Everything suggests Alonso will outshine Stroll once again, but how will their Aston Martin car perform in 2026?

Team owner Lawrence Stroll has poured fortunes into developing a new 400,000 sq ft factory in Silverstone and hiring top-tier technical staff. The highest profile is Adrian Newey. The legendary Formula 1 designer will act as Aston Martin’s Team Principal in 2026.

Newey Ready to Wave His Magic Wand?

Newey is widely regarded as the greatest car designer in Formula 1 history. He has been responsible for cars that have won 12 Constructors’ Championships, taking titles for Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull.

This week, when asked by talkSPORT’s Jeff Stelling and Ally McCoist if he could see a “complete changing of the guard” this season, the 1996 World Drivers’ Champion, Damon Hill, declared: “Yes, you could, we could see a complete surprise.”

“Something like when Jenson Button won with Brawn, they surprised everyone because they saw through the regulations. And the master of seeing through the regulations is Adrian Newey, who’s gone to Aston Martin.”

“He’s gone off to Aston Martin. He’s been working on this project now for a good 18 months or so. So, we’re sort of expecting him to wave his magic wand over Aston Martin. It could happen.”

Can Cadillac Emulate Brawn’s Debut Season Success?

Brawn GP competed in Formula 1 for just one season, 2009, when its designers managed to exploit loopholes in new regulations, giving it a car so superior to its rivals that it won six of the season’s first seven races.

Brawn won that year’s Constructors’ Championship and its driver, Jenson Button, landed the World Drivers’ Championship. Eagle-eyed punters who saw Brawn’s exceptional pace in early testing sessions availed of 100/1 odds about the team taking the title.

This year, there is one new team on the starting grid with General Motors joining the party under its Cadillac brand. It will be the first new, independent constructor to join the party since Haas in 2016.

Could it be the team that tops the class of 2026, thanks to the clever work of its design team navigating the grey areas of the new regulations? Odds compilers at William Hill believe it is unlikely the team will repeat Brawn GP’s heroics. They quote the new outfit on 250/1 odds in the Constructors’ Championship betting alongside fellow American team, Haas.