The 2024 Formula 1 campaign has unexpectedly turned into one of the greatest seasons in modern history. 2023 saw Max Verstappen win virtually every race with Carlos Sainz taking the only non-Red Bull victory in Singapore. Things looked like they’d be even worse this year with four out of the first five rounds won by Verstappen again – the only one he didn’t win was Australia, and that was down to a technical fault with his Red Bull RB20.
Things looked poised for another one-sided season in 2024, but Lando Norris’ maiden win at Miami changed things. Including that race, the last seven have resulted in five different winners (Norris, Verstappen, Leclerc, Russell and Hamilton). Mercedes has suddenly shown life again and we have three – possibly four – constructors genuinely vying for the win each week. It’s incredibly exciting, though big changes are afoot in the sport. Regulations are being altered in 2026 and with the top teams looking close right now it makes us wonder…who’s the best bet to dominate the new regulations?
F1 wagering is hugely popular at betting sites that accept credit cards around the globe. People love making predictions, so what if you took a stab at the constructors’ title winners for the 2026 season? Here are five teams that could be worth taking a punt on:
Red Bull
Despite being the dominant force since the regulation change in 2022, Red Bull isn’t seen as the biggest threat for 2026. That seems ridiculous to say given how many races the team has won over the last couple of years. Even amid a crazily competitive season, Red Bull holds the most amount of race wins (seven) and leads the constructors’ championship.
Why aren’t they the favourites to dominate the next set of regulation changes? Three reasons spring to mind:
- Adrian Newey
- Sergio Perez
- The engine
Adrian Newey announced he was leaving Red Bull in early 2025, meaning he won’t be around to oversee the new regulation changes. Many credit his genius for creating the recent Red Bull cars that have been so dominant. Indeed, since he announced he was stepping back, the team started looking less in control of races. A coincidence for sure – or could it be he’s already taking a back seat and doesn’t have as much technical input?
Then you have Sergio Perez – his form is spiralling and nobody knows what will happen to his seat. Will he keep it? If so, there’s a massive element of doubt around the Red Bull team getting enough points to win a constructors’ championship in the new regulations.
Finally, it’s well-known that Red Bull is preparing its own engine for 2026 – with the help of Ford. They’ve never made a powertrain before, so people are a bit sceptical about how successful it will be. New regulations look set to favour the best engines, so that’s another reason they aren’t as widely revered as you’d think.
Mercedes
On the other hand, 2026 could signal the true return of Mercedes’ dominance. And hey, with two wins from the last two races, maybe that’s a sign of what’s to come? They’ve been in the wilderness since 2022 and are only just coming back to the top of the sport. Still, people are more excited about their chances than Red Bull come the new regulations.
George Russell gave an interview sharing his excitement at Mercedes’ chances in 2026 thanks to the early signs coming from their new engine. Many believe they’re going to make the best engine, immediately giving them an upper hand.
The only thing stopping them from possibly being the complete number one favourites is their completely terrible start to the 2022 regulations and the driver pairing. Is George Russell ready to be the number one driver when Hamilton leaves? Can Kimi Antonelli step up to the big leagues? There’s enough uncertainty to drop them down to maybe second favourites for 2026.
McLaren
There’s no denying McLaren has been the most impressive team over the last 12 months. They took a terrible concept from 2022 and transformed it in 2023. The team built on this success in 2024 and now have what many consider the fastest car on the grid. Being able to see such success from developing a car will put them in good stead when the regulations change.
Also, McLaren will continue to have a Mercedes engine in its car. This means they’ll benefit from what many believe will be the best engine, plus they seem to have a better development team at their base. That already gives them the edge over Mercedes, though there’s one other thing to keep in mind.
The driver pairing of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri is undoubtedly one of the best out there. By the time 2026 comes around, it wouldn’t be surprising to see both have multiple wins under their belts. McLaren will enter the season with Norris as an F1 “veteran” and Piastri in his fourth year. McLaren has the perfect amount of experience to mount a title charge and is surely the best bet to dominate.
Ferrari
Oh boy, what can one say about Ferrari? Pairing Charles Leclerc with Hamilton is a masterstroke, but is it enough to help them rise back to the top? We saw promising signs from Ferrari at the start of 2022 with Leclerc challenging for the title until the whole team capitulated. A similar start to 2024 saw both Sainz and Leclerc bag wins and neither driver finished outside the top five in the first eight races!
Sadly, things have gone downhill again – and that’s where the lack of confidence in Ferrari comes from. Also, engines will be a big thing and Ferrari is not exactly known for creating amazing powertrains. They’ve got plenty of experience, but a lot of problems with Ferrari cars over the years have been down to engine faults.
It’s too big of a risk to back Ferrari based on all of this, but most motorsport fans are hoping the Scuderia bounces back in 2026.
Aston Martin
Seeing Aston Martin’s name on this list may surprise people given they’ve been below par in 2024. The team looked to have cracked the code in 2023 with Fernando Alonso claiming podium after podium in the early stages. It looked like he’d finally win again, only for the car’s development to fall through the floor. Aston is now nowhere near the top four teams – but could that change in 2026?
One key factor is splitting from Mercedes and partnering with Honda for the new regulation changes. Honda has a rich history in F1 and produced engines for multiple race wins – and was the engine partner in Verstappen’s 2021 championship-winning season. As the sole Honda-powered car going into the new regulations, could Aston Martin gain an edge?
That remains to be seen. However, there have been plenty of reports about Adrian Newey possibly joining Aston Martin in 2026. Everyone thought he was going to Ferrari but the recent news suggests Aston could be poised to swoop in. If the Silverstone-based squad manages to secure his services for the new regulations, who knows what will happen? Newey’s brilliance managed to overhaul the most dominant Mercedes car in existence, so there’s no doubt he could produce magic over at Aston too.
There’s still a while to go before these new regulations kick in but who are your early favourites to be the dominant force? Logic suggests Red Bull will carry on winning, yet the slight dip combined with an uptick from other teams casts some doubt. McLaren looks to be a good bet right now, though much depends on the Mercedes engine. Feel free to comment with your opinions or to shout out a team that’s not mentioned who could be a dark horse – Audi, anyone?
