George Russell has identified Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc as Mercedes' main title rivals during the 2026 Formula One season. 

Russell has been tipped as the favourite to become the 12th British driver to be crowned the world champion after the Silver Arrows' impressive showing in pre-season testing.

The third, and last, testing session ahead of the new F1 season took place in Bahrain last month, with attention now turning to this weekend's Australian Grand Prix. 

Russell's potential title charge has stemmed from Mercedes' dominance from the previous power unit changes, which came into play back in 2014. 

The sport has undergone some of its biggest changes between the 2025 and 2026 campaigns, with new rules introduced regarding engines, chassis, tyres and fuel.

Ferrari set the quicker times in the Bahrain test, though Mercedes showed their speed on the long runs, though Red Bull and McLaren were also not too far behind. 

Asked who he saw as Mercedes' biggest title challengers when it comes to the Drivers' Championship, Russell did not see McLaren duo Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris, the reigning world champion, among them.

He said: "I would say Max and Leclerc.

"Red Bull have exceeded everybody's expectations with their engine, so naturally Max will be in the fight. Ferrari also look very strong. 

"Charles looks very strong, but you can never discount Lewis [Hamilton]. As it stands, those are the other drivers that are on the radar, who I think will be in the mix.

"McLaren have been so successful in years gone by. They look a bit on the back foot currently, but that can all change.

"We saw that a couple of years ago when they went from the back to the front, so we can't discount anyone."

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Russell has appeared in 152 races in F1, the majority of which have come in his four-year stint with Mercedes, though he has been unable to mount a title charge in that time.

The 28-year-old joined Mercedes from Williams in 2022 and partnered seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who departed for Ferrari ahead of the 2025 campaign. 

During his time with the Silver Arrows, Russell has never finished higher than fourth in the Constructors' Championship, and he finished in that same spot last season. 

However, the 319 points he accrued, which saw him win two races in Canada and Singapore as well as earning seven podiums, was the most he has managed in his F1 career. 

"I'm going about it the same as everyone in the season, which is to get the absolute maximum from the package," Russell added.

"I think we have delivered a strong car at the moment.

"However, we're not taking anything for granted because every time there is a new set of regulations, the rate of development is so strong.

"We've seen that, even in 2022, Ferrari were the team to beat in the first four or five races, then by the end of the season, they weren't even close to a championship fight.

"We've got to be very diligent. And even if we do start the season very well, it doesn't really count for a lot. So, we need to keep on pushing and just taking it race by race."

DRIVERS TO WATCH

Lando Norris – McLaren

Norris began his title tilt with a victory in Melbourne 12 months ago, and he will be looking to make another strong start here as he looks to defend his crown.

Should he emerge victorious here, he could be the first driver to win two consecutive editions in Australia since Sebastian Vettel in 2017 and 2018.

In addition, if he repeats pole position with victory, he will be the first driver in F1 history to win two consecutive races in Australia, starting in first position and finishing first. 

He could also become the third McLaren driver to win the first race of the year in two consecutive seasons, after Ayrton Senna (1990 and 1991) and Alain Prost (1987 and 1988).

The Briton can equal David Coulthard (12) as the fifth driver with the most victories in the history of F1 for the British team.

Norris has also stood on the podium 44 times in his F1 career. If he finishes in the top three in Australia, the Briton will equal Carlos Reutemann (45) to enter the Top 20 drivers with the most podiums in the history of the competition. 

Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari

Hamilton has expressed optimism about the campaign ahead after a difficult first year with Ferrari, and the 41-year-old begins his 20th F1 season at a track he has often dominated at over the years. 

Indeed, Hamilton is the driver with the most pole positions at the Australian Grand Prix (eight) and he has only managed more in Hungary (nine).

However, the Briton has only achieved one pole position in the last 93 races he has competed in (Hungary 2023), and has not achieved one in Australia since 2019.

And Hamilton will want to end his run without a podium, with his current stretch of 26 races without a top-three finish the worst streak of his illustrious career.