Ahead of this weekend’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Sky Sports F1’s Anthony Davidson tells us who is in his top six driver combinations.
Davidson lists the teams that finished last year’s Constructors’ Championship and you can tell us your opinion in the poll below….
McLaren – Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri
This has to be one of the best driver lineups in F1 right now. They were chasing each other hard for the 2025 drivers’ title because they were very evenly matched.
Together, they are a very powerful combination that complements each other very well. And that’s a big part of why McLaren wrapped up the constructors’ championship early last year.
Even though they were riding the strongest cars, they really pushed the performance out of the machines underneath them. So I’m excited to see what they do this year.
Mercedes – George Russell and Kimi Antonelli
I really enjoyed watching Kimi Antonelli learn at work last year. In my opinion, he was one of the best rookies this season. He is exceptionally gifted, hard-working, energetic and committed, and works very well with his more experienced team-mate George Russell. The team loves him. He brings good energy and positivity to the team.
And with George, he brought stability and professionalism along with unquestionable pace. Very quickly in qualifying he has now also learned how to structure the race. And all the boring stuff like tire maintenance and everything else, George does it all.
So I think this driver pairing is really interesting and can and should deliver strong results this year.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Martin Brundle believes George Russell has the confidence to compete for the title if his car allows.
Red Bull – Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar
Obviously, I think Max alone is the strongest driver on the grid. There is little left for him to improve, and I still believe he is getting better each season.
I think the only blot in his copybook last year was at Barcelona, where I think his character improved for the better. And maybe without that he could be a five-time world champion right now. He could have won last year without that one moment. But he learned from his mistakes and that’s really impressive.
This year he is joined by Hadjar, who was a standout rookie last season and surprised many, including me. So I’m really curious to see how he will handle the pressure cooker at Red Bull with Verstappen as his teammate. Because no one has survived until now.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Max Verstappen reflects on Red Bull’s run during pre-season testing in Bahrain, where he achieved an impressive number of laps.
Ferrari – Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
It could be said to be the strongest lineup on paper, but Lewis has found things difficult over the past few years. Let’s see if he can bounce back with this new iteration of the car. I believe they will fit his style better. I think he will be able to get more out of the equipment than he has done with the ground effect cars over the past few years.
Leclerc is a phenomenal driver, very fast and probably one of the fastest drivers, especially in qualifying, if not the fastest driver on the grid. He doesn’t care about the cars moving underneath him. The way he drives is very flashy and I really love watching it.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Craig Slater and Martin Brundle review and rank all F1 teams following pre-season testing.
But I think they both went through some rough times at some point last year. It was definitely not an easy car to drive, so we’ll see how it goes this year. I hope it will give you the strength to think again.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Sky Sports’ Craig Slater explains how the current conflict in the Middle East could affect Australia’s opening race and the F1 calendar.
Williams – Alex Albon, Carlos Sainz
It’s been a sea change for Williams as a team that didn’t bother midfielders just a few seasons ago relies on drivers who pay their own way.
I think Sainz’s arrival was applauded by many. Everyone on the Williams team welcomed this. I loved watching his approach. His professionalism and commitment to perfection are there for all to see.
The team’s driver line-up has not only further spurred Albon on and pushed him to new heights by bringing in Sainz, but has also made the team as a whole have more to offer and be more ambitious than ever before. In that regard, it’s incredible to see the difference a driver signature can make.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Sky Sports F1’s David Croft takes a closer look at how F1 will develop in 2026 as the sport enters a new recharged era featuring more power, new teams and engine suppliers.
Haas – Oliver Behrman, Esteban Ocon
Finishing the top six was a more difficult proposition. Because there were many different drive combinations that could have been included in the mix. But I chose the Haas duo.
Ocon is very experienced and we have always seen that he often performs very well under pressure and can perform well when he is in a good position. But when he doesn’t like the car or the whole situation, he can sometimes put his head down, and it can happen to anyone.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Craig Slater and Martin Brundle review and rank all F1 teams following pre-season testing.
But I think having Bearman is a really positive thing for both Ocon and the team. Ollie is always interesting to watch. Of course, since he was a rookie last year, a few mistakes crept in here and there, but that was to be expected. His standout performance of fourth place in Mexico was a real surprise for the entire paddock.
I think they bounce off each other well and have had a really positive impact on the team. I hope this car can surprise people again this year, including drivers. Then you could potentially see much better performance from both.
Sky Sports F1 Australian GP Schedule
Thursday March 5th
3 a.m.: Driver press conference.
6am: Paddock Uncut
9:45 PM: F3 practice
10:55 PM: F2 practice
Friday March 6th
1am: Australian GP Practice One (session starts at 1.30am)*
2:55 AM: F3 Qualifying*
3:30 a.m.: Team boss press conference.
3:50 AM: F2 Qualifying*
4.35am: Australian GP practice 2 (session starts at 5am)*
6:15 AM: F1 Show*
Saturday, March 7th
00:10 AM: F3 Sprint*
1.10am: Australian GP Practice 3 (session starts at 1.30am)*
3:05 AM: F2 Sprint*
4.10am: Preparing for Australian GP qualifying*
5am: Australian Grand Prix Qualifying*
7 AM: Ted’s Qualifying Note*
9:45 PM: F3 Feature Race*
Sunday March 8th
12:20 AM: F2 Feature Race*
2.30am: Build-up to Australian GP: Sunday Grand Prix*
4am: Australian Grand Prix*
6am: Australian GP reaction: checkered flag*
7 AM: Ted’s Note*
7.55am: Australian GP race replay*
10am: Australian GP highlights (also on Sky One)*
*Applies to Sky Sports main event as well
Watch every race of the 2026 Formula 1 season live on Sky Sports, starting with the Australian Grand Prix this weekend. Stream Sky Sports NOW – No Commitment, Cancel Anytime
