Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton backed to reignite F1 rivalry in title fight

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have emerged as the overwhelming favourites to claim the 2026 drivers' championship according to a RacingNews365 poll, despite neither entering the season with momentum firmly in their favour.

The Red Bull and Ferrari drivers secured 29 per cent and 23.8 per cent respectively in the poll, comfortably ahead of the chasing pack as F1 prepares for its most significant regulatory overhaul in the sport's history.

Verstappen's status as favourite reflects his championship pedigree, having claimed four world titles between 2021 and 2024, yet his pre-season testing in Bahrain offered little evidence to support such bullish predictions. 

The Dutchman finished fifth in testing with a best lap of 1:33.109, some 1.1 seconds adrift of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc who topped the timesheets.

Hamilton's second-place finish in the poll is equally intriguing given his difficult debut season with Ferrari in 2025, where he was outscored by Leclerc by 86 points. Yet the seven-time world champion appears significantly more comfortable with the SF-26, a car he helped develop over the winter after extensive time at Maranello. 

The vote represents a curious rejection of recent form. Leclerc, who dominated pre-season testing, attracted just 21.5 per cent support despite being tipped by multiple analysts as a title contender. 

George Russell, the bookmakers' favourite for the championship for the first time in his career following Mercedes' impressive testing programme, secured only 12.1 per cent.

Most striking is the apathy towards defending champion Lando Norris, who scraped just 5.6 per cent of the vote despite his hard-fought 2025 title victory over Verstappen by a two-point margin. McLaren partner Oscar Piastri received more backing in the poll.

Check out the full poll results below!