2026 Pecking order predictions

[AR3-GP]

Live update:
Merc
Mclaren +3 tenths
Ferrari +4 tenths
Red Bull +6 tenths

This was generous.

[Vettel165]

Indeed Mercedes is dominant, the others will fights for that p3 spot. But thats just for now, a lot of time to unlock.

[FittingMechanics]

If this gap holds then people will learn what rocketship really means.

Will serve them good for complaining about McLaren last year.

[avantman]

If this gap holds then people will learn what rocketship really means.

Will serve them good for complaining about McLaren last year.

I mean Wache told us Max would be 3 tenths behind Mercedes. I of course assume the faster one. Is not that exactly the same deficit he had to your orange boys in Melbourne last year?
We have yet to see if Merc will actually be capable to lap a second, second and a half faster than the nearest rival at any stage during the race.. like Mclaren at times last year.

[FittingMechanics]

If this gap holds then people will learn what rocketship really means.

Will serve them good for complaining about McLaren last year.

I mean Wache told us Max would be 3 tenths behind Mercedes. I of course assume the faster one. Is not that exactly the same deficit he had to your orange boys in Melbourne last year?
We have yet to see if Merc will actually be capable to lap a second, second and a half faster than the nearest rival at any stage during the race.. like Mclaren at times last year.

I think it is insulting to Hadjar to say he was 5 tenths slower but maybe it is true.

If that is the case, fair play and we'll enioy the fight you have with Mercedes.

[AR3-GP]

If this gap holds then people will learn what rocketship really means.

Will serve them good for complaining about McLaren last year.

I mean Wache told us Max would be 3 tenths behind Mercedes. I of course assume the faster one. Is not that exactly the same deficit he had to your orange boys in Melbourne last year?
We have yet to see if Merc will actually be capable to lap a second, second and a half faster than the nearest rival at any stage during the race.. like Mclaren at times last year.

I think it is insulting to Hadjar to say he was 5 tenths slower but maybe it is true.

If that is the case, fair play and we'll enioy the fight you have with Mercedes.

There isn't going to be a fight with Mercedes.

Mclaren won 12 of the first 14 races last year with that kind of gap.

[avantman]

* should have won 14.

[FittingMechanics]

I mean Wache told us Max would be 3 tenths behind Mercedes. I of course assume the faster one. Is not that exactly the same deficit he had to your orange boys in Melbourne last year?
We have yet to see if Merc will actually be capable to lap a second, second and a half faster than the nearest rival at any stage during the race.. like Mclaren at times last year.

I think it is insulting to Hadjar to say he was 5 tenths slower but maybe it is true.

If that is the case, fair play and we'll enioy the fight you have with Mercedes.

There isn't going to be a fight with Mercedes.

Mclaren won 12 of the first 14 races last year with that kind of gap.

I am hopeful that it won't be Mercedes domination. Rest of the big 4 each had some issues that exaggarated the gap.

Red Bull had Verstappen crash out and various software issues over weekend.
Ferrari had deployment issues (I've read they are faster in corners than Mercedes)
McLaren had Norris damage, low amount of laps for him and only got this engine spec over the weekend.

I think each of the teams should be able to close the gap. Mercedes did probably 9 days on this engine spec and is clearly on top of things.

But maybe that is just my hopium. We'll see. I hope the racing is good so even if they are ahead we have a good fight in F1.5
l

[f1isgood]

My prediction went wrong with the Orange cars.

[Anony Mous Engineerd]

Audi is going to surprise people. They have become experts at the craft of hiding performance in tests ( BOP anyone??) and will be way faster in Australia. easy top 10 team and a podium before the end of the year.

BORTOLETO IN 9TH!!!

gosh, I like being right...

[woocasz]

People forgetting about Red Bull and Max as the dark horse… They will suprise a lot of people in a positive way in terms of pace in few weeks. Mark my words.

how do we tell him?
by the way, without fastest car Max looks sooo mid...

[nitrotech]

People forgetting about Red Bull and Max as the dark horse… They will suprise a lot of people in a positive way in terms of pace in few weeks. Mark my words.

how do we tell him?
by the way, without fastest car Max looks sooo mid...

No driver can make an impact without a strong car. A lot of times, the claims of GOAT and all that, is highly exaggerated. For a while, Alonso was the greatest driver on the grid and then he never got a good car, slowly people forgot he is the greatest driver on the grid. Then it was Lewis and now it's Max. First half last year, Max looked not so great when McLaren was bolting home. Red Bull continued development, McLaren stagnated, so Max looked great. It doesn't matter who the driver is, how talented the driver is, car makes all the difference and the same can make that driver look foolish and ordinary also.