Helmut Marko Declares 2026 Could See a Mercedes-Powered Champion Over Max Verstappen

The 2026 season is right around the corner, as it will introduce new regulations and rule out the previous Venturi wind tunnel effect. None of the teams is believed to be the clear favorite in terms of results.

However, Mercedes was rumored to be at the forefront of the power unit development. As such, former Red Bull advisor, Dr. Helmut Marko, reveals that the German carmaker might finally return to their championship-winning days, even over Max Verstappen.

Mercedes nailed multiple eras of regulations back in the day. However, the ground-effect era proved to be extremely difficult for Mercedes, especially Lewis Hamilton, as they did not even contend for either of the championship titles over the four years. Now, with the 2026 season in effect, the German giant might finally return to their glory in the pinnacle of motorsport.

Helmut Marko did not mince his words while talking about Mercedes’ chance to shine in the championship battle in the 2026 regulations. Marko feared that the driver’s champion this year might be a driver running the Mercedes power unit. The 82-year-old reckoned that Lando Norris might return to the championship lane as a winner over Max Verstappen, despite the people’s opinion on the matter.

Meanwhile, Helmut Marko acknowledged Williams’ sudden growth in performance in recent years. Moreover, George Russell could not be counted out of the battle, as he always wanted to prove himself and his racing mettle on the grid. Russell just needed to live up to the hype and push to the limit to win the driver’s championship in the upcoming season.

I fear it will be a driver using a Mercedes engine, It could be Lando Norris. Williams is reportedly making quite a bit of progress. And, of course, George Russell is someone who, if he really wants to be among the world’s best, has to live up to that now and drive for the world championship.

Helmut Marko told ORF.

Helmut Marko predicts performance disparity to ‘increase dramatically’

The 2026 season will feature 11 teams with 22 drivers vying for a points finish and race victory. Moreover, the new regulations mean that the teams will need a few race weekends to figure out the perfect setup and keep developing on that throughout the season. Even Max Verstappen believes that the teams will spend more time in the garage than on track during the initial testing sessions.

With the new regulations incoming, Helmut Marko noted that the gap in performance will widen considerably. Despite the grid being extremely close to one another during the closing stages of the 2025 season, many teams will still need some time to figure out the best setup. As such, Marko is confident that the performance disparity between each and every team will continue to widen until a certain point.

Last year, the field had never been so close together, There were races where, in qualifying, there were 20 cars within seven hundredths of each other. I think that gap will widen considerably, The regulations are the way they are, but you have to give it a chance. However, I fear that the differences will increase dramatically.

Helmut Marko noted.

The 2026 season marks the beginning of a new era, and certainly, every driver will be happy to put the ground-effect era behind them. Many people faced a steep learning curve under the previous regulations, and the new ones might finally ease them up a bit. Anywho, time will tell about how the drivers warm up to the newer regulations and push for maximum performance on the grid.

Read More: Max Verstappen Ends Red Bull Exit Rumors With One Clear Message

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