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Topics: Formula 1, Mercedes, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Spotlight
Tom Jenkins
Topics: Formula 1, Mercedes, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Spotlight
Alex Albon has revealed four F1 teams could be set for a major advantage in 2026 in an exclusive interview with SPORTbible, and it's the worst possible news for Lewis Hamilton.
Williams have been the surprise package of the 2025 Formula 1 season to date, with the team already scoring more than double their points from the entirety of 2024.
Albon has been key to Williams' successful start to the year even with the statement signing of Carlos Sainz from Ferrari, with the Spaniard scoring 23 fewer points than his teammate.
Despite the Oxfordshire-based team's strong start to the season, it has been no secret that the majority of focus from team principal James Vowels has been on 2026.
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The 2026 season will bring some huge changes to F1 with both the engine and chassis regulations changing significantly.
Similarly to the changes in 2022 which saw the fall of the dominant Mercedes and rise of McLaren and Ferrari, the new regulations are likely to shake up the pecking order.
Speaking exclusively to SPORTbible, Albon revealed what he expects the changes to do to Williams' place in the landscape of F1.
“I hope to be at least where we are now as a bottom line," Albon explained.
"I think we can look forward from where we are this year."
Although the F1 chassis will finally be getting smaller alongside a weight reduction of 30kg, it's the engine changes that are likely to be the biggest factor heading into 2026.
The major change on the power unit side comes with a 300 percent increase in electrical power coming from the battery, with the engines also to be run completely with sustainable fuel.
These changes are set to be extremely consequential, with each engine manufacturer getting one shot at perfecting their power unit before the first race.
According to Albon, teams who race with a Mercedes power unit could be set for a major advantage similar to what we saw following the 2014 engine changes.
“I think the engine regulations are going to be very interesting," he claimed.
"I’m hoping there is going to be a benefit from being with the Mercedes power train, I think that’s going to help us out quite a lot.”
Despite there being 11 teams on the F1 grid for 2026, only Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda, and now Ford (Red Bull/RB) build power-units, with the remaining teams forced to purchase their engines.
Albon added: “That being said we have teams like McLaren, obviously Mercedes, and even Alpine who are joining Mercedes so there is still going to be a fight in that sense.
“That’s what I see, I mean we’ve had a great year so far but there is still lots to come," he insisted.
If Albon's forecast about Mercedes is correct, it would be a huge blow to Hamilton whose move to Ferrari directly correlated with his search for an 8th world title.
With Ferrari's 2025 challenger looking far from a championship contender the hopes of Hamilton and Charles Leclerc lie on the 2026 car, making Albon's claims extremely worrying for the Scuderia.
Ferrari will be providing power units for the incoming Cadillac F1 team, meaning there is some expectation that the Italian team will produce a competitive engine, however, all the early signs point to a Mercedes advantage.