Martin Brundle sets an Australian GP podium call as 2026 predictions surge

martin brundle has put his marker down on the season-opening Australian Grand Prix weekend in Melbourne, naming a predicted 1-2-3 podium ahead of the first competitive track action. The prediction was shared as part of a wider round of forecasts involving seven members of a Formula 1 broadcast team, published ahead of the opening round of a 24-race campaign. The focus now turns to Melbourne as pre-season talk gives way to stopwatch-defined running this weekend, with Sunday’s race scheduled to start at 4: 00am ET.

Martin Brundle’s podium pick leads a packed slate of Australian GP calls

In the set of predictions made ahead of the Melbourne weekend, martin brundle selected the following Australian GP podium order: Charles Leclerc first, George Russell second, and Oscar Piastri third.

Other pundits offered different podium combinations, underscoring how open the early picture appears just before competitive sessions begin:

• Simon Lazenby: George Russell, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton
• Natalie Pinkham: Lando Norris, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton
• David Croft: George Russell, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris
• Karun Chandhok: George Russell, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris
• Rachel Brookes: George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Antonelli
• Anthony Davidson: George Russell, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris

The predictions were framed as a light-hearted “crystal ball” exercise, but the breadth of outcomes—especially the repeated presence of Russell across multiple lists—highlights the sense that the opening weekend could quickly redraw expectations once cars are on track.

Immediate reactions: uncertainty, learning curves, and the push for multiple winners

Alongside podium picks, the same group also weighed in on how many different race winners the season might produce, reflecting a belief that the year could be volatile across varying circuits and demands.

One member of the group argued for a high total, saying: “I’m going to go big because there’s a lot of opportunity from race to race and drivers having to learn from race to race and, even for the more experienced drivers, there’s a lot of learning to be done. So I’ll say eight, but it wouldn’t surprise me if we had a ninth or 10th in there as well. ”

That view was reinforced by a second passage emphasizing that “every track is going to be so different in terms of energy management, ” with the suggestion that early-season variation could be especially strong before teams and drivers fully adapt.

martin brundle struck a slightly more conservative, but still expansive, note on winners: “More than usual because I think it’s going to be a bit wild. At least six. ”

There was also praise aimed at Russell’s resilience and preparation. One comment stated: “George can cope with a lot of adversity but also knows the preparation that he’ll need to put in for each and every race and is prepared to do it. ”

Quick context: Melbourne is where talk ends and timing begins

The predictions arrived just before the first round of a 24-race season, with the Australian Grand Prix weekend in Melbourne serving as the opening test once competitive track action begins. The exercise was published in the buildup to the weekend, explicitly positioned as a way to bridge pre-season debate and the reality of timed laps.

What’s next: eyes on the stopwatch at 4: 00am ET Sunday

All of these forecasts will face an immediate reality check once cars run in anger in Melbourne, where the opening competitive sessions will clarify who is truly quick at the start of the new campaign. With the race set for 4: 00am ET Sunday, the next developments will come fast: whether martin brundle’s Leclerc-Russell-Piastri podium call holds up, and whether the broader expectation of a “wild” season starts to show itself from round one.