Why a thrilling F1 era beckons after Mercedes' title double

Mercedes sealed the Constructors Championship in Brazil on Sunday a week after Kimi Antonelli had won the Drivers Championship; the Silver Arrows started 2026 in dominant fashion but have been pegged back by their rivals to create an exciting end to the season

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Mercedes have begun Formula 1's latest generation of rules with a dominant title double, but all indications suggest the sport could be in for a thrilling era of competition.

A week after Kimi Antonelli had become F1's youngest ever world champion in Mexico, his Mercedes team sealed the constructors' title in Brazil on Sunday, with three scheduled rounds to spare.

The destination of both trophies has felt inevitable for a while, but the 2026 season has actually provided fascinating competition since the chasing pack began to catch up with Mercedes after the Silver Arrows cruised to wins at the first six rounds.

Since then, Mercedes have claimed six more wins, McLaren's Lando Norris and Red Bull's Max Verstappen have three each, while Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc each earned a victory, and may well have had more.

Source: Sky Sports