Mercedes reliability woes open door to Ferrari championship bid, says former F1 driver

Former Formula 1 driver Anthony Davidson believes Mercedes' mounting reliability problems have handed Ferrari a viable path to the championship, suggesting that the Maranello outfit can rely on its "bulletproof" machinery.

Davidson assessed the championship picture after the ninth round of the 2026 season, the British Grand Prix, where Ferrari's Charles Leclerc won. The Monegasque driver was joined on the podium by Mercedes' George Russell in second and his Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton in third. 

Mercedes driver and current championship leader Kimi Antonelli had looked set to fight Leclerc for the win at Silverstone. But a dislodged wheel shield hampered his race. As he battled with his broken car, struggling to keep it on track, the Italian finished 15th after a track limits penalty.

As a result, Russell is now only 25 points behind his team-mate in the standings. Hamilton and Leclerc follow in third and fourth in the championship, seven and 46 points behind Russell, respectively.

"George Russell is within a one-race victory of points behind, it's 25 points," Davidson explained on the Sky Sports F1 Show. "The reliability issues, they must be more than a concern for Mercedes.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, George Russell, Mercedes

Photo by: Manuel Eletto / Getty Images

"And Ferrari as a team, they must be thinking, 'Well, even if we don't have the fastest car, maybe we can rely on this for the rest of the season.' Because so far, they've been bulletproof."

While Mercedes has won seven of the first nine grands prix this season, both Russell and Antonelli have suffered retirements. Russell retired from the lead of the Canadian Grand Prix with a battery issue and Antonelli was forced to retire from second at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix due to an electrical shutdown and engine failure.

Ferrari still has some work to do in the constructors' championship. Mercedes leads with 333 points and the Fred Vasseur-led team follows in second with 255 points. McLaren sits third with 179 points.