Kimi Antonelli continues to show true resilience, bouncing back after every difficult weekend

Kimi Antonelli is reaching new heights. Six victories into the 2026 season, Toto Wolff’s scouting masterstroke is paying off beautifully. Rewind to 2023: while Lewis Hamilton was extracting everything from his Mercedes to push Max Verstappen for second in the standings without a single win, Wolff was already looking to the future—and hunting for his next superstar.

George Russell was widely tipped to inherit Lewis Hamilton’s throne as Mercedes' team leader. However, his eighth-place finish in the standings that season left room for doubt, perhaps signalling to management that while Russell is an asset, he may lack that elusive, championship-defining edge. Last Sunday at Spa-Francorchamps, those doubts only deepened. More woes on Russell's side of the garage saw him slide to P3 in the overall standings, overtaken by Hamilton. Crucially, the deficit is growing: he now trails Antonelli by 50 points, putting him two clear race wins behind the championship leader.

While George Russell remains furious over his car’s persistent battery and power unit issues, Kimi Antonelli continues to show impressive resilience, bouncing back after every difficult weekend—most notably after his pointless outing at Silverstone. A far more pressing concern for Mercedes-AMG, however, is Ferrari's consistent performance. With the Scuderia securing double-points finishes in nearly every race, they are rapidly closing the gap in the Constructors' Championship.

Meanwhile, the form of both McLaren and Red Bull Racing remains puzzling. Although Max Verstappen comfortably secured the final spot on the podium at Spa, both he and teammate Isack Hadjar will need a significant development upgrade if Red Bull is to pose a genuine threat to the front-running McLarens.

Behind the "Big Four" teams, an absolute bar-room brawl of a midfield scrap is unfolding race after race. Perhaps the biggest shock of all is that the legendary Williams squad is nowhere near the fight. Instead, Alpine and Racing Bulls are locked in a dead heat, level on 61 points each! The battle is incredibly tight at every level: lead drivers Pierre Gasly and Liam Lawson are separated by a mere 3 points, while rookies Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto are also separated by just 3 points.

For a fresh perspective on the 2026 season, fans should shift their focus to this spectacular midfield war once the battle for the podium positions settles down. Next up is the Hungaroring—the final race before the month-long summer break. Kimi Antonelli will undoubtedly be aiming to close out the first half of the season on the top step of the podium, but let’s hope the midfield delivers enough chaos to ensure he doesn't have it all his own way!

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Round 11 | Hungary | Sunday, 26th July 18:30 | F1TV & FanCode App