Antonelli: Could not have imagined F1 title fight after 'rock bottom' rookie season

Published Jul 19, 06:00 PM UTC

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Kimi Antonelli, 19, won the Belgian Grand Prix for Mercedes, extending his Formula 1 championship lead to 45 points over Lewis Hamilton after 10 of 22 rounds. The Italian driver admitted he could not have imagined this dominant position a year ago when he reached 'rock bottom' during his rookie 2025 campaign, which included a dismal run of poor results. Despite recent bad luck—an engine failure in Barcelona and a wheel-guard failure at Silverstone—Antonelli's pace over teammate George Russell has made him the clear title favorite. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff expressed surprise at Antonelli's remarkable consistency in 2026, while Antonelli himself remains cautious, refusing to relax given how quickly the situation can change.

Source

SkySports | NewsWestern

Original headline: 'I reached rock bottom' - Antonelli admits shock as title charge accelerates

Original language: EN-GB

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Antonelli admits shock at F1 title charge after 'rock bottom' rookie season

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People and interests

Kimi Antonelli Lewis Hamilton George Russell Mercedes Ferrari