Verstappen reveals what impresses him about the 19-year-old leader
Max Verstappen and Lando Norris praise Kimi Antonelli's 'rock solid' performances, as he heads into the summer break with a 50-point lead over Lewis Hamilton.
Max Verstappen and Lando Norris praise Kimi Antonelli's 'rock solid' performances, as he heads into the summer break with a 50-point lead over Lewis Hamilton.
Max Verstappen, the four-time world champion, has praised the "rock solid" performances of young Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, which have put him at the top of the Formula 1 World Championship standings in the first part of the 2026 season. Antonelli, who is just 19 years old, has led the championship since the end of March and heads into the summer break with a 50-point lead over Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen sat alongside Antonelli and race winner Lando Norris when asked who had shown the best performance in the first part of the season. "I mean, if you look at the front, Kimi has done a really good job. Really strong, really solid, the strongest in the team," Verstappen told Sky Sports.
Verstappen particularly highlighted Antonelli's maturity given his age. "I mean, if he just keeps going like that - of course, he's had a lot of bad luck as well, so that's, I guess, a bit of a shame - but as a 19-year-old, so far, I think he's been rock solid. So, that's really impressive to see from the outside, I guess."
The Dutchman also added a personal note, praising Antonelli's character. "He's, first of all, a nice guy and a very strong driver, so that's a good combination," Verstappen concluded. This season, Antonelli became only the second driver in Formula 1 history to win a race as a teenager, after claiming his first victory at the Chinese Grand Prix. Since then, he has added five more wins to his tally, and he turns 20 on August 25, 2026.
Lando Norris also had nothing but praise for the young Mercedes driver. "I think you have to say Kimi, as the complete package. They have a great car, and he's done an incredible job, convincingly beating his teammate every weekend. So, when you talk about the championship, you have to give credit to Kimi," Norris told Sky Sports. Norris pointed out that the three drivers sitting at the press conference are among the best in the sport: "I think you probably have, in front of you, the three best drivers in Formula 1."
Antonelli currently holds a 59-point lead over his more experienced teammate George Russell after 11 races. Despite the impressive statistics, Antonelli remained humble in his own assessment. "I don't really like to judge, but I feel like I've done a good first half. But, as Lando and Max said, it's really hard to compare car to car. I think there's still a long way to go before I reach their level, the two drivers next to me. So, I feel like I'm doing a great job, but there's still a long way to go to their level. So, still a lot of work," Antonelli told Sky Sports.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is cautious about declaring his driver the title favorite, given that there are still 12 races left in the season. "It's too early to say. There are so many races left. One or two retirements can have a dramatic impact, and we haven't been great on reliability, so we just have to keep maximizing every day from Friday to Sunday. Hopefully, in the end, it will be enough," Wolff told Sky Sports.
The Formula 1 season resumes after the summer break with a Sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix from August 21-23, 2026, with live coverage of all sessions on Sky Sports F1.
